PO BOX 7312, Whitchurch, Hampshire RG28 7YQ Tel: 020 8371 9589
The Stuckist Party
Manifesto
2001
Introduction
The Stuckist
Party is an officially registered political party with the Electoral
Commission. It is a separate organization to the Stuckist Art Group, although
that is its origin. The Art Group was started to promote painting and integrity
in art, and oppose the current hype and marketing values of Brit Art. The
Stuckist Party acknowledges that
the abuses of the art world also need a political solution.
Artists have traditionally taken a
radical stance on society, which has often followed their vision. This is a
formalising of that position. The
main aim of The Stuckist Party is to do what artists and poets have always done
in thinking the unthinkable, saying the unsayable, challenging the
complacencies and assumptions of the status quo, and thereby paving the way for
new and previously undared solutions to present problems.
Aims from the Party Constitution
The Stuckist
Party aims to bring the ideas of Stuckism and Remodernism into the political
arena.
The Stuckist
Party aims at the reversal of the values of a greed-motivated society and the
bringing about of a spiritual renaissance, which can only be accomplished by
society incorporating and taking responsibility for the shadow side it prefers
to disown. We consider the
bringing of our ideas to public attention is as important as, if not more
important than, the actual attainment of political power.
Policies: addressing
the art establishment
We do not allow a monopoly on fridges, so why do we
allow one on art?
The last decade
of art in this country has been dominated by the buying power, media
manipulation and taste of one man, Charles Saatchi. His admitted addiction to the ‘new’ has led to a
succession of increasing absurdities, gimmicks masquerading as invention, and
contrived outrages. Most of the country’s serious artists, who continue
to paint, are excluded from consideration to the detriment of our culture.
This process has
been promoted also with public money, through the narrow taste of Sir Nicholas
Serota at the Tate Gallery, notoriously in the Turner Prize, which Turner
himself would certainly stand no chance of winning. Tate Britain Director, Stephen Deuchar,’s proud boast
of providing a ‘comprehensive overview of British Art’ beggars
belief. Turner Prize winners and
nominees (all selected in secret), as well as contemporary art purchases, come
from a handful out of the 2,500 galleries in the country.
A more
pernicious, and largely unseen, form of abuse is Arts Council funding of the
visual arts. Again the same narrow range of taste prevails of an elite art
establishment. Artists are promoted by the Arts Council, which then buys work
at the high price its promotion has brought about. Artists who already benefit from wealthy gallery backing
benefit from public funding , while deserving but ‘unfashionable’
artists are ignored. Worst of all
in this respect is the presence on the Arts Council of those whose professional
associates benefit from their allocation of public funding, or who even benefit
themselves. The Arts Council is
neither answerable to Parliament, nor democratically elected.
It is clearly
obvious that the state of art in this country is at the very least questionable,
and at worst blatantly corrupt in a way which would not be permitted elsewhere
in public administration or industry. The Government has failed lamentably not
only to address this but even to recognize it, preferring instead to ingratiate
itself with ephemera of ‘Cool Britannia’. Values of integrity, accountability and fairness for the
benefit of the wider community must be applied in the art world as well as in
general society.
David Lee,
editor of Jackdaw art magazine, has agreed to act as a consultant over these
issues. For a more detailed
analysis or specific examples, contact him at 020 7502 1393 (mobile 0777
3673722).
Promoted
by, on behalf of and printed by Charles Thomson, PO Box 7312, Whitchurch,
Hampshire RG28 7YQ.
Policies: other issues
As members of
society, we have thoughts on other issues as well. We put forward ideas which
we hope will at least lead to more discussion on these subjects. The Stuckist
Party announces radical ideas to reform society. It proposes to eliminate drug crime, street prostitution,
the illegal pornography trade, transport congestion, homelessness, welfare
benefit fraud and the decline of the NHS.
We propose the
decriminalisation of drugs,
brothels and adult hard-core porn (including consensual ‘S &
M’), the provision of a free nationalised integrated public transport
system, a statutory right to housing and a subsistence income, and for
MPs’ pay to be performance-related to hospital waiting lists.
The necessary
funding for these improvements will come from the currently untaxed
multi-billion pound drugs, prostitution and pornography industries. Their
current criminalisation is an act of political cowardice and irresponsibility,
which has led to consequences (e.g. drug-related gang warfare) which proper
regulation would negate.
We agree with
the aims of the May Day protesters, namely anti-globalization, animal rights,
respect for the environment, organic farming and freedom in society. It is the duty of the government to
maintain power through democracy not be cowed by corporate power.
FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY. We believe in the value of stable
(which may be unorthodox) relationships,
including recognition of
extended families and support for single-parent families.
Regionalisation:
work in the locality,
local farming and abattoirs; regional government.
Community
policing and the creation
of community ‘specials’ particularly from ethnic groups in liaison
with community leaders.
Financial
incentives for small shopkeepers; a ban on out-of-town
shopping centres; tax on the movement of goods, particularly by road; realistic
tax on aircraft fuel to reflect its environmental damage.
Restoration of national ‘day of rest’ on Sunday;
No advertising to be targeted at children under twelve;
A WRITTEN
CONSTITUTION, including
rights of free speech and freedom of information, children’s rights and
equal rights for all racial backgrounds and sexual inclinations (e.g.
homosexuality); repeal of the
Terrorism Act and the Criminal Justice Act – their replacement with an
act that targets terrorists and criminals.
Crime against
the person to be
considered a far more serious offence than crime against property;
prison not for
punitive puroses, but to keep serious lawbreakers away from the public as long
as they are are still considered a danger; prisons to have increased
educational and therapeutic programmes, and worthwhile job schemes; no remand
unless for serious charges, and then trials to start within four weeks.
Non-custodial
alternatives to be
developed, e.g. community work, curfews, restricted travel, for lesser
offences.
A court
system based on inquiry into
truth, rather than adversarial competition;
RENATIONALISATION of national systems, namely the utilities,
rail and phone network.
Tramways and
monorails in cities;
regeneration of canal system for transport of heavy goods.
Maintenance
of public service broadcasting, namely the BBC; public access television.
Standardized
public sector pay scale;
increased pay for nurses (immediate 50%), police, hospital ancillary staff and
teachers.
Reform NHS as it was thirty years ago, when it worked.
Standardized
NHS care – the same
facilities and standards should prevail nation-wide.
Defence – the army to be equipped with guns
and radios that work, and boots that don’t leak.
Ban on tobacco and alcohol advertising.
Re-use before
re-cycle, e.g. returnable
bottles with deposit.
Monopolies
commission to have
extended powers.
National
minimum and maximum wage
(latter £1,000,000 p.a.). Workers to have shares in their company.
WAR ON
BUREAUCRACY, including
tiers of management and obsession with paperwork, in all walks of public life,
e.g. police, doctors and teachers, who all want to be doing their work, not
writing about it.
Scrap Offsted and the current administration of the
National Curriculum, both of which have had a disastrously demoralizing effect
on the teaching profession and consequent lowering of children’s true
education.
INCREASE OF
ARTS and creativity in education; also lessons in ‘dealing with life’ – eg.
psychology and the emotions, the realities of drug use; and lessons appropriate
for aptitude, e.g. car maintenance.
State-funding
of the arts, e.g. through the Arts Council to be accountable to Parliament and hence
democratically-elected legislators;
no member of public funding body to benefit from its funding for five
years after leaving office.
Artists’ resale rights