Page 98 - David Bermant Foundation

TO: CERMAK PLAZA CUSTOMERS FROM: DAVID BERMANT, OwnerSHOULD BIG BIL-BORED BE PRESERVED?79% of the voters this spring voted against its remaining in Berwyn.It cannot be removed without being DESTROYED.A national polling company will conduct a survey to find out what YOU think. The following dialogue may be helpful in reaching your conclusion.BIG BIL-BORED – WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?“Looks like a pile of junk to me.”“It is a pile of junk.”“Yeah? I thought they were telling us it was some kind of ‘art’.” “Maybe it is some kind of art.”“Come on! It’s junk and it’s art? How can you figure that? Make up your mind, buddy.”“Well, how about this: It’s made out of junk, which is not art just like the ‘Old Masters’ paintings were made out of canvas and paint which was not art ... but what they did with it turned it into art.”“The artist starts out with some idea or message or story that they want to put across. They take whatever material they like to work with ... paint and canvas, clay, a block of wood, a chunk of marble ... or even a pile of worn out junk, and work it upto tell that story or put across that idea or message. The ‘Old Masters’ paintings usually had messages about the Bible orfrom mythology or about significant events or people. They were things that were important or of interest to the royalty, nobility or wealthy people of those times. The art work was for the people rich enough to pay for it, not the general public, and was seen in the churches or in the palaces and mansions of the rich.” “Uh huh. And what’s that to do with this junk art?”“In modern times artists have used a lot of different materials and new and surprising methods of putting across their ideas and messages. Sometimes they don’t do a specific picture of it, but instead put together some clues and hints or suggestions and leave it up to us viewers to figure out the story.”“So what’s the story this weirdo art’s telling?”“What do you think? What do you see here?”“I see hundreds of pieces of junk; worn out and busted appliances, gadgets, machinery and household stuff all piled up.” “How does that make you feel?”“Depressed. Irritated. Kind of mad.”“Why?”“It’s a mess! A big waste; costs a lot to make and buy all that stuff and here it is all of a sudden, useless junk all stacked up.” “So what do you suspect the artist’s message might be?” “Maybe that too many factories make too much stuff that doesn’t last very long?”“Could be. What else?”“That we all get conned into buy a lot of stuff we don’t need ... or even really want ... and it ends up in a junk pile too soon.” “Anything else?”“... and we’re running out of places to dump it all.”“And that’s it?”“How about we’re using up all our natural resources and wasting it on junk? I hear about that a lot lately.”“So it turns out that you knew what the artist’s message was all along and you just had to sort it out and think about it a little..” “Yeash. Well, OK ... but the whole bit still bugs me.”“Maybe it’s supposed to bug you. Maybe it’s meant to keep reminding you ... and me ... and everyone, that we’re making too much stuff for our own good and some changes need to be made in what we think is important.”“Maybe so, maybe so. Let me think about it.”By Walt Hopmans, Art Historian and Educator Santa Barbara, California