(scroll down fo English)
Revolution Will Not Be Televised (verbal no.07)
Collage: geknipte letters uit tijdschriften en kranten en krijt en schoolbordverf op canvas op houten frame.
Onderdeel van de Remains Of Today serie.
Dit kunstwerk is ontleent aan een tekst van een beroemd en invloedrijk nummer van Gil Scott-Heron. 1974, ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’. Ik heb ‘The’weggelaten in mijn kunstwerk om de revolutie waaraan hij refereert meer universeel te maken en wie weet, nog op handen zijnde.
Een kleine geschiedenis over dit nummer
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ was origineel een populaire slogan van de Black Power movement in de jaren 60 in de USA. De songtekst refereert aan televisie series, reclame slogans, iconen uit de entertainment industrie en het nieuws uit de jaren 60. Wat dient als contrasterende voorbeelden van wat de revolutie vooralniet moet zijn of niet teweegbrengt
De songtekst kan makkelijk als politiek beladen gezien worden maar Heron betuigd dat het zijn intentie was een ironisch commentaar te geven op het gegeven dat verandering volgens hem individuele processen zijn die beginnen in hoofd en hart of in zijn eigen woorden: “The true revolution happens in places that you simply won’t be able to broadcast”.
Waarom heb ik deze zin genomen als uitgangspunt voor mijn verbal?
De 60er 70er jaren waren revolutionaire tijden in de moderne geschiedenis. Of het nou ging over burgerrechten, racisme, gelijkheid, gemeenschapszin, socialisme, pasifisme, of seksuele vrijheid, de massa eisten een betere wereld op. Ik ben geboren in 1970, dus mijn bijdrage aan deze tijd is totaal te verwaarlozen ( : Maar toch voel ik me sterk verbonden met deze tijd en haar onderwerpen. Ik voel nog steeds de krachtige en positieve energie die er mee gepaard ging. Op dit moment is het woord revolutie sterk onderhevig aan devaluatie. We gebruiken het vooral voor commerciële doeleinden. Revolutie als vernis laagje dat vernieuwing en perfectie representeert (of reflecteert). Deze mooie zin, “The true revolution happens in places that you simply won’t be able to broadcast”, zou nog steeds waar kunnen zijn, er zijn nog steeds vele revoluties. Maar we voelen ons te verscheurd en verdeeld om onbevangen onze ware kleuren of onze passie en idealen te tonen. Het medium televisie bestaat nog steeds maar sociale media en online kanalen zijn vele malen groter en invloedrijker geworden. Los van de positieve bijdrage aan de mensheid blijkt het ook wel een genadeloos medium te zijn. Dus een interessante vraag zou kunnen zijn: waar(en als) zou de moderne revolutie plaatsvinden en welke songtekst zou daar het beste bij passen?
(voor songtekst en youtube-link naar nummer scroll naar beneden)
(english)
Revolution Will Not Be Televised (verbal no.07)
Collage: paper cut typeface from magazine and newspaper and chalk on blackboard paint on wooden frame.
Part of the Remains Of Today series
This artwork is distracted from a famous and influential music-art -piece by Gil Scott-Heron. 1974, ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’. I deleted the word ‘The ’at the beginning to make the revolution he is referring to more universal and still to come
A little history according to this song:
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ was originally a popular slogan among the 1960s Black Power and Civil Rights movements in the United States. The lyrics referring to several television series, advertising slogans, icons of entertainment and news coverage of the 60s. These serve as contrasting examples of what ’the revolution’ will not be or do.
The lyrics can be easily read as a political comment but Heron clarified that it was intended as an ironic comment on change starting in the individual’s mind and the heart. Or rephrased in his own words “The true revolution happens in places that you simply won’t be able to broadcast”.
Why I did pick this line for my artwork (Verbal)
The 60ties and 70ties was a revolutional period, in modern history. Weather it was about racial issues, social issues, civil rights, socialism, equality, pacifism or sexual freedom, the masses demanded change for a better society. I was born in 1970, so my contribution on the matters is to neglect ( : But somehow I feel very strongly connected to this era and issues. I still feel the powerful vibes it casted in to the world. Now, the word revolution seems to be subject to devaluation. We use it mostly for commercial purposes. Revolution becomes a thin glossy layer of renewal and perfection at the surface of life. This beautiful line: “The true revolution happens in places that you simply won’t be able to broadcast”, could be still true, there are many revolutions. But somehow we feel much more divided and thorned to show our true colours, passions and believes. Television still exists but social media and online broadcasting is of a much bigger influence. Aside from its positive contribution to mankind it also proofs to be a total ruthless medium. So an interesting question might as well be; Where (and if) would take a contemporary revolution take place and what would be the song today?
Songtekst/ lyrics by Gill Scott Heron
Lyrics of Good evening and welcome, my name Is Gil Scott-Heron
My accomplices are, first from left to right:
Eddie Knowles, a drummer for the Denise salute dance group, a drummer for December dances and a percussionist for a group called “Black & Blues”
The brother to my immediate left is Charlie Saunders, of December dance group and a former drummer for Loretta Parker
David Barnes, a singer of “Black & Blues”, will be heard later on in the evening
We’d like to do a poem for you called ‘The revolution will not be televised’
Primarily because it won’t be
You will not be able to stay home, brother
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and
Skip out for beer during commercials
Because the revolution will not be televised
The revolution will not be televised
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
Blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat
Hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary
The revolution will not be televised
The revolution will not be brought to you by the
Schaefer Award Theatre and will not star Natalie
Wood and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs
The revolution will not make you look five pounds thinner
Because the revolution will not be televised, Brother
There will be no pictures of you and Willie Mae
Pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run
Or trying to slide that color television into a stolen ambulance
NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32
Or report from 29 districts
The revolution will not be televised
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
Brothers in the instant replay
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
Brothers in the instant replay
There will be no pictures of Whitney Young being
Run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process
There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy
Wilkins strolling through Watts in a Red, Black and
Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion
Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville
Junction will no longer be so Goddamn relevant, and
Women will not care if Dick finally gets down with
Jane on Search for Tomorrow because Black people
Will be in the street looking for a brighter day
The revolution will not be televised
There will be no highlights on the eleven o’clock
News and no pictures of hairy armed women
Liberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose
The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb
Or Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom
Jones, Johnny Cash, or Englebert Humperdink, or the Rare Earth
The revolution will not be televised
The revolution will not be right back after a message
About a white tornado, white lightning, or white people
You will not have to worry about a Dove in your
Bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl
The revolution will not go better with Coke
The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath
The revolution will put you in the driver’s seat
The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised
Will not be televised, will not be televised
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live
