BACKGROUND: Born in Cincinnati. Based in Brussels. I spent my 20s directing arthouse horror flicks and touring film festivals. I spent my 30s performing speech-based sets in clubs and avant-garde venues around the world. Today, I mix it all up and I abide by the following principles:
1—LIFESTYLE
Art is a lifestyle. It’s seeing things differently. It’s challenging conformity. It’s exploring other ways of living and thinking about the world.
2—TITANIC
We’re amidst a global shift. Age of Aquarius or Armageddon? We’ve reached the end of this cycle. Artists must now grapple with this question: What did the Titanic’s orchestra do while the ship was sinking?
3—CHANNEL
Does the riverbed lay claim to the flow of water? Before the Renaissance, creators were merely considered to be pipelines. I channel whatever comes through me and do my best to give it a proper shape.
4—WHAT IS ART FOR?
In our utilitarian paradigm, everything is reduced to its function. Dogs protect us. Cows provide beef. How about cats? Now that generative AI produces art, let’s get back to basics: what is art for?
5—NO FUTURE
The Bhagavad Gita tells us to work with passion without concerning ourselves with results. Work done without any selfish motive in the service of others is performing one’s duty, irrespective of what the outcome may be.
6—TINDERIZATION
Competition is for sports. Beauty contests dress girls in bikinis and rank their ‘hotness’. Film competitions and algorithms do the same. Can a Van Gogh be compared with a Picasso? To quote Rick Rubin, What does being one of the best even mean in art? How does one judge whether one’s individual’s self-expression is better than another’s?
7—NEW TERRITORIES
We’ve abolished binary gender concepts, but we still cling to outdated categories in art. It’s time to explore new territories. What lies at the intersection of dance and architecture? Music and medicine? Comedy and football?
8—EGOLESS ART
Algorithms have turned us into attention addicts. Did 70’s punk bands or prehistoric cave painters seek to be ‘liked’? If you crave the mainstream, make films for teenage boys or music for teenage girls. Otherwise, just do your own thing.
9—HANDMADE EMOTION
Digital tools encourage maximalism. Does a song necessarily require 50,000 tracks and 20,000 plugins? Beware of ego masquerading as technical skill. In the age of AI, technical abilities don’t impress anyone. Emotion trumps technique. Let’s focus on making art and leave content to AI.
10—INTENTION
When art is reduced to entertainment, it becomes the opium of the people. Everything hinges on intention. 21st century creators have a vital role to play in raising the world’s vibration. Ego trips are no longer sustainable. The world doesn’t need another selfie. So, are we adding value or adding to the noise?
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