Christine Halsall
"..the natural world has been transformed into a theme park."
J.G. Ballard on disneyfication.
Wheelchairs and dodgems 1970 | Dodgems. Pleasure Beach 1970 | |
---|---|---|
Blackpool Illumination 2004 | Blackpool Golden Mile 2004 | Blackpool Golden Mile 2004 |
Blackpool Pier 2004 | red bow blackpool | |
Blackpool Golden Mile 2004 | Blackpool Promenade 2004 | Blackpool Prom 2010 |
Unemployed Donkeys 2010 | Blackpool Golden Mile 2014 | Blackpool Golden Mile 2014 |
'Amusing Ourselves to Death'
"...there has been a gradual replacement of the natural world by the artefacts of human productivity......" Simulacra by Baudrillard
"What George Orwell feared in 1984 were those who would ban books. What Aldous Huxley feared in Brave New World was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions." In 1984, Orwell added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we fear will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we desire will ruin us." Neil Postman (Educator) from 'Amusing Ourselves to Death'.