WHY

over the last couple of weeks, i've had the fantastic opportunity to hang out for a few days at my parents' place. it's an amazing place, overlooking the victorian coastline and just oozes calm and rejuvenation. especially when my folks are away. heh. having recharged on some good, old-fashioned fresh air, cups of tea and a whole lot of doing nothing, the payback is a grating against the futility of contemporary urban life again. that old question WHY? has started hanging around again*.

*the artnews blog also mentioned it tonight, which i'm glad about, 'cos the last couple of days have been particularly murky.

on the way into town this morning, i noticed the enormity and quantity of truck-based freight zooming in and out of melbourne and felt the weight of modern consumerism sitting at my throat. yesterday i was enjoying a quiet coffee in my favourite cafe and noticed the overbearing amount of ignorant, oversized-car-driving, middle-aged, aspirational mothers kicking around the seaside town, when there are people starving for food on the other side of the planet. i've been feeling the futility of being a fucking conceptual installation artist working on projects about cities, imagination and mapping technology when there are so many people whose daily life is focused on important things like eating, earning enough to support a family and love.


"with great power comes great responsibility"
Spider Man - Stan Lee (Uncle Ben to Peter Parker)... although i thought it was a more politically motivated statement.


"And yes, I recognize the irony.
The system I oppose affords me the luxury
Of biting the hand that feeds.
That's exactly why privileged fucks like me
Should feel obliged to whine and kick and scream,
Until everyone has everything they need."
Resisting Tyrannical Government, Propagandhi.


these quotes have always been important to me, and never more than at times like this. not that i have a whole lot of power. and not that i'm especially privileged (i never had a horse growing up, that's for sure). but i'm from a white middle-class background in a pretty wealthy country, with a good education and the desire to make a difference.

and sometimes it's still not enough. sometimes the weight of 'there's so much shit to sort out' gets to me. i'm sure it will pass. i'm sure i will meet someone/read something/work on something that will right the balance of my world. but for a while, please bear with the grouchy old woman with the ideals.