A reflection after the whole D Day thing.
I am in my later 40's and had I lived in other periods of history I would have probably died by now fighting the Romans, the Vikings, the Normans, a crusade in the middle east, Napoleon, the Spanish Armada, our own civil war, or the Germans.
I have lived in relative peace time, as our wars have been in remote places, fought by professional soldiers. I have been unaffected. Now last night I saw a fantastic documentary starting with Dday and filming on untill the end of the 2nd world war, documented by an american camera crew who must have followed the troops a couple days behind the fighting.
What has been my contribution to society in peace time.
Have our scientists, architects artists and writers etc contributed to a golden era, or like our footballers, dubious politicians and greedy bankers focused on the individual?
I ask myself if, on my best days, have I stepped up and been as good as my heroes?
'Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
Where have you been? its alright we know where youve been.
Youve been in the pipeline, filling in time, provided with toys and
scouting for boys.
You bought a guitar to punish your ma,
And you didnt like school, and you know youre nobodys fool,
So welcome to the machine.
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
What did you dream? its alright we told you what to dream.
You dreamed of a big star, he played a mean guitar,
He always ate in the steak bar. he loved to drive in his jaguar'.
So welcome to the machine. A symbol for realising revolutionary potential, the spirit of endevour and an irresistable epidemic of expansion and growth.
Not for Roger Walters of Pink Floyd, his lyrics (above) show a manipulating and cynical music industry. For others, alienation in a changing world.
Witney exported blankets woven on machines to North American Indians who wore them as capes, exported with the Hudson Bay Trading Co. I would have thought the indians would have woven their own blankets, but then there you go, its a funny old world.
For me the machine represents western capitalism and the Indian some kind of more attractive 'other'. I am looking forward to depicting him in this mosaic, but I have to focus on another project now and I will have to wait may be as long as a month before I can meet my friend the indian.
