The guy behind the fake bomb at the ROM turned himself into the police. And he’s a douchebag. Odd for an OCAD student, I know, but there you have it.
He did commit the one unforgivable sin for an artist. His video kinda sucked. I’m all for fake bombs: As art, as hobbies, as X-Mas gifts. But, if you’re going to call it art, you should, at the very fucking least, make your fake bomb video look really good. A bang and and a girl falling over? It’s lame. Go that extra mile. Put some, I don’t know, art into the thing. Flames, blood, guts. A piece of shrapnel in the head. Something. Give me something.
That’s all I ask.
Well, almost. The worst thing is that this guy is now saying things like: “I expected the police to immediately realize what they were dealing with” and “I’m taking something that’s clearly a sculpture. It’s clearly not a bomb. But by taking it out of context and putting it into another context, by leaving it lying around … it suddenly takes on a different meaning” and “I think the piece is pretty important … Police waste their time all the time doing all kinds of things.”
Here’s what’s wrong with all of that. If it’s clearly not a bomb then it clearly can’t be a very good sculpture of a bomb. He’s saying that he made a fake bomb that doesn’t even look like a bomb. He could have just as easily attached his note, which read “This is not a bomb” to a can of tuna. It would have made the same point but a lot better. A can of tuna is clearly not a bomb. Or a tuna sandwich. If the cops had of investigated that, then they’d be wasting their time. As it was, he was wasting their time.
He calls the whole thing a “crazed overreaction” but when he was asked if he blames himself he says: “No. I put it on the situation.” He should take some responsibility. He should stand by his art and the reaction it caused. To start talking about “the situation” like it just appeared out of the ether is bullshit. He caused the situation. He should be proud. Instead he’s half-heartedly apologizing. If he wants to apologize, that’s his business but, in that event, he should make a genuine one.
Say what you want about Jubal Brown, but at least he stands by his shit or — as the case may be — vomit. That’s a lot more than this guy can say.
This whole incident has too much half-stepping for my tastes. The only good thing that came out of it is that I got to hear a cop say “post 9-11 world.” It’d been a while . Just the other day I was reminding my friend that it’s a post 9-11 world. Of course, I was doing it to justify one of my screw-ups but I think that’s why you mention it. White is black, black is white but it’s okay: It’s a post 9-11 world. And art students still suck.
3 comments
rebecca
November 30, 2007 at 8:51 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
art school = special ed
rebecca
November 30, 2007 at 8:55 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
plus he just made me disgusted with myself because we both like george sauders
http://www.myocad.com/members.php?id=meat_for_toads
Ryan Oakley
November 30, 2007 at 10:08 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
At least the people on the short bus try. This guy doesn’t even comb his hair.