The Art of Ambivalence
PhilipArmand.com
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| Garnerville Arts and Industrial Center This is where Mike and about 40 other artists have their studios. |
| Philip Armand and Rob Albrecht Shooting Mike as he creates yet another "FrankenCorn" |
Mexico it is the birthplace of corn and cultivation began 5,000 years ago. When Mexico decided to join
NAFTA it had a major impact on it’s agriculture, and specifically on corn farming.
US corn on the Mexican market has put indigenous family farms that cultivated the land for hundreds of
generations out of business. These families are forced into cities and into poverty. Mexican trade
liberalization was also accompanied by national policy revisions that did away with government support
programs.
While the U.S. uses technology-intensive production, including heavy chemical use, genetic manipulation and
mechanization, Mexican corn is mostly hand picked and chemical free.
NAFTA it had a major impact on it’s agriculture, and specifically on corn farming.
US corn on the Mexican market has put indigenous family farms that cultivated the land for hundreds of
generations out of business. These families are forced into cities and into poverty. Mexican trade
liberalization was also accompanied by national policy revisions that did away with government support
programs.
While the U.S. uses technology-intensive production, including heavy chemical use, genetic manipulation and
mechanization, Mexican corn is mostly hand picked and chemical free.
“Campesinos”
“La Lucha Continuar”
The United States declared war on Germany on April 6th, 1917 and entered World War I, creating a higher
demand for copper and sending prices to an all time high.
The I.W.W. or (International Workers of the World) presented the Bisbee Arizona mining companies with a list
of demands. These demands included improvements to working conditions, equal treatment to minority workers
and an increase in wages. The copper companies refused the workers demands, using the war effort as
justification.
On July 12th 1917 In order to break up the copper mine strike, several thousand vigilantes rounded up over
1,000 IWW members. The men were loaded aboard boxcars inches deep in manure, brought to the dessert in
New Mexico and abandoned.
demand for copper and sending prices to an all time high.
The I.W.W. or (International Workers of the World) presented the Bisbee Arizona mining companies with a list
of demands. These demands included improvements to working conditions, equal treatment to minority workers
and an increase in wages. The copper companies refused the workers demands, using the war effort as
justification.
On July 12th 1917 In order to break up the copper mine strike, several thousand vigilantes rounded up over
1,000 IWW members. The men were loaded aboard boxcars inches deep in manure, brought to the dessert in
New Mexico and abandoned.
“Freed by the Spirit World”
The Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota was one of three reservations, which the United States
Government chose as the testing ground for its new termination policy in the 1960’s. The policy forced Native
American families off their reservations and into cities. The resulting protests and demonstrations by tribal
members introduced Leonard Peltier to Native resistance through activism and organizing. He came to learn
that policies of relocation, poverty, and racism were endemic issues affecting tribes across the U.S.
Because Leonard Peltier is an indigenous rights activist he has spent more than twenty-seven years in prison
for a crime he did not commit. Amnesty International considers him a "political prisoner" who should be
"immediately and unconditionally released."
To many Indigenous Peoples, Leonard Peltier is a symbol of the long history of abuse and repression they
have endured.
Government chose as the testing ground for its new termination policy in the 1960’s. The policy forced Native
American families off their reservations and into cities. The resulting protests and demonstrations by tribal
members introduced Leonard Peltier to Native resistance through activism and organizing. He came to learn
that policies of relocation, poverty, and racism were endemic issues affecting tribes across the U.S.
Because Leonard Peltier is an indigenous rights activist he has spent more than twenty-seven years in prison
for a crime he did not commit. Amnesty International considers him a "political prisoner" who should be
"immediately and unconditionally released."
To many Indigenous Peoples, Leonard Peltier is a symbol of the long history of abuse and repression they
have endured.
“Boss Greed”
The morning shift at Imperial Foods, a chicken processing plant in, North Carolina, had just begun when a fire
occurred, on September 3, 1991. The rapid spread of heavy smoke resulted in 25 deaths and 54 injuries.
Panicked workers pleaded and screamed, as they tried to kick open doors. These emergency doors were
padlocked by plant management to prevent employee theft.
The eleven year old food processing plant had not been subjected to safety inspections due to a lack of
inspectors in the state. Management had never implemented an evacuation plan.
occurred, on September 3, 1991. The rapid spread of heavy smoke resulted in 25 deaths and 54 injuries.
Panicked workers pleaded and screamed, as they tried to kick open doors. These emergency doors were
padlocked by plant management to prevent employee theft.
The eleven year old food processing plant had not been subjected to safety inspections due to a lack of
inspectors in the state. Management had never implemented an evacuation plan.
"Pier 38"
In 1934 15,000 longshoreman along the west coast went on strike when the warehouse and shipping owners
refused to recognize their union or negotiate their contract. On July 3rd San Francisco police and strikers
began a violent war in the streets, the violence culminated on July 5th, on what became known as “Bloody
Thursday”. On pier 38 hundreds of strikers were wounded and two were killed when police and strikers
clashed.
The longshoremen eventually won union recognition, shorter working hours and better wages.
refused to recognize their union or negotiate their contract. On July 3rd San Francisco police and strikers
began a violent war in the streets, the violence culminated on July 5th, on what became known as “Bloody
Thursday”. On pier 38 hundreds of strikers were wounded and two were killed when police and strikers
clashed.
The longshoremen eventually won union recognition, shorter working hours and better wages.
Artist Mike Conner, and his vigorous outsider art paintings of social injustice and union worker
uprisings---like those of a Diego Rivera---are not “pretty pictures” for decoration, but, visual
bombs aimed at the status quo.
Pit Philip Armand, an overly-optimistic newbie filmmaker with the hostile Conner---whose work
Armand loves---and you have seven months of hurry up, curse and wait.
Conner hates to be photographed, hates to talk about his work, hates his neighbors, hates
intellectuals, hates rich people, hates lefties, hates liberals and frequently does not even show
up on camera to do any of the above. Armand does most of the waiting and Conner does most
of the screaming and swearing.
Most people would have given up giving a shit about this guy a week into the shoot,
but Armand is like a pit bull with his teeth set on prey.
Here are the two things you can be sure of:
Conner makes provocative paintings of events you’ll never read about in the daily press and
Armand is gonna make a doc come hell or high water even without the subject in the lens.
“I’m not gonna give a history lesson on Martin Luther King,
either you know who he is or you’re brain dead in America,”
Mike Conner rages, when asked to discuss his mural of Martin
Luther King that hangs in Saint Mark’s Church in New York’s
East Village.
either you know who he is or you’re brain dead in America,”
Mike Conner rages, when asked to discuss his mural of Martin
Luther King that hangs in Saint Mark’s Church in New York’s
East Village.
The art of Mike Conner