Holy Scarab Beetle: The Artist as Parasite in Tory Britain Peter Cant Peter Cant, 27 January 2013 PARASITISM (see Wikipedia) is a non-mutual relationship between organisms of a different species, where one organism benefits at the expense of the other, the host. * * Unlike predators, parasites are generally much smaller than their host, both are special cases of CONSUMER-RESOURCE INTERACTIONS. * * Parasitism is different from PARASITOID. Parasitoid generally kill their hosts. Parasites do not. * * Parasites reduce host biological fitness (by general or specialized pathology, such as parasitic castration and impairment of host behavior). Parasites increase their fitness by exploiting hosts for resources necessary for their survival i.e. FOOD, WATER, HEAT, HABITAT, TRANSMISSION. * * * * * In many cases it is difficult to demonstrate that the host is harmed. And the eradication of all parasites would not necessarily be beneficial. Parasites account for as much or more than half of life's diversity. They perform an important ecological role (by weakening prey) that ecosystems would take a long time to adapt to without. On rare but significant occasions they may provide opportunity for transfer of genetic material between species, which may facilitate evolutionary changes that would otherwise not take place… ETYMOLOGY So firstly the etymology is very interesting. Broken down, the image the combined roots offer us is that of SITTING BESIDE. For ancient Romans the parasite supported the master. For us modern people the parasite is seen as the one who takes advantage of the host. We could extend this image to something approaching patronage - the poet or pauper who sits at the master's table. I am interested in the image of the ARTIST as PARASITE. The conversation steered clear of Marxist terms and I tried to steer it away from the idea of THE ARTS as parasite as opposed to the individual artist. But all these things naturally and importantly fed in. Notes on the discussion (lots of currents, meeting, creating whirlpools) THE LANGUAGE OF DIVISION (POLITICAL LANGUAGE) Those on welfare or depending on the state are now known as SKIVERS or SCROUNGERS, as opposed to STRIVERS.This is an interesting case of how ideology seeps into our very language. Demonization. Emotive, reductive words. But what about the parasite. How could that be re-appropriated. How could I be proud, ennobled by being a parasite? What is my relationship as artist to the job-seeker, to the unemployed, to the needy? I also am in need. And my profession has been discredited. It's resources have been cut away. It has been deemed less valuable. Am I less valuable as a result. Is the language (so infected by ideology) going to re-position ME as a SCROUNGER or a SKIVER. No thank you. I would rather be A PARASITE. PARASITE I can deal with. PARASITE I can subvert… The question of reciprocity is a good one. The relationship of a parasite is not mutually beneficial (on the surface). The parasite gets what it needs from its host. The host, often bigger, stronger, can support it/him/her. This is the eco-system: Some things support others. There does not have to be some sort of beautiful symbiotic relationship here. (QUESTION MARK) If I am a parasite I survive, I exist and I contribute to the diversity of the ecosystem, of life on this planet, in the way that only I can. There-in lies the exchange. And I am conscious of it. I know I am a parasite. I start where I find myself. Serving and being served. Hosting and being hosted. Sucking the life-blood. Taking the money. Giving back. Not giving back. Surviving. Flourishing. The arts. The artist. Self-worth. Getting a seat at the table. These terms are some of the terms of the discussion. THOUGHTS BY MANY PEOPLE (OFTEN CONTRADICTORY) (EXPECT NO RESOLUTION, NO PERFECT EXCHANGE, WHAT DID YOU TAKE FROM THIS DISCUSSION. WHAT FED YOU?) - There is no equal footed dialogue with the host (Tory Party) at this time - How do we adapt to the situation if we are parasites? Do parasites adapt? - Visibility and recognition. As parasites, are we unseen? Isn't that bad. We should be loud and proud. We should change the relationship. - Maybe the artist enjoys the lack of recognition. - Agitative art weakens the host (i.e. government?) - If the government is funding your critique of it, it must be confident that it is in control and can contain your criticism? - So are certain funded arts/theatre institutions as radical as they think they are? Are they just serving the host (CRUCIAL AND DISGUSTING INVERSION OF HOST/PARASITE RELATIONSHIP lolz) - What is the (real or imagined) relationship between the health of the arts and the health of the government. And how does that reflect on the health of the country. And what is health? And what is survival? - Survival, says somebody, is success. - Other argue. They want to flourish, not only survive. ALL YOU NEED, says someone, IS A MICROPHONE AND A ROOM - but I can't find a room? I need a room! I need shelter, water, food, I am a parasite - GRASSROOTS STAND-UP: once upon a time comedy, stand-up was political. Rather than joke about the disabled hahahaha they would attack the status-quo, ridicule the government hahahaha Think about those stand-ups of the 80s. google them why don't you. then watch fucking Michael McIntyre - ARTISTS someone angry says, ARE BEING CALLED PARASITES by a government that doesn't recognize their cultural contribution (note by me:I am not sure the government has ever called artists parasites exactly, but we are trying to put words to a feeling we have, a feeling we are seemingly tapping into because people at this point are getting lively) - STUDENTS are they still parasites now they pay £9000? Do they even give a shit now that if they had been born a decade before they wouldnt be so saddled with the crippling DEBT - Do I feel a connection with students now, as a parasite, ahem, i mean artist OR ARE WE ALL JUST CUSTOMERS, CONSUMERS ahhh, yes, i don't know ] ] Some. Artists. Create. Wealth. (whisper) What are artists doing that is so terrible? Why can't you give to us? Why wouldn't you? THE POLITICIANS ARE LYING TO YOU. WE ARE ENORMOUSLY WEALTHY. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN SO MUCH WEALTH BEFORE. IT IS JUST A MATTER OF DISTRIBUTION. We are suffering. Why? - Interesting question of creating wealth vs creating value. - Celebrate the artist as parasite - Celebrate the parasite - Oh, holy scarab beetle Is there a more radical role we can be playing as artists? PARA - SITE Outside. Outside the argument. I watch. I see. I am outside. NO. I am a parasite. I am beside. I am part of this. We are one and the same, you and me, my host, my parasite. I am not outside. I am part of the problem. We are complicit in what we are critiquing. - Writing an arts council application. The ultimate parasitic activity? Or are you just writing what they want to hear, giving them what they want, serving them? SURVIVAL ********** More than just being able to make do, just being able to live, to function. - How do you create the conditions to do what you want to do? To survive and to … whisper it… flourish… scream it FLOURISH - Are you happy affecting small scale change? - We find it very difficult to ask for help even if we are entitled to it. see… JSA. Housing benefit. Ways to survive. - THE PARASITE vs THE BIRD IN THE POND PICKING THE DIRT OUT OF THE CROCODILE'S TEETH art is a neccessary part of society OStermeier's anger that Berlin funded so little… the art the theatre is why so many people are flooding into that city. pitiful percentage amount of the city's spending 0.5% We have to create a counter argument to being put in the position of parasites, says a parasite who refuses to be called a parasite The army, says one of us, would never call themselves parasitic (but defense has been cut) The army, says this same, is there to protect the resources (WOAH) that we need. Wait. … Isn't that like totally parasitic. No paristoid. Destroy the host. Take the oil. Ok I am not sure about that point but… Are the artists / parasites there to disrupt / to question. YES! Yes? Does this mean we are forced in to a political response. ??? Is that why we make art|? IS THAT WHY WE MAKE ART COME ON, PARASITES!!! We (some of us) feel that we are only tolerated, we cannot thrive, we cannot flourish We (some of us) actually feel we are part of the host - Arts council funding is parasitic, “for poor people who want to win millions” … er… and "We do not ask rich people to contribute to the arts with their tax This creates polarization… We are being taught (ideologically?) suggests one wilde parasite, the cost of everything and the value of nothing. We are internalizing the economic arguments and their perjorative definitions of profit / loss. How do we get the audience on our side? Oh, the perceived elitism of high art. The problem about the public conversation about culture is that people do not see the thing that will be destroyed, they see only people who they feel to be begging for money, and FOR WHAAT? ?!&£^&£^£( THE HOLY SCARAB BEETLE BRINGS ENLIGHTENMENT (See the worship of the scarab by Egyptians) I am exhausted with this report. Ok So to sum up. Phil said Re-appropriating the word ‘parasite’ either models the way we are now forced to identify ourselves Or crystallises what we need to change about it - ie. dominating definition of worth as exchange value… hmmm and then this morning I thought about the strong reactions provoked by the word parasite. My continuing need to go back to it, to try again to re-appropriate it. To find the good. Parasite does not serve. he does not clean the host's teeth like the bird does the crocodile. This is not parasite. But he does contribute to the ecosystem. And maybe by his/her existence s/he challenges the ecosystem. She changes it. If she can survive then she can join with others. Maybe we can all evolve into locusts. Can we talk about the idea of a plague? About disaster? About how all these things might be beneficial. I don't know anymore. It's over to you. We are not solo even if that seems to be the image a parasite conjures. We are also a swarm. We are also a holy scarab beetle. We are rolling our shit, which resembles the sun, which is the sun, which we have always done. We are bringing the day and bringing the night. We are holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy scarab beetle and we do survive and we will, and once we do, now that we do, now what? Tags: Diversity, riot, skiver, deserving poor, language of division, conservatives, host, Parasite, scrounger, vocabulary, Value, tory, master, internal, army, holy, the artist, economic, scarab beetle, scarab, parasites, elitism, revolution, undeserving poor, worth, ecology, exchange, Exchange, Arts council, Artists, value, striver, diversity, arts council, Arts Council, artists, pauper, Elitism, government