Living Statues (18/12/2004)

Taking pictures in a Minshuku, I could see beautiful people suddenly appearing. They looked like classical Michelangelo-like Greek forms or like cave people, in their beauty and dramatic poise. I expect that they were elemental people- how we really are. Looking at the resulting photos, the people themselves could see them. They would repose to be in my photo with stunning results, and some of the other guests in the Minshuku were also impressed.

Near me in Kita-Kogane more and more of the shops were converting themselves to live theatre or story-telling. I went into one of them which featured a statue at its door, and was so impressed with what was happening. I started to make a speech- ‘There is no limit to what we can do with Unity’. I could see their changing consciousness. Someone in the group made a self-deprecatory comment on their behalf- ‘It’s because we Asians don’t have any self-awareness.’

Someone showed me that a political leader who had fallen from influence, who was urbane, liberal and also a little egotistical and corrupt, wanted his statue back outside the European Parliament, where it had used to stand due to his contributions to the environment. Such political forces and politicians stood to gain from the attendance of the arts and creativity in Japan.

There was a big conference going on here and I realised that people were having their jobs for the next year handed out to them. Someone asked me- “I suppose you are looking for a job too?” I realised that if I waited in line I could somehow join these people in what they are doing. I waited and eventually, after most people had gone, they let me start with their artistic community- but first we would have to clean up after the conference. I helped with someone to sweep the floor.

In doing so, by the fountain I found a small pile of papers which had been photo-copied. They were beautifully stacked and on top of the original picture. They were all comic strips, and had been left for collection. Luckily, just then the man who was coming to collect them came up. I said that it was lucky that he came when he did, but if he had been late and the comics were splashed with water I would be helping him. “How?” he asked,“By prematurely aging them!” I joked in response- though he didn’t seem to understand it.


Note- Mechanized warfare and the industrial style of working is being used against all of us, in order to stifle our creativity and make us more into usable human batteries. Actually warfare has always had a sense of honour and grandeur when pitting professional soldiers against one another like a sport- but with randomly exploding weapons and the harm being done to civilians it has lost all its worthiness and must end. It cannot be glamorized as it is until the innocent and uninvolved are removed from its path. So let’s not glamorize war and also let’s not blame the soldiers for the lack of rules and guidance in their profession these days. Just like the way F1 racing is limited to prevent the technology from taking over, so should war be- that is, if it is to continue at all. Better would be computer-based duals to settle disputes, protecting our real-life bodies and social achievements.