Secrets
There was a big gap between the eager start of this blog and then any further entries as I stumbled on the unexpected and the unwanted – the monsters of confidentiality and censorship. Breathe, two, three…
What happened was that it occurred to me whilst writing an entry about some VERY EXCITING and VERY EDGY and POTENTIALLY GROUNDBREAKING ideas TP (The Prof) had been discussing with me, that he may not want them published publicly, as it were, as they were so new and shiny. I was right and we agreed I should show him posts before I publish them. It seemed like a good idea at the time but I think it closed a mental door. Having my blog entries checked before publication removes the instantaneousness of the medium – the key thing about blogging – so instead I simply didn't write anything. It was a bit of a crippler. Now I am simply not including any potentially confidential info, but the experience made me wonder about protection of ideas in art and science. How limiting is it? Aren't we all about sharing, openness, swapping and inspiring? Open-source open-mind?
Well on the surface I suspect the answer for artists is yes, always, for sure, but underneath – what about those really great ideas, the ones that make you shake like a little pekingese dog? The ones that if you were driving (or operating machinery) you may cause an accident because you lapsed so deeply into your own head that you forgot you had limbs? The ones that snatch you from reality and ram you down a chute into Fantasyville where you are EL FROMAGE and creator of THE BEST ART EVER and the ideas are so amazing you can hardly think them. Should we publish and share this stuff?
When do we stop writing what we are thinking about and simply allude to it? And do you ever say upfront what you intend to do? Apparently Henry Wellcome once said "Never tell anyone what you are doing until you have done it" (check the ladies toilets at the Wellcome Collection building). But I am always telling people what I'm up to – what i want to do – what I'm thinking of doing. I can't help it, it's Artist Tourette's (or verbal diarrhoea, but I can never spell that). It's great to get feedback, but sometimes it backfires and you notice your ideas feeding others with no citation, reference or even casual acknowledgment. In art so what?
Hmmm.
