Art Against Empire

Toward an Aesthetics of Degrowth

Samuel Alexander

• Publisher: Simplicity Institute
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN: 9780994282866
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art & Politics

What role might art need to play in the transition beyond consumer capitalism? Can 'culture jamming' contribute to the necessary revolution in consciousness? And might art be able to provoke social change in ways that rational argument and scientific evidence cannot? In this stimulating new book, "Art Against Empire: Toward an Aesthetics of Degrowth", degrowth scholar Samuel Alexander explores these questions, both in theory and practice. He begins with a novel theoretical defence of art and aesthetic interventions as activity that is necessary to effective social and political activism, and concludes by presenting over one hundred 'culture jamming' artworks from a range of contributors that challenge the status quo and expand the horizons of what alternatives are possible.

THE CHEAPER IT IS THE MORE IT COSTS (PART I)

Artwork by Lena Singla © (http://lenasingla.com/)

'How you spend your money is how you vote for what exists in the world.'

—Vicki Robin

We certainly can't just purchase or consume our way to a just and sustainable world, but we should recognise that the global consumer class has vast power at its disposal through its spending habits.

Voluntary simplicity is the new spectre haunting capitalism,
a movement of people, still in its infancy,
building the new systems and cultures
while withdrawing from the old.

SLAVEDRIVER SANTA

Artwork by Steve Cutts © (http://www.stevecutts.com/)

FACTORY OF THE WORLD

Artwork by Pawel Kuczynski © (http://pawelkuczynski.com/)

I-WASTE

Artwork by Greg Foyster © (http://gregfoyster.com/)

If only we had to deal with the waste streams of our own consumption

At once we would become more conscientious consumers

But since we are distanced from the impacts

As the rubbish trucks arrive on time

We distance ourselves from our conscience

Wilfully blind

Shockingly wasteful

With eyes wide shut

Looking away

FOSSIL EDUCATION

Artwork by Pawel Kuczynski © (http://pawelkuczynski.com/)

UNLEARN

UNCIVILISE

UNTHINK

'The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.'
—Diogenes of Sinope

LOSS OF WONDER

Artwork by John Holcroft © (http://www.johnholcroft.com/)

Education under consumer capitalism

The hidden curriculum

Training our children very well

Instilling the dispositions required to staff the industrial machine

With obedient, diligent unquestioning workers

Who will accept hierarchy and turn up to work on time

Who will work hard and do what they're told

Consume passively

And not expect to change their situation

Not attempt to rock the boat

A good student will keep in line

Children who fail at school are told they do not have 'brains'

And therefore do not deserve good jobs or life chances

Thus inequality and hierarchy are legitimised

Schools churn out competitors

People who will push others down to get ahead

Seeing those who succeed under capitalism as deserving

Seeing those who fail under capitalism as deserving

Ignoring the grossly unequal opportunities

Which lead to unequal outcomes

Ignoring the rich diversity of intelligences and knowledges

Which are rubbished in this system

A false and perverse 'meritocracy'

A good student is conditioned to be

Politically passive

Compliant

Docile

Obedient

Uncritical

Bored

So what would an education look like if it were not designed to reproduce consumer capitalism? What if it were designed to encourage critical thinking, social consciousness, compassion, curiosity, and creativity? What if students graduated knowing how to grow food, cook healthy meals, manage money, mend clothes, install a water tank, build basic dwellings, sharpen tools, fix b...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Acknowledgements
• Contents
• Degrowth As An 'Aesthetics Of Existence'
• Endnotes
• Bibliography
• The Dark Cellars Project
• The Politics Of Attention
• Mega Billboard Land
• The Desecration Of Adam
• Couch Man
• This Is Not A Life
• Shit On Tv
• Consumer Puppet
• The Yawn
• Modern Life
• My Life Is My Message
• Casual Ecocide
• Money And The Grave
• 5 Things To Do Before You Die
• Kfc Tv Couple
• Work. Shop. Die.
• Stock Almost Run Out!
• Happiness Kit
• So Poor All They Have Is Money
• Escape
• Fishing
• Be Careful What You Wish For
• The Cheaper It Is The More It Costs (Part I)
• Slavedriver Santa
• Factory Of The World
• I-Waste
• Fossil Education
• Loss Of Wonder
• Love In The Consumer Age
• Through Love
• I-Brain
• Unsatisfactory Life
• Chemical Happiness
• Merry Materialism
• Mta Sell Out
• Attack Of The Ads
• Ad-Brain
• Missing Out On Real Life
• Texters
• Family Time
• Instagram
• Social Media Narcissism
• Ego
• Facebook Experience
• The Park Is Now Online
• Watching Nature
• Lonely Island
• Handy Man
• Grave Of Society
• Phone Zombies
• Magnet Building
• Golden Chains
• Our Desires Fail Us
• Debt Suicide
• Money Shredder
• The People's Bank
• Bankers On Trash
• Rat Race
• Workforce Vending Machine
• One Market, One Consumer
• New Religion
• Addicted To Profit
• Prisoner Of Capitalism
• Political Puppet
• Justice
• The Politics Of Oil
• The Grand Chessboard
• God War
• War Is Closer Than You Think
• What Violence Shall We Watch Now?
• Human Rights
• Liberty
• Bridges Not Walls
• Salute Of Liberty
• Facebook Submarine
• Death Of Privacy
• Death Of Liberty
• Democracy
• Politics
• Fat Cat
• Globalization
• Water
• Rich And Poor
• March Of Capital
• The Age Of Iron
• Progress, The End
• Megacity
• City Of Gold
• The Cheaper It Is The More It Costs (Part II)
• Clean Coal
• Comparison Climate Change
• Hot New Season
• Earth For Sale
• You've Got Humans
• Forest Mower
• Earth Shredder
• Deforestation
• Nature As Human Resource
• Pig Efficiency
• Animal Slaughter
• The Last Tree
• Wise Human
• Carpe Diem
• The Gardener
• The Key
• Feedback
• Betrayal
• One Day All This Will Be Yours
• Future Generations
• Message In A Bottle
• Coal And Wind
• The Future Is Dark
• It Weighs Heavily
• Earth As A Petri Dish
• Do Not Disturb
• Sustainababble
• Greenwash
• Tech-Fix Faith
• Earth Skull
• The 6th Great Extinction
• Snake Eating Own Tail
• Time Bomb
• Great Disruption
• The Walk
• Post-Human
• The Return Of Gaia
• The Park
• Revolution Or Collapse?
• Bubble Empire
• People Power
• The Economy
• Crisis As Opportunity
• Dynamite Class
• Where Is the Hope?
• Compost Capitalism
• Vlntry/Smplcty
• The Autumn Of Civilisation
• Tears To Trees
• Beyond The Horizon
• Courageous Walk
• From The Ashes Of Empire
• Vision Is Key
• First There Must Be Vision
• Life I Have Lived
• The Great Refusal
• What Would You Do To Be Free?
• Revolution
• The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
• Argument Against War
• Might The Revolution Be Joyful?
• Simplify
• Less Equals More
• Rest
• Wild Democracy
• Nature-Human
• The Future Of Oil
• Prosperous Descent
• Crafternoon
• Post-Carbon Park
• What's This Device?
• The Wanderer
• Apocaloptimystic
• Breakdown Or Breakthrough
• Diogenes' Lantern?
• Higher Self
• R_Evolution
• New Pioneers
• Citizens Of The Cosmos
• Charter Of The Deep Future: Enough, For Everyone, Forever
• Paintbrush Warrior
• Evolution
• Imagination
• The 5th Sacred Thing
• Impossible Till It's Done