Music: Luke Fair - Balance 011 [An amazing mix of house music that's funky and emotional with a twist of darkness. A superb effort from Luke Fair, and the best dance release of the year so far]


Society is far from being perfect. Any recent newspaper or news broadcast will have featured some disaster, some convoluted situation that has promoted only misery for those involved. The conflicts in Iraq, Zimbabwe and Palestine have all dominated headlines on the International stage at various points. Examples closer to home include the constant suppy of tales about the 'bad deeds' of immigrants and the youth. 'An Expression of Desire' is not directly about such stories, but the often sensational reaction or simplistic solutions to these and other issues.

Fear and ignorance are natural aspects of a person - you cannot be knowledgeable about everything, and the unknown will always bring about nervousness and anxiety. In contemporary society (for clarification, I speak from the viewpoint of a UK resident), if I see a group of youths standing around in the street, there's a good chance my natural reaction will be one of distrust, suspicion, fear. In my head I may have decided that they are likely to be guilty of criminal acts, or that to pass by them will result in verbal, even physical, abuse. In the case of the latter, any attempt to defend myself would likely result in my prosecution over that of the actual aggressors, who will walk away free. The notion that this group might actually mean no harm at all is unlikely to feature prominantly in my thoughts. Instead, I've crafted an incredibly paranoid, self-righteous fantasy that presumes to know the motives and immorality of others. Perhaps it's easier to hate someone than to understand them - easy to judge someone without ever having to speak to them - but this kind of negative generalising seems pervasive throughout debates and articles.

Perhaps it's not so surprising. Modern life, especially in developed countries, is increasingly lived out through signs and symbols, quickly glimpsed gestures and expressions... half-snippets of conversation that you hear on the high street, for which you fill in the blanks to fit your preconceptions of those it belonged to. So much is unknown and ambiguous in those instances, it's natural to generalise and stereotype in order to make sense of things, or to reconfirm your own perspectives and opinions. However, ultimately these cartoon outlines of people are thoughtless, appropriate only for those fleeting moments. Unfortunately, it often seems that those stereotypes and potential villains are carried through to serious debates and news stories, resulting in both the aforementioned sensationalisation and simplification.

'An Expression of Desire' is a criticism of such myopic practices, because in the end they can only ever breed anger and fear towards whatever group is being targeted ('immigrants are taking our jobs', 'teenagers are disrespectful', 'Americans are exploiting other countries', etc). When people can be simplified into one-word qualities, it's no real surprise that the solutions and proposals to perceived problems are equally simple. If problem 'A' occurs, implement solution 'B' and result 'C' will inevitably follow on. This simplified logic is generally why there are calls for the banning of games, alchohol, closing the borders, evening curfews, etc. Each an unconsidered reaction to problems that most likely have far deeper cultural and sociological roots.

It's not unfair to say that there are a lot of people who do commit crime and are immoral, yet there are people who are law-abiding, ethical and wise. It's easy to think that if the latter can exist with those qualities, why can't others? It's clearly possible for people to be good, and this sentiment is essentially what drives utopian and idealistic thought. Humanity has no set routine, no determined outcome in how we act, therefore people can be moulded and educated to act in a way that is socially acceptable. The perspective of exactly what that standard is will change from age to age but, crucially, not the idea that it can be achieved. The ideal vision of a good society is therefore, theoretically, completely possible, and that is it's ultimate hook, it's attraction. The bad qualities (even when those qualities are things like nationality or race) can be removed or blocked, leaving only a utopian society behind.

Yet, while utopias are an expression of desire, they are not the product of an optimistic mind. Rather, they reflect that person's cry of frustration at the world around them, at people who do not live to the same moral code. But people are what make society as it is today, hence the utopian vision that alters how these people act, or determines a rigid behavioural structure, effectively eliminates real people. As a consequence, these ideal societies or solutions inevitably become unrealistic and impractical models. I suppose, when a social problem arises, there are no answers - only potential changes that bring with them their own positive and negative effects. But whatever changes considered, whatever viewpoints formed, they need to be done so from reasoned and informed thought, not kneejerk sensationalism or popular soundbites.

Unfortunately, that would be ideal.


Supplementary

Stage One

Stage Two

Stage Three

Stage Four

Stage Five

Stage Six


Related Artwork

An Expression of Desire


Learn

Carey, J. (2000). The Faber Book of Utopias.
Kumar, K. (1991). Utopianism.
Raban, J. (1988). Soft City. - one of my favourite books, wonderful insights


nb. This journal entry touches on a number of subjects that deserve a whole topic to themselves, but it would be impractical to discuss them in detail here. In any case, hopefully it does go some way to explaining the symbolism and thoughts behind 'An Expression of Desire'.