Variant 19 Spring 2004
text     pdf
 

Cover
Holger Mohaupt, 'Local Resistance', Genoa 2003

Letters

Video purified of television: On why video art wants to be boring, Beech & Beagles, Variant no. 18, www.variant.org.uk/18texts/18videobore.html
A response from Rachel Garfield and John Timberlake

From Porridge to Pelf: Young Adam and the Mysterious Scottish Film Industry, Mike Small, Variant no. 18, www.variant.org.uk/18texts/18youngadam.html
A response from May Miles Thomas, Director of Elemental Films, and Small's reply.

text     pdf

Comment

Begins with events highlighting the development of the 'embedding' of journalists within the US's Police and Paramilitary forces.
Followed by the letter to Scotland's Cultural Officials challenging the proposed take over of the visual arts space Tramway2 by Scottish Ballet.
Ends with an overview of the Tramway situation and a questioning of the expected changes to Scotland's cultural infrastructure - the establishment of a singular Cultural Agency subservient to the Scottish Executive.

text     pdf

Women still in Profile
Social & Cultural Projects: Women's Strategies in Glasgow

Round table discussion documenting the crucial, often under represented work of:
Frock On www.frockon.org
Glasgow Women's Library www.womens-library.org.uk
Sandyford Initiative www.sandyford.org
National Office of Rape Crisis Scotland www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk

text     pdf

A low down dirty lack of shame
Tom Jennings

A superb class analysis of Channel 4's new drama series Shameless. "Gone is the tragic pessimism which can only be overcome by individual heroism or the painstaking work of diligent self-improvement."
www.tomjennings.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

text     pdf

Letter from Palestine
Joyce Carmichael

A harrowing account of the horrors and atrocities suffered simply surviving in Palestine/Westbank.
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign www.scottishpsc.org.uk
Jews for Justice for Palestinians www.jfjfp.org/

text     pdf

Documentary from No-man's Land
'Prisoner of the Caucasus' and Document 1
Doug Aubrey

A balanced critical review of Glasgow's long overdue International Human Rights Film Festival. Aubrey particularly focuses on the poetic, raw and sickening film 'Prisoner of the Caucasus'.

text     pdf

Evaluating the social impact of participation in arts activities
A critical review of François Matarasso's Use or Ornament?
Paola Merli

A much needed incisive critique of the highly influential work of François Matarasso, the ambassador of arts Social Inclusion policy.

text     pdf

Wasting our powers away
Stephen Dawber

Review of the recently published books: 'Culture Incorporated: Museums, Artists, and Corporate Sponsorship', 'Arts Under Pressure: Promoting Cultural Diversity in the Age of Globalization', 'Privatising Culture: Corporate Art Intervention Since the 1980s'. "What is striking about all these books is their empirical density: under sheer weight of evidence, it seems, the liberal self-congratulation of the early 1990s has mutated into a clear-headed understanding that the capturing of public culture for private interests undermines democracy."

text     pdf

Neither Great Nor Glorious
John Chalmers & Sandra Marrs

A haunting, impassioned account of the dark yet beautiful comic book 'Warburger: forgotten or overlooked aspects of war'.
www.ljudmila.org/stripcore/warburger/warburger1.htm
www.metaphrog.com

text     pdf