Project #2: Luddites vs. Futurists
By: Dave Gordon & Jeremy Rotsztain
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Explanation: For our exploded comic, we constructed a fictional battle between the Luddites and the Futurists. A giant Futurist head wearing a hat that functioned as a surveillance mechanism, a communication system (with a loudspeaker), and an advertising billboard recited excerpts from the Futurist Manifesto of the Hat.
Upon completion of the manifesto, a group of Luddites (represented by shoes) began singing The Triumph of Ge
neral Ludd, an old Luddite fighting song.
After their battle cry, the group attacked the piñata/hat with sticks, attempting to destroy it entirely. When the head was broken in, it fed the crowd with money, drug paraphernalia and technology to keep them satisfied.
Concept: Based on the origin of the word sabotage (to destroy with the use of shoes), we placed the Luddites, the anti-technological movement from Britain in the 19th century, against the Futurists, the Italian art movement that glorified the speed of technology. The Luddites were represented by shoes (hinting at the workers), while the Futurists were represented by hats (an object of the ruling class).
Construction & Technical Setup: The piñata head was constructed out of paper mâché. It was filled with oversized dollar bills, opium pipes, mood rings, and camera shaped flashlights. Its mouth was made using a speaker container and its eyes were made using elements taken from a magazine. The dynamically shaped hat was made from styrofoam and covered with dollar bills. Its top section was covered with advertisements. A small speaker was embedded inside the brim and a small video camera was mounted on the front of the hat (the images from the camera were transmitted to the base of the pedestal on which the hat lay). The shoes were placed on top of 6 speakers, which acted as pedestals. A computer running Max/MSP sent the sound to the 6 speakers and wirelessly to the microphone embedded in the hat. The music, based on a score found on the web, was transcribed and produced into a song using Garage Band; the lyrics were sung by ITP student David Overholt.
Criticisms and Improvements: (1) The overall timing of events could have been better coordinated. The paper shoes and sticks were handed out too early in the performance for the class to recognize their use and relevance. If we would have waited until after the Luddite song began playing, then the meaning of the stick and paper shoes would have been clearer. Additionally, we should have found a different arrangement for taking turns at hitting the piñata. (2) The Luddite song inscribed on the paper shoes was illegible to many of the readers. The handwriting could have more strongly represented the dominant style of the time. (3) The concept of Sabotage (specifically the relation to the shoes) was not properly conveyed to the class. (4) The hat broke before the head was destroyed. (5) The roles of the creators during the performance were not properly defined and clear.
