Draft of a Memento. Control: Issue 21 Spring 2019

Abstract

Control represents models of self-organisation and contextualisation in art practice that are functioning within the contemporary social and cultural landscape. These models by their very existence, operation, and function, act as a critical counter consciousness to the reductive determinism that dominates the institutional and institutionalised art world of today. In the main, instead of object based monumental emulative icons for denoting immortality and power, these art practices are transient and informal, existing between people rooted in a particular context, often built around the cybernetic principles of dynamic feedback and exchange.

In the extreme uniformity in the cultural and social setting that the artist is confronted with today, new attitudes, new languages and forms in art practice have never been more appropriate and needed in transforming the function of art within society. The dominance of the possessive object has been a restrictive and inhibitory factor in holding back the development of innovative languages in art practice. The artwork has become ever more descriptive of the status quo, instead of freeing the artist to the possibilities of creating new visions of reality; transforming the world as it is, into the world as it could be.

The group of artists that are contributing to this current issue of Control have all in their very different circumstances, addressed the issues of contextulisation, meaning and function in creating artwork that acts between people: that in its processes celebrates their community and society.

These are modern art practices that have a different language from the historical monumental object, and indicate the possibilities of a transformative future. They are seen as a signpost to how the world can be different, and importantly have not just been postulated in some theoretical discussion but have actually happened, been demonstrated, and are recorded here in this new issue of Control.