I'm unaware of a fine art theory or response to transition so apologies if i've overlooked it and if not it would be good to get the ball rolling in this forum as I'm sure there are plenty of artists involved at a local level already.
There is a vacuum emerging in postmodern culture with the influence of art movements such as the YBA’s (young british artists) eg, Damien Hirst etc, waning with no clear group emerging to succeed them. There is no reason why the Arts, Crafts and Culture element of the transition movement is not capable of filling this void and using it to relocalise culture. Given the limited timescale we have to act in and the mass cultural shift we need to facilitate, it is essential that we do so. By developing a cohesive cultural model that can be presented as the successor to postmodern consumerism we can greatly enhance the chances of our movement succeeding against all the others that will emerge and present attractive solutions as the situation worsens. Transition won’t work unless it becomes a mass movement and artists must play a role in ensuring that it does. With everyone from BP to the BNP claiming to have the answers , defining and strengthening our cultural message is essential.
The history of fine art, particularly in Britain has provided some notable examples of inspiration. The Guild of St George was founded by seminal art critic and social commentator John Ruskin in the 1870s as a vehicle to implement his ideas about how society should be re-organised. Its members, who are called Companions, were originally required to give a tithe of their income (one tenth) to the Guild. The aims of the guild are:
- TO PROMOTE THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE FIELD OR RURAL ECONOMY, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN AND CRAFTSMANSHIP
- APPRECIATION OF THE ARTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLES SET OUT IN THE LETTERS TO WORKING MEN BY JOHN RUSKIN PUBLISHED UNDER THE TITLE FORS CLAVIGERA
Fors Clavigera essentially sets out Ruskins views on industrial society and what he termed the charlatans of mass production. He was extremely critical of capitalism while supporting craftsmen and craftwork as the backbone of culture. He strongly influenced William Morris and the arts and crafts movement while also defining the art and architecture of his era, the pre-Raphaelites and Turner became cultural icons with his support and his social commentary is said to have influenced the formation of the labour party. The transition handbook even quotes his views on architecture.
The philosophy of John Ruskin, the Guild of St George and the Arts and Crafts movement were the first and to this date only serious cultural challenger to the dominance of industrialisation and the deskilling of the population. For the transition model to be successful it must build on this philosophy and develop it to be practical and effective in presenting an alternative to consumer culture. Whilst developing practical skills within the local community is our key objective, unless it is presented in a well defined cultural context it will be limited in its effect. Although numbers are growing, in real terms the transition movement remains tiny and its message a niche agenda at best, only a major cultural shift will change this, like Ruskin we must persuade people that our alternative is something to be desired, something culturally more valuable than society is currently.
In a time before peak anything, when industry was new and exciting and only the material benefits could be seen, John Ruskin cleverly tied in fine art, economics, architecture, craftwork and politics into a powerful philosophy and practical agenda that went against the tide of industrialisation. Although in the end the forces of capitalism were too strong, Ruskin did for a while manage to get society to desire his alternative vision, we must do the same, without the option of failure but with the tide on our side.
The transition handbook does suggest attempts at engaging with popular culture and visions of the future with its mock newspaper articles, such as the allotment version of big brother, but this approach is just one of many we need to adopt, fine art and the philosophy that supports it must also play a role.
If you haven’t fallen asleep yet I’ll assume there’s some interest and scope for a debate, it would be great to exchange opinions and theories online with with artists who share the transition vision. As part of Transition Black Isle I’m hoping as I’m sure many others are in their local groups to develop the creative side of our transition through craft. However I think the concepts and discoveries that will be made along these journeys will be all the more valuable if shared and discussed online on a world basis and this seems like a good time and place to start.