A SOCIALIST’S RANT

A collaboration with Anat Ben-David

(Stuart McKenzie/ Anat Ben-David) 2009

The works presented in A SOCIALIST’S RANT screening make use of Bertolt Brecht’s technique of alienation of the character, a theatrical technique that was defining the revolutionary moment relating to new social movements before World War II.  That notion of seeing the character from “the outside” gave the artist/actor, a critical point of view on the character he/she was portraying.

The idea was that the actor is not being led by “bigger forces” that tell him/her what to do, but that the artist/actor uses his/her own criticality and awareness when creating and acting a character.  As a result the power stays with them as free human beings.  This allows them to taking matters into their own hands, and they themselves become revolutionaries.

These notions also relate to the court jester who has the power of criticality – he is the “voice of the people” because he is out of society and therefore can speak his mind and channel the peoples’ concerns through humour.

http://www.yippieyeah.co.uk/anat/A%20socialists%20rantclips.htm

‘Drawing for Pleasure’ Whitechapel Project Space 2002

 

Venue: Whitechapel Project Space, London, United Kingdom 2003

Co-exhibitors:

Kate Allen, Georgina Batty, Becky Beaseley, Christine Binnie, Jennifer Binnie, Richard Birkett, Michaela Braun, Owen Buck, Andrew Capstick, Angela de la Cruz, Robert Ellis,
Denis Glaser, Isabelle Graeff, Matt Hale, David Harrison, Tim Hope, Des Hughes, Michael Jackson, Piers Jamson, Clair Joy, Wendy Lewis, Kirsten Lyle, Elizabeth Magill,
Stuart McKenzie, Nazarin Montag, Paul Mullen, Richard Niman, Louis Nixon, Luke Oxley,
Janette Parris, Eftihis Patsourakis, Brendan Quick, Kev Rice, Giorgio Sadotti, Dave Smith,
Miles Henderson Smith, Sol Sneltveldt, Unity Spencer, Jemima Stehli, Uzma Sultan, Stuart Taylor, Shelley Theodore, Matthew Tickle, Rick Treister and Volkh.