Critique Notes for January 13th: Steve Baggs

Critique for Steve
January 13th, 2009
Discussion of pages from A Pocket Guide to the US – Mid East Conflict, by Steve Baggs

Steve gave a funny and informative lecture about the history and present situation with the conflict in the Middle East, told from the beak of an Eagle.

There was some talk about the Eagle as a powerful/humorous symbol to choose as a ‘guide’ through the information and the text itself.

There seems to not be much metaphor happening in the book, its pretty literal and straightforward, except for the funny play with symbolism. The eagle as a symbol of American freedom etc.

There was a fair amount of talk about how the book will be translated to or presented in an exhibition. Some ideas and comments follow:

-“I like the lecture format. As you are doing now. Maybe a book release party and you can give a lecture and perhaps do a reading?”
-“I like the glossy prints you have made that would be a nice way to present some of the more summary-esque or visual pages, like the maps.”
-“I like the idea of the fabric prints as well” You mentioned that they are flag-like, “I like that.”
-“Can you display your reference materials?” Even the sketches on the walls are interesting.
-“you are like a translator, taking the illegible information all the positions, history, interests, and forces that are a part of this war(s) and translating it to a language and a form that is readable. Do you think about your work that way, as translation, synthesis?”


People tuned into how they look like religious pamphlets, or religious cartoon bible stories for kids. Also like Lacan for Beginners and other books like that. This seems to be working.

Overall, people seemed into what you are doing, that you are answering a gap in common known information. We should all know this stuff but...
People seemed to be into the visuals you showed and the variety of information you covered, there is a lot to take in though. We all can’t wait to be able to sit down with the book.

Questions:
“Do you feel bad ending this book/pamphlet even as the conflict goes on and escalates. or do you feel like now is a great time to finish and have the book disseminated, with the new administration coming in and all. People can maybe begin to get a grip on the complexity of the situation through your book as it continues.”

“Will you have a bibliography?”
-people want there to be a bibliography

“You have an agenda, right?”

“How much will this be in the end. Will you sell the books?”

“Can you make this available/market them to a high-school US history class? That would be great.”