Criticism Rebuttal
- October 3rd, 2011
- Posted in Competition . History . Photo
- By allenfalkner
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I must say this Suspension Competition has created quite the uproar. When we came up with the idea and presented it to several different practitioners the reaction was all positive. However, once the contest was made public we started to receive both mixed and negative feedback. Strangely enough, it didn’t come from the people we expected. Heck one of the biggest opponents to the contest did in fact do a guerrilla suspension a month before this contest was announced.
First crane suspension – Stelarc 1985
In the public criticism blog several valid points were made. But trust us there is a method to our madness that will be made clear if you read on. Also we will try to identify errors in our judgment and determine if the contest will continue, be changed, or stopped.
Contest Reasoning:
First of all, the root of the contest if one of art. We want people to produce beautiful photos. That’s one of the reasons we have a photographer as a judge. There are amazing and incredible suspensions happening daily, but many of them are either captured on poor quality cell phone photos, or not photographed at all. By presenting this competition we are encouraging people to take the extra step, to capture and document their work.
The second thing is that people are getting points deducted for rigging problems. (Maybe we should expand from just rigging to safety in general) The rigging focus is for 2 reasons. First it’s to make people think about their rigging before they hang. When they know they are being judged on their rigging they will put the effort into doing safely. Second by submitting the photos people are voluntarily putting themselves out there to be criticized. We as a community can point out errors of any suspension and people should take them to heart. However, when someone is willing being judged they should take criticism more easily and seriously.
Largest crane suspension – TSD 1999
The third reason for this contest is it to bring groups into the fold. There are a lot more people doing suspension than groups listed on suspension.org. Why aren’t they more involved in our community? Many reasons we are sure. This contest allows any group to present their work in a positive light. Their submission potentially gives them some recognition. And ultimately this entire endeavor works as an outreach program to welcome new and upcoming groups.
Fourth, people want to see the photos. Although the contest has received criticism, one thing has been said over and over. People cannot wait to see the images that might be produced. We are taking something that is happening already and giving it what we feel, or at least felt, is/was a positive creative outlet.
Highest multi-person crane suspension – Mayhem 2003
Competition:
It’s been said by multiple people that making a contest out of suspension is a bad thing. We disagree. Competition by its very nature breeds excellence. Every practitioner that puts a photo or video on the Internet creates and perpetuates a competition. Whether it is a performance, an artistic demonstration or a private ritual, if you document the suspension and put it out for the world to see you inspire people. Does inspiration equal competition? No, but inspiration leads to creation and competition is quite simply judged creation.
Bottom line we are trying to help the community not hurt it. Many have noticed that there are people involved in suspension that wont listen to reason or accept guidance. It’s these exact people we are reaching out to. If they know they are being judged they have to step up their game. Generally we find the biggest safety issues coming from hookers that are trying to emulate or excel past suspensions they have seen. As its been said, the toothpaste is out of the tube. So now the question is how do we help those that don’t want to be helped.
Highest crane suspension – Lucky Hell 2011
We felt that this contest would have a positive impact on our community, but it seems that many of you disagree. So we pose the question to you. Does the competition need to be reworded, changed, or called off entirely? Hook Life exists to benefit the suspension community a whole. Your input is not only wanted, it’s needed so that we can keep growing and evolving.
My point of view is that Wings of Desire already had some guerilla stuff planned and we probably would have sent you the photos anyway! Our problem now is that we have to act fast, the winter is coming…will there be points for stiff nipples?
I think that this is a great call for people to get outside and scope places that they can session (as we would have said back in the 80s) and get some really great images.
As for the idea of whether or not it should be a competition, I will just point out that a lot of practitioners are from the U.S. and The Republic of Texas. Also, there are Kiwis and Austrailians. Plus Russians. It could have easily been called a “call for submissions of compelling guerilla suspension” but that just reads “competition” on a lot of people’s screens anyway so it seems like it is more honest to just call it that from the start.
I say, “Fuck Yeah!”
Also, don’t go way out of bounds legaly, do it safely, do something cool, get good pictures, and maybe have a friend who is really good at talking there in the event that the police show up.
Did I mention, Fuck Yeah? Fuck Yeah!
I don’t think the competition should be called off entirely. I think the description given at first was a good one. It stated who the judges were, how the photos were to be judged, and gave the specific rules of the competition.
You’re right; competition does breed excellence.
I do not think it needs to be called off. However, I seriously hope everyone within this beautiful community thinks about what he or she does before doing it. At this present time of our evolution, I feel like everything that will end up in the media represents all of us. At the same time . . . if we do not take risk, we do not evolve.
Remember to think Safety, Communication, and Organization . . . then give them hell.
Plus, Wings of Desire and CoRE have already collaborated on a project.
I think if the competition goes forth you may as well just send me my prize now as what I have planned is epic in scope.
It should not be called off, but we could change/add some rules and guidelines to make it safe and sound.
Deciding on a spokesperson for the group to be the one to deal with authorities should they show up is a great idea!
Also there could be an official paper explaining this international art project, in the event of interference this paper could work as a tool to give the action some sort of legitimacy.
If we can’t trust people to have common sense and to be considerate in their choice of when, were, and how they suspend. (i.e. if you want to hang from a sling at the playground, do it at night when there’s no children around) Then we should deduct points for negative exposure. Not that I personally have anything against a little provocation, or that I think it’s wrong for kids to see suspension, but in this case we have to consider what is at stake.
Steve, could you elaborate on the definition of Guerilla? Just so we can all be on the same page about what it means.
Havve, I agree, especially the point about planning it for the least public impact (if doing it in a playground waiting till there are no children) however, points are given FOR increased public viewing. If points were deducted for illegal activity and deducted for negative representation I’d be behind this completely, however then it would also no longer be a guerilla suspension contest. Art and guerilla are not the same thing (although a suspension can contain both elements).
So this sits much better with me now, this second blog really outlines the reasoning and inspiration behind this contest- art. And I agree that setting guidelines and having points added and deducted for safety and rigging is a good way of getting everyone in the outer edges of the community up to the same level of safety. Hopefully this will bring those other less known groups or individuals closer and more willing to take criticism, which would be a big plus for the overall image of suspension.
What Steve said is in most cases true, that one reflects the rest in terms of media, so this kind of discussion and redefining of the contest is great (and needed).
Håvve’s idea of the international art project paper is really spot on, I think all groups/peoples participating should print out a copy of the contest objectives (or however it would be written) to add to legitimacy.
I have a slight problem with points being deducted for negative exposure since what could be interpreted as negative is relative. Is suspending from a religious or historical monument negative? Or would that be open to interpretation? I personally think the naked man running out on a football field is hilarious but, if it is your team out there and you do not like naked people …….