21 July 2007

Errata

Momus has an old follow-up to a manifesto:
Our Manifesto, which this summer proposed the bold new artform ‘Ultra-Paranoid (Extra-Spatial) Portable Art’, aroused vigorous debate in the British art world. Unfortunately it also contained certain dangerous inaccuracies. At the behest of Detective Superintendant Ken Bradwell of Scotland Yard's Serious Fraud (Art Movements) Squad we have issued the following list of errata, apologia and retractions.

(Nevertheless, long live ‘Ultra-Paranoid (Extra-Spatial) Portable Art’!)

1. In paragraph 17 (green calligraphy on a purple background) we stated: ‘Burn down The Academy, for it does not represent ‘Ultra-Paranoid (Extra-Spatial) Portable Art’ !’

Our legal representative, Mr Bernard Bloom, has asked us to make it clear that no libel or calumny was intended against Norman Rosenthal, the board, trustees and friends of the Royal Academy, or in fact any public institution of art, be it gallery or college. And our thanks go to Reginald Longley of London Fire Brigade for pointing out that arson is, quite rightly, illegal. We do not for a moment endorse in the name of ‘Ultra-Paranoid (Extra-Spatial) Portable Art’ any act of fire-setting. We rather intended to represent, by ‘The Academy’, a state of mind, and by ‘Burn down’, a wish for peaceful, democratic change ....

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