The Twenty-fifth night
From the beginning art has always been a conjurer of the dead; a two faced discipline that twists its head around demonic possessions. (39) Tableaus of art are built on historic tables of self importance, the ghosts of masters occupying the spaces of ambition.
A final eulogy for painting is now constructed, ‘The Triumph of Marx’ (40) a masterpiece in sepia monochrome, depicting Marx’s ascendency over Hegel, with a supporting a cast representing the various spectres of his intellectual history. Ten bearded white men surround a table draped in a simple cloth, on which sits a single sheet of white paper and a Smith and Wesson 617 (41) loaded with a single bullet. Marx has assumed the tabula rasa and places his right hand firmly onto the blank page, the other characters watch in silent amusement whilst in the distance the smoke of recent battle clouds the landscape.
Marx and Hegel are joined within this historic scene by Shakespeare, Nietzsche, Aristotle, Plato, Kant, Ovid, Christ and God. Together they form the Decalogue.
Hegel has suggested that in order to settle the dispute a game of Russian roulette is undertaken. The loser will of course provide the first ghost; an apparition of a specific animating principle of the mind that the survivors will have to conjure with. Only God and Christ seem happy with this solution, the others shift their feet uneasily and mumble their dissent. “It’s too late for you to get out of this.” Marx interjects, and quickly forms them into a circle with the table at its centre. They are organised in alphabetical order.
ACGHKPMNOS
The game begins.
Aristotle has no fear and is glad to be first, at odds of 10 to 1 he realises that he has a good chance of success. Beads of sweat drip from his forehead, his neck and lower face are bright red with nervous tension, now he breathes in deeply. Raising the pistol to his head he squeezes the trigger.
Click!
Christ has been through this before and is eager to move the game on. It is as if he already knows the outcome. He raises the gun to his forehead and he calmly and firmly pulls the trigger.
Click!
God is in the gun and is everywhere the bullet has been and will be. He decides that this game will go no further, he touches the gun’s hair trigger.
Blam!!
The shocked nine stare at a suddenly empty space. They had not thought of this possibility but this is the logical conclusion of their thought, now acted out as bare reality. (42) For once they are all speechless.
Marx slaps Hegel in the face, the sharp sting of pain brings Hegel back to his senses. He, like the others, is still in trauma. Something momentous has happened but they know not what it is.
The removal of the opposition between the dead and the living has now been achieved. This in itself has forged a new being; capital being conceived in exchange value; this, the speculation of these specters.
39 The Exorcist: Directed by William Friedkin: A Warner Bros Film. 1973
40 Mark Tansey: The Triumph Of The New York School. 1984
41 The Smith & Wesson Model 617 K-Frame Revolver: 22 long rifle, 4 inch barrel, front sight: partridge front, rear sight: adjustable, rubber grips, square butt, satin stainless finish, 10 round capacity, weight empty: 41oz.
Perfect for everything from home defence to small game hunting and personal protection, the Smith and Wesson Model 617 K-frame revolver is heavy-duty enough to put out some serious stopping power while also allowing the shooter to maintain maximum control and precision.
42 Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Section 125
God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?
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