Re: <nettime> The Whole Earth Conference + Turner interview

[Karen O'Rourke <mapper@wanadoo.fr>]

Le 28/07/2013 12:00, nettime-l-request@mail.kein.org a ?crit :

Yet in certain respects, his thesis is a bit too pat.

Brian, I think we sometimes need clearly drawn theoretical storylines 
(or pat simplifications, if you will) to allow some rewiring to take 
place (keep those neurons on their toes). We need to get Turner's map in 
our heads before we can confront it with our own experience.

As I recall it, his treatment of early

counterculture/ cyberculture is reminiscent of something like Boltanski

and Chiapello's treatment of Deleuze & Guattari, or indeed, of "artistic

critique" in general, in their book "The New Spirit of Capitalism." In

both of these otherwise impressive works, the authors write as though

the worm of Neoliberalism were already in the Sixties' fruit, and what

we mistook for a sweet taste was actually a time-delay poison.

Yes, his thesis does resemble that of Boltanski & Chiapello whose 
arguments are well documented. In spite of that, I don't think we're 
done with artistic critique. But it needs to grapple with/process their 
critique if it wants to be more than a neoliberal managerial mantra.

Craving sugar, we tend to gorge on the sweet flesh of the fruit while 
overlooking telltale signs of other, less desirable presences (and if 
it's the first time we've seen that particular worm, our mistake might 
be forgivable). Then, in retrospect, we focus on the worm and forget the 
fruit, many parts of which are still quite edible. I don't think we're 
done with cybernetics and systems theory either.

Thank you Lee, Julia, Molly, Mark for your references. In the book, 
Turner does refer to religion, quoting Lee Felsenstein: "technology was 
'a secular religion' in mainstream America; with the catalogue, in 
contrast Stewart Brand set up an alternative temple of the same 
religion." (114). I've just begun reading the chapter on Bateson...

Best,

Karen


-- 
Karen O'Rourke

Ma?tre de conf?rences HDR ? l'Universit? Paris 1
47, rue des Bergers
75015 Paris (France)

karenorourke.wordpress.com
korourke.pagesperso-orange.fr


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