Thursday 23 April 2009

Drifting

Several months ago I wrote briefly about Guy Debord, psychogeography and the Situationist International group, and how they viewed the city. Debord was obsessed with the power of images, and a man who had been behind the most well-known slogans written across Paris in the 1968 uprisings. It seemed somehow entirely appropriate therefore to see his image stencilled onto a wall beneath the colourful drips and swirls of tags and graffiti.

Somewhere in the East of Paris an artist has created a stencil of the radical thinker Guy Debord and is now decorating walls and doors with his image. This figure is sometimes accompanied by a message, “Deux bords pour un dérive” (two sides for a drift), a rather non-sensical play on words on Debord’s name and theories. Debord both criticised and used text and images to inspire change, but what would he have thought about seeing his image become spectacle?

Debord’s most well-known work, “Society of the Spectacle” was published in 1967, and has been credited by many as a major inspiration behind the 1968 Paris uprising. In very broad terms, this book deals with post-war modernism, and how images in the media create a spectacle that produces alienation and division in society. Debord not only criticised though, but also proposed ways to break down or away from this society, with the most well-known strategy being the ‘dérive’ or drift.

Images though are not simply physical representations, but can also be generated by words. Debord quotes the sociologist Chombart de Lauwe who noted that “an urban neighborhood is determined not only by geographical and economic factors, but also by the image that its inhabitants and those of other neighborhoods have of it”. Studies had shown that individuals in cities often become trapped in banal triangles of work/home/leisure, and rarely deviate from these points. The solution to break out of this trap, and by extension to change people’s perception of their living environment would be to embark on a drift.

In practical terms, the drift would be a way to escape from the physical limits of the city. Built-up environments are necessarilly restrictive for Situationists, being designed to direct and control inhabitants. As Debord wrote, “In a dérive one or more persons during a certain period drop their relations, their work and leisure activities, and all their other usual motives for movement and action, and let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there”. If everybody drifted on a regular basis, psychogeographical barriers would be broken down and the city would change. As the famous 1968 phrase summarised, ‘Sous les pavés la plage’ (Beneath the pavements, the beach).

Today’s stencil artist clearly feels that this is an image that can still inspire today, but does it still have relevance? Debord once wrote that “all that was once directly lived has become mere representation”, and it is ironic that this should apply to the man himself today. Debord’s drifts took in many bars and too much alcohol, a factor that is said to have contributed to his suicide in 1994, and the images of uprising and the slogans used in 1968 have since become something akin to capitalist commodities.

Simply choosing Debord’s profile seems to me to be approaching idolatry, rather like wearing a t-shirt with the face of Che Guevara on it. The message is an empty one, particularly for this face which is little known. However, this is an image that may provoke thought and reflection, and a single thought still has the capacity to grow into something more powerful. At the very least, it may encourage people to investigate a very original and fascinating personality.


Note: If you are interested in learning more about Debord, psychogeography and the Situationists, Ken Knabb's Bureau of Public Secrets website contains translations and discussions of all major texts: http://www.bopsecrets.org

10 comments:

Squirrel said...

A great stencil, and had I passed by it ( I wish... ) I would have run off to research just who this was. An inspiration to an uprising... I think he can still inspire today, even though it may seem like hero worship, I think sometimes the images and a vague idea of the individual is all it takes... sometimes just the artfully done image.

ArtSparker said...

He's the map trumps the territory guy ? I think when we stray outside the borders both the marvellous and our own mortality lie waiting, there are benefits to keeping one's nose to the carrot (take that, metaphors).

Starman said...

Okay, someone needs to explain to me the difference between tags and graffiti. I thought they were one and the same.

Adam said...

Starman: The way I see it, graffiti is some kind of multi-coloured creation whereas a tag is just a single colour signature. However, there is a 'Tag' exhibition in Paris at the moment full of what I would describe as graffiti!

Commandrea said...

a "tag" is sort of like a signature, a specific word/image an artist uses, whereas grafitti encompasses both tags and pieces of art created on buildings.

also, I remember reading Society and the Spectacle in film school, but never thought twice about the author. . . very interesting, Adam.

CarolineLD said...

On the subject of Debord puns, there's a graphic novel/game shop in Lamballe, Cotes d'Armor called Sous les paves, la page. (Apologies for missing accents!)

PeterParis said...

“All that was once directly lived has become mere representation" seems to be a quite true statement, perhaps more and more true! We are all rushing through things, take photos (especialy if we are bloggers) and run to the next event or place! (I include myself.)

I share the distinction between graffiti and tags, but the limits seem of course a bit vague.

I hope you will have a relaxing weekend!

Nathalie H.D. said...

J'adore ta première image - un vrai coup de poing. La personnalité de Guy Debord, que je ne connaissais pas, donne tout son sens à ce graffiti - avec les réserves que tu fais très justement. Bravo.

Nathalie H.D. said...

Alors, "sous les pavés, la plage", c'est de Guy Debord ?

Nathalie H.D. said...

And about your comment in Avignon, of course it's worth discussing what beauty is...
I'd say it's in the eye of the beholder, with a lot of acquired tastes.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Twitter Instagram Write Bookmark this page More

 
Design by Free WordPress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Themes | Premium Wordpress Themes