Master of Ceremonies in the Cyber Salon
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<strong>the</strong> legendary Theatre Genesis at St. Marks <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bowery. Then he met with Robert<br />
Rauschenberg, Claes Oldenburg or Dalí at <strong>the</strong> "Cedar Tavern," and ended up <strong>in</strong> Andy<br />
Warhol's Factory. "It was a period <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>credible creativity," says Brockman. "I practically flew<br />
through <strong>the</strong> streets."<br />
"The world <strong>of</strong> money, says Brockman,<br />
never really <strong>in</strong>terested him.<br />
'My <strong>in</strong>terests were always strictly cultural.'"<br />
One day when Brockman was <strong>in</strong> Central Park play<strong>in</strong>g his banjo, <strong>the</strong> avant-garde director Jonas<br />
Mekas followed him around film<strong>in</strong>g him—<strong>the</strong>n he <strong>of</strong>fered <strong>the</strong> banjo player an attractive job.<br />
Brockman was to organize a festival. The “New C<strong>in</strong>ema I” Festival (aka “Expanded C<strong>in</strong>ema”) <strong>in</strong><br />
which artists, composers, dancers and avant-garde filmmakers transcended <strong>the</strong> borders <strong>of</strong><br />
traditional genres became a mega-hit. "A k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>of</strong> event <strong>of</strong> a lifetime,"—<strong>the</strong> first <strong>of</strong> several more<br />
Brockman was to call <strong>in</strong>to be<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
"The art scene," he says, "was on <strong>the</strong> cybernetics trip at <strong>the</strong> time; <strong>the</strong>y were all study<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
ma<strong>the</strong>matical <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>of</strong> communication." He even underwent a special <strong>in</strong>itiation <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> subject<br />
when <strong>the</strong> composer John Cage handed a book to him dur<strong>in</strong>g one <strong>of</strong> his legendary "Mushroom<br />
D<strong>in</strong>ners.” Brockman eagerly devoured Norbert Wiener’s <strong>Cyber</strong>netics, Control and<br />
Communication <strong>in</strong> Liv<strong>in</strong>g Be<strong>in</strong>gs and Mach<strong>in</strong>es. Cage never talked to him aga<strong>in</strong>. A mutual<br />
friend expla<strong>in</strong>ed: "Cage is a Zen master. You no longer need him." The book, Brockman says,<br />
still has a special place <strong>in</strong> his liv<strong>in</strong>g room library.<br />
It was <strong>the</strong> age <strong>of</strong> psychedelic counterculture, <strong>of</strong> Albert H<strong>of</strong>mann and Timothy Leary. Brockman<br />
himself avoided drugs. Even Cage's mushroom dishes were <strong>of</strong> a purely cul<strong>in</strong>ary and highly<br />
<strong>in</strong>tellectual nature; among <strong>the</strong> ideas explored at length was Marshall McLuhan’s notion <strong>of</strong> "<strong>the</strong><br />
collective conscious." The world <strong>of</strong> money, says Brockman, never really <strong>in</strong>terested him. "My<br />
<strong>in</strong>terests were always strictly cultural."<br />
The golden bridge<br />
Never<strong>the</strong>less, Brockman, who comes from a modest background himself, successfully brought<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> world <strong>of</strong> money and <strong>the</strong> culture. In <strong>the</strong> Nixon era, when <strong>the</strong> Republicans started to<br />
withdraw government fund<strong>in</strong>g for <strong>the</strong> arts, Brockman was someth<strong>in</strong>g like a golden bridge<br />
between donors and his starv<strong>in</strong>g artist friends. "I dressed like a banker, so <strong>the</strong>y trusted me with<br />
<strong>the</strong> money." This role as well as his organizational talents and <strong>the</strong> ability to get <strong>in</strong> touch with <strong>the</strong><br />
right people gave him <strong>the</strong> reputation <strong>of</strong> "cultural impresario." But what does that mean? "I am<br />
<strong>the</strong> one who stands at <strong>the</strong> back <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hall and turns <strong>the</strong> lights on and <strong>of</strong>f."<br />
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