This essay revisits a time when both Punk and Situationism flourished in the UK. When a whole generation of radically different artists emerged as outsiders, amateurs, and the lower classes found cultural empowerment as an agent for social change. Their varied practices critiqued the societies they lived in, questioning the authority and authenticity of established politics, language, history, music, and film.
The phrase ‘anyone can do it’ was widely used within the punk underground and decades since. This simple philosophy reached a mass of individuals and groups who no longer accepted the given order of the day. They found solidarity and established tools to claim cultural territory, creativity, and social context on their terms.
It takes us back to the violent beginning as part of the Gordon Riots in 1780. The emergence of King Mob and similarly motivated riots in the late 20th century, linking them with the British faction of Situationists in the 60s and 70s and Malcolm McLaren and Punk.
It also asks what is a failure in terms of individuals and groups actively struggling to build agency in a world ruled by the privileged, and what can we learn from these passionate, dedicated, very creative people pathing the way for us now to build our own independent and grounded intentions today?
Marc Garrett is co-director and co-founder, with artist Ruth Catlow of the arts collective Furtherfield, beginning on the Internet in 96. Furtherfield has two physical venues, a gallery and a Commons lab, both situated in the park, in Finsbury Park, London. Has curated over 50 contemporary Media Arts exhibitions, projects nationally and internationally. Main editor of the Furtherfield web site. Written for various books and articles about art, technology and social change. Two key Furtherfield publications include co-editing of 'Artists Re:Thinking Games' with Ruth Catlow and Corrado Morgana 2010, and recently on 'Artists Re:thinking the Blockchain' with Ruth Catlow, Nathan Jones and Sam Skinner 2017. Currently in the write up of last year of Phd at the University of London, Birkbeck College.
Emerging in the late 80′s from the streets exploring creativity via agit-art tactics. Using unofficial, experimental platforms such as the streets, pirate radio such as the locally popular ‘Savage Yet Tender’ alternative broadcasting 1980′s group, net broadcasts, BBS systems, performance, intervention, events, pamphlets, warehouses and gallery spaces. In the early nineties, was co-sysop (systems operator) with Heath Bunting on Cybercafe BBS with Irational.org.
Furtherfield’s mission is to co-create extraordinary art that connects with contemporary audiences providing innovative, engaging and inclusive digital and physical spaces for appreciating and participating in practices in art, technology and social change. As well as finding alternative ways around already dominating hegemonies, thus claiming for ourselves and our peer networks a culturally aware and critical dialogue beyond traditional hierarchical behaviours. Influenced by situationist theory, fluxus, free and open source culture, and processes of self-education and peer learning, in an art, activist and community context.
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