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MTAA-RR » news » mriver » interview:
Mar 16, 2003
Interview 99
posted at 16:52 GMT by M.River in /news/mriver
The following fictional alternative interview is presented as the artist statement in an attempt to explain / demonstrate the working methods of the MTAA. This fiction was written during Hurricane downgraded to Tropical Storm Floyd¹s landfall in New York on Thursday September 16, 1999. This fiction is set in a warehouse along the East River waterfront of Brooklyn. More specifically, this fiction takes place on the 7th floor of this warehouse at a small kitchen table. The windows in front of this table looks out to the underbelly of the Manhattan bridge. This underbelly frames the perfect view of the New York skyline. It is a sky line that on this day is covered in a constant gray downpour.
(this is the moment the tape player is turned on)
HS - Woooooh…it¹s really coming down now…Okay, let¹s get started guys…so first.. a very basic question: Are dogs smarter than cats?
TW - Yeah, this one comes up quite a bit for us. Yes, dogs are smarter than cats. That is not just my opinion. It is hard science. It is just the facts.
MR - I have to agree with T Whid. Some people seem to get all upset by this. We¹re not saying that cats are not intelligent animals…I mean some of them are quite clever…but the cold truth is dogs are smarter. I would not say that dogs are better pets…I don¹t think is always the case at all…but brain mass to brain mass…you have to give it to the dogs.
HS - Well…you know how I feel about my cats…
TW - Yeah, but we don¹t mean it in more brain…higher evolution…humans on the top rung of evolution and your right to BE is the size of your brain kinda way.. but…dogs ARE smarter.
HS - Okay,…okay. So what have you been listening to lately?
MR - Well…as I am writing this interview, I have:I Care Because You Do by AphexTwin pounding in my head phones. God damn it, it hurts. Usually I only write while listening to Mark Eitzel or American Music Club (…truly beautiful and broken stuff over and over and over…) but I thought I¹d give this a try. Originally, when I was jotting down the sketch of this interview during the storm, I was listening to all of the Magnetic Field¹s 69 Love Songs box set.
TW - Yeah, I think the liner notes for the box set helped get M River focused on this artist statement. The liner notes are a long conversation about the making of 69 Love Songs. It was tapped in restaurant and has a nice off the cuff feel. I think M River is using this as a starting point in this work.
MR - Si, but I have a feeling that the interview in the liner notes is a fact that may have been altered a bit afterwards. This is of course is the opposite… All fake with a little truth tossed in at the end for luck.
HS - Okay, so T Whid. What have you been reading?
TW- Um… I hate to admit this but I¹m reading ³The Secret History of UFO¹s². But I SWEAR…I¹m only doing it to win a argument with the guy in the next cubicle at work. Hey…it¹s really starting to come down out there. Maybe we should cut this short and go…
HR - Sure, T Whid, sure. One last question. How is this interview functioning as a artist statement? Or is this just some kinda tongue-in-cheek conceptual cop out?
MR - Let¹s begin to answer that with the MTAA motto: Given 1: confusion 2; misunderstanding
TW - The working method of the MTAA states that the MTAA is a performed fiction. It is a fiction that does not strive for the “Spiritual” nor does it presents any symbolic meaning. The meaning, if one may use this word, may be found in ideas like: faith in pop culture, narcissism, anti professionalism, kindness, Artainment and science.
MR - Uh huh,…as well as in the thought of Self being a mailable state.
HS - I don¹t buy it … but, if that is your statement, we¹ll go with it. Thanks for your time.
MR - No, no. Thank you.
(interview stops and tape is turned off)
End note - It rained and rained and the city looked gray. It¹s a week later and I am finishing this at my desk at home. Soon I will send it to T Whid and then to HS. They will read it for the first time. They will edit and add some words. They will do with it as they like. You will read it and wonder why. Artist statement? Apex Twin says;…I care because you do. I just tend to say;…I just don¹t care anymore.
I am staring at my monitor and thinking of Hurricane down graded to Tropical Storm Floyd. I am thinking of you. permanent link to this post
(this is the moment the tape player is turned on)
HS - Woooooh…it¹s really coming down now…Okay, let¹s get started guys…so first.. a very basic question: Are dogs smarter than cats?
TW - Yeah, this one comes up quite a bit for us. Yes, dogs are smarter than cats. That is not just my opinion. It is hard science. It is just the facts.
MR - I have to agree with T Whid. Some people seem to get all upset by this. We¹re not saying that cats are not intelligent animals…I mean some of them are quite clever…but the cold truth is dogs are smarter. I would not say that dogs are better pets…I don¹t think is always the case at all…but brain mass to brain mass…you have to give it to the dogs.
HS - Well…you know how I feel about my cats…
TW - Yeah, but we don¹t mean it in more brain…higher evolution…humans on the top rung of evolution and your right to BE is the size of your brain kinda way.. but…dogs ARE smarter.
HS - Okay,…okay. So what have you been listening to lately?
MR - Well…as I am writing this interview, I have:I Care Because You Do by AphexTwin pounding in my head phones. God damn it, it hurts. Usually I only write while listening to Mark Eitzel or American Music Club (…truly beautiful and broken stuff over and over and over…) but I thought I¹d give this a try. Originally, when I was jotting down the sketch of this interview during the storm, I was listening to all of the Magnetic Field¹s 69 Love Songs box set.
TW - Yeah, I think the liner notes for the box set helped get M River focused on this artist statement. The liner notes are a long conversation about the making of 69 Love Songs. It was tapped in restaurant and has a nice off the cuff feel. I think M River is using this as a starting point in this work.
MR - Si, but I have a feeling that the interview in the liner notes is a fact that may have been altered a bit afterwards. This is of course is the opposite… All fake with a little truth tossed in at the end for luck.
HS - Okay, so T Whid. What have you been reading?
TW- Um… I hate to admit this but I¹m reading ³The Secret History of UFO¹s². But I SWEAR…I¹m only doing it to win a argument with the guy in the next cubicle at work. Hey…it¹s really starting to come down out there. Maybe we should cut this short and go…
HR - Sure, T Whid, sure. One last question. How is this interview functioning as a artist statement? Or is this just some kinda tongue-in-cheek conceptual cop out?
MR - Let¹s begin to answer that with the MTAA motto: Given 1: confusion 2; misunderstanding
TW - The working method of the MTAA states that the MTAA is a performed fiction. It is a fiction that does not strive for the “Spiritual” nor does it presents any symbolic meaning. The meaning, if one may use this word, may be found in ideas like: faith in pop culture, narcissism, anti professionalism, kindness, Artainment and science.
MR - Uh huh,…as well as in the thought of Self being a mailable state.
HS - I don¹t buy it … but, if that is your statement, we¹ll go with it. Thanks for your time.
MR - No, no. Thank you.
(interview stops and tape is turned off)
End note - It rained and rained and the city looked gray. It¹s a week later and I am finishing this at my desk at home. Soon I will send it to T Whid and then to HS. They will read it for the first time. They will edit and add some words. They will do with it as they like. You will read it and wonder why. Artist statement? Apex Twin says;…I care because you do. I just tend to say;…I just don¹t care anymore.
I am staring at my monitor and thinking of Hurricane down graded to Tropical Storm Floyd. I am thinking of you. permanent link to this post
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