Friday, 26 May 2023

Pistis ponders plain-sight hiding‽ (weekending May 27th 2023)

 

‽istis ponders plain-sight hiding‽ (weekending May 27th 2023)

This week ‽istis has had much to ponder:

‽  BBC ‘Verify’[i] to fact-check, verify video, counter disinformation, analyse data and explain complex stories. To perhaps, possibly, maybe help us to know what is and isn’t ‘true’ or even (as ‘next-generation’ developments in AI seem to dominate the news) what is ‘real’.

 ‽ Side-hustles[ii] and unheralded ‘minor skills’ (whistling and ironing for someone ‽istis knows well!)

‽ Political parties in the UK: ‘Conservative’ – seeking to conserve what? ‘Labour’ – working or not? ‘Liberal Democrat’ – just how liberal? The ‘Green Party’ – why just one MP for the party that seems to address most directly what is perhaps, possibly, maybe one of the most significant and critical issues of the time[iii]?  Plus, potential voting reform and proportional representation. Plus, the possibility of a ‘progressive alliance’, advice for voters, co-operation on fielding the candidate most likely to win in any area, parties that might plan for a coalition aiming to be more progressive for many - rather than retrogressive, status-quosive, conservative especially for a few…?

‽ Safeguarding and the Church of England with who knew what, when and what did they do about it[iv] being key current questions continuing to spill into this week’s news

‽ Jokes: as an ‘excruciating speech’ from someone ‘seeking to be light-hearted’ apparently disrupts a ‘Crime Fest’[v]… and ‽istis thinks that if people can think or even say: ‘that’s no joke’, then (however classic-joke-formularied it may be, and however many people may laugh) perhaps it isn’t?

…and difficulty choosing what to focus on.

‽istis may return to some of these, but in the week that the death of Rolf Harris is announced publicly[vi] and a statue outside the BBC in London by Eric Gill is attacked yet again[vii], ‽istis ended up wondering whether art and creativity - and the life and behaviour of an artist or creative - can be separated‽ Can we laud the work whilst condemning the worker?[viii]

The article by Rachel Cooke from 2017 (cited in the endnote (viii) ) includes a variety of viewpoints but ‽istis wonders:

·        if we had known that, then – would work have been commissioned?

·        would patronage been extended?

·        would publicity have been given?

·        would means, materials and opportunity have been denied?

·        would the work have dried up?

·        would a living have been made?

·        would we have spoken up, rejected, ‘cancelled’, referred, investigated, prosecuted, found guilty, imprisoned…?

And as the ‘hiding in plain sight’[ix] epithet is applied to Rolf Harris and Jimmy Saville[x] these questions (above) seem critical - along with a link to last weekending’s blog[xi] when Pistis wondered where are the other voices‽ 

For where were the voices: of those who were uncomfortable with what they saw and heard, who suspected…? And especially where were the voices of those who experienced and endured…?  

Could we have heard, could we have listened better…?


Meanwhile, there are decisions to be made: what do we do now? Remove the statues, sculptures, paintings, drawings, photographs, poems and novels; or contextualise; or let them stand separate as ‘art’ in their own right?

More immediately and close to home, ‽istis wonders what to do with the LP (of Rolf Harris’s comical songs, much-played in the past) and the memories (of what the whole audience seemed to think was a fine evening’s entertainment from Rolf and band a few years’ ago, of art and animal TV shows and ‘catchphrases’, of the sadness of ‘Two Little Boys’ and the laugher at ‘Jake the Peg’[xii])?

And, as ‽istis currently sorts through boxes of old teaching and training material on the topic of safeguarding, there is another decision to be made: what to do with that old VHS of artist, musician, creative and entertainer ‘Rolf’ (who ironically was not seen as a danger or a stranger in our homes and lives) in information and education mode: raising awareness about stranger danger, appropriate touch, good and bad feelings, safety and self-protection[xiii]… 

Throw it away, destroy it, bury it in a box in the loft - or put it out in plain sight – not hidden; a warning‽

©‽istis                                                                                                                    

NB: further reflections and comments linked to this week’s theme and past blog entries to be found on Twitter: replies, retweets (which don’t necessarily indicate approval, sometimes the very opposite!) and ‘likes’: @Pistis_wonders. ‘Follows’ and respectful comment and dialogue welcome...  


[ii] Plenty of ideas, websites and features come across, including: https://skintdad.co.uk/side-hustles/

[viii] The blog (above) has a link to this article by Rachel Cooke from 2017: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/apr/09/eric-gill-the-body-ditchling-exhibition-rachel-cooke

[xii] What was that extra leg all about…?


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