Essays
In at a press conference Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev said 'Politicians are the same all over, they promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.' Khrushchev's sardonic criticism of politicians turned out to be quite insightful especially when you look back to the last presidential election and consider what an over-used metaphor 'the bridge' became, with President Bill Clinton promising to build a bridge to the future and Senator Bob Dole promising to build a bridge back to the past. The disparity between what politicians promise and then ultimately deliver has become an accepted albeit tiresome part of the political election process.
On a flyer created by artist turned public servant Danny Tisdale we see the portrait of the artist wearing an assured expression reserved for politicians with the accompanying slogan 'Danny Tisdale, An Artist For A Change.' In a series of city-to-city public installations Tisdale has used the model of the political election process to fashion a movable campaign headquarters from which to launch his 'Art Platform' for community change. From this interactive venue the public can gather and learn first hand about his 'campaign' complete with voter registration information, promotional materials, computers with links to the Internet, televisions tuned into C-SPAN, video monitors and cameras standing ready to tape interviews of the visitors. Within the installation the artist also presents a series of captioned photographs making up what he calls The Journey Series which outlines the artist's own life and guiding principles in his journey for change, ranging from a re-photographed old snapshot of Tisdale's Grandparents in Alabama, to a self-portrait of the artist taken as a delegate at the Independence Party convention. Tisdale skillfully moderates these moments like a political endorsement which could have been created for any political hopeful.
Tisdale walks a fine line between a sarcastic perception of the political system and a sincere drive for community activism and empowerment. It would be easy to dismiss Tisdale's campaign as a performance work, but after spending time with Tisdale one not only begins to support his efforts, but would probably find themselves voting for him as well. Tisdale looks to other politically active artists for inspiration such as Czech playwright Vaclav Havel who served as president of Czechoslovakia from - and was elected president of the new Czech Republic again in , and German Fluxus artist Josef Beuys who was responsible for the formation of the German Student Party in which was replaced four years later by the Organization for Direct Democracy through Referendum. In at Documenta V in Kassel, Beuys created an office of information for the Organization for Direct Democracy through Referendum in which he presented his ideas for democratic reform daily to hundreds of visitors attending the event. For Tisdale the campaign headquarters creates a focal point for local residents to raise questions about the issues within their community which concern them, and to give them the opportunity to propose solutions. Tisdale's work not only serves as a criticism of the political process, but creates a sincere drive for community activism on a grassroots level.
Tisdale has taken his campaign to a very real level where he has not only 'built a bridge' that merges his art and political views, but he has discovered an outlet to inspire change within his own community. Recently Tisdale was elected to the Independent Party's State Committee seat in Harlem where he has lived since . In April, Tisdale was welcomed onto the Harlem Community Board # , and he is currently serving on numerous community committees proving his platform of change and activism to be more than the usual political rhetoric. Tisdale's campaign is now focused on the New York City Council elections in September , where part of his platform is in creating an arts district. When looking at the growing lack of public interest in the political landscape, compared to the lack of interest and support for the arts by politicians, perhaps if we voted more artists into public office there would be more politicians with the arts on their agenda.
Gary Hesse (c)
In 960 at a press conference Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev said 'Politicians are the same all over, they promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.' Khrushchev's sardonic criticism of politicians turned out to be quite insightful especially when you look back to the last presidential election and consider what an over-used metaphor 'the bridge' became, with President Bill Clinton promising to build a bridge to the future and Senator Bob Dole promising to build a bridge back to the past. The disparity between what politicians promise and then ultimately deliver has become an accepted albeit tiresome part of the political election process.
On a flyer created by artist turned public servant Danny Tisdale we see the portrait of the artist wearing an assured expression reserved for politicians with the accompanying slogan 'Danny Tisdale, An Artist For A Change.' In a series of city-to-city public installations Tisdale has used the model of the political election process to fashion a movable campaign headquarters from which to launch his 'Art Platform' for community change. From this interactive venue the public can gather and learn first hand about his 'campaign' complete with voter registration information, promotional materials, computers with links to the Internet, televisions tuned into C-SPAN, video monitors and cameras standing ready to tape interviews of the visitors. Within the installation the artist also presents a series of captioned photographs making up what he calls The Journey Series which outlines the artist's own life and guiding principles in his journey for change, ranging from a re-photographed old snapshot of Tisdale's Grandparents in Alabama, to a self-portrait of the artist taken as a delegate at the Independence Party convention. Tisdale skillfully moderates these moments like a political endorsement which could have been created for any political hopeful.
Tisdale walks a fine line between a sarcastic perception of the political system and a sincere drive for community activism and empowerment. It would be easy to dismiss Tisdale's campaign as a performance work, but after spending time with Tisdale one not only begins to support his efforts, but would probably find themselves voting for him as well. Tisdale looks to other politically active artists for inspiration such as Czech playwright Vaclav Havel who served as president of Czechoslovakia from 1989-92 and was elected president of the new Czech Republic again in 1993, and German Fluxus artist Josef Beuys who was responsible for the formation of the German Student Party in 1967 which was replaced four years later by the Organization for Direct Democracy through Referendum. In 1972 at Documenta V in Kassel, Beuys created an office of information for the Organization for Direct Democracy through Referendum in which he presented his ideas for democratic reform daily to hundreds of visitors attending the event. For Tisdale the campaign headquarters creates a focal point for local residents to raise questions about the issues within their community which concern them, and to give them the opportunity to propose solutions. Tisdale's work not only serves as a criticism of the political process, but creates a sincere drive for community activism on a grassroots level.
Tisdale has taken his campaign to a very real level where he has not only 'built a bridge' that merges his art and political views, but he has discovered an outlet to inspire change within his own community. Recently Tisdale was elected to the Independent Party's State Committee seat in Harlem where he has lived since 1985. In April, 1996 Tisdale was welcomed onto the Harlem Community Board #10, and he is currently serving on numerous community committees proving his platform of change and activism to be more than the usual political rhetoric. Tisdale's campaign is now focused on the New York City Council elections in September 1997, where part of his platform is in creating an arts district. When looking at the growing lack of public interest in the political landscape, compared to the lack of interest and support for the arts by politicians, perhaps if we voted more artists into public office there would be more politicians with the arts on their agenda.
Gary Hesse (c)1996