“It is not you, but the others......” : The real impact of sweeping generalisations.

“It is not you, but the others...” is a phrase I seem to hear more and more. Whenever I ask these people to define these 'others' and what percentage of the population (or of a 'group' of people),  they are referring to, they don't seem to be able to do so.

I ask - do they make up fifty percent or more? 'No' is the response. When asked if the number is more like five percent, they reply 'MORE!'. When I push for a figure or even to give me examples....they can't. Sometimes they act sheepish, sometimes they mumble 'Someone told me about some people they knew', or “I read something in the paper” (or saw it on TV). The reality is that no actual examples can be given when pressed, or if you are very lucky, perhaps an example can be found. Yet the 'zero', or the 'one' example, seem to make up more than five percent, but less than fifty percent of a whole group of people...which often leaves me baffled.

Which groups are these sweeping generalisations being made about? You name a marginalised group of people and you will hear some variation of the diatribe being delivered. The unemployed are deemed 'dole bludgers', Muslims are deemed terrorists and the poor are generally thought of as lazy or lacking the motivation to succeed. For those sprouting the diatribe, they are never referring to those people they personally know who are part of the 'group', but are talking about the 'others'.

Where do these false and misguided beliefs come from and why do they exist? Who benefits from them? When did we stop being critical thinkers? Let us look at one group- the unemployed. The thought that seems to pervade society, that unemployed people are as a group, all lazy and 'bludgers', is unproven. In any group of people, there are likely to be 'outliers' and in the case of the unemployed, this may mean (in a very simplified way), a person who has the capacity and ability to work, but doesn't want to. In my experience working with the unemployed, I hadn't come across anyone who was like this. I did however, come across people who couldn't work or find work, for a variety of reasons. 

I worked with people who applied for job after job after job, but were not successful in obtaining an interview.  Sometimes it was as simple as their age, lack of experience, and believe it or not, their over-experience in a role. I worked with people who were successful in getting a job but wouldn't last long due to complex issues, such as an inability to contain their emotions, which lead to physical or verbal fighting at work (for some of these clients, who's backgrounds I knew of, attachment theory made perfect sense). There are those whose prior substance or alcohol use, damaged their ability to learn new things/retain new information. There were those who had very low self esteem and didn't present well to employers. There were those who had low level anxiety and/or depression and had not sought clinical diagnosis or help. Add to these examples the unemployment rate and the chances of gaining employment naturally reduce in a competitive market.

Yet, despite the complexity of why people are unemployed (aside from the obvious reason that there are no jobs for them), we as a society, largely seem to cling to the view that the unemployed are 'dole bludgers' or lazy, of course not you, you are different, it's the others...

How healthy is holding this view and what impact does it have on the unemployed? Does it steer the conversation on unemployment away from the real reasons/issues and how they can be addressed? Maybe there isn't a solution to unemployment. Will we ever have more jobs than we have people? If the answer is no, then it stands to reason that we will have those in the community who need to receive unemployment benefits to cover the costs of essentials such as food and shelter. Someone once said that the sign of a civilised society is that it looks after it's less fortunate. I would boldly add that a civilised society also critically considers information it is presented, such as those sweeping generalisations about maginalised groups.

Going back to the dole bludging unemployed, my experience has shown me that there are individuals in this group who need long term, respectful, intensive support to help them get to the point where they would not only be employable, but importantly, would be likely to sustain their employment. But we don't seem to be having conversations on sustainable employment. We seem to be more interested in 'numbers' and quick fixes, rather than lasting solutions. A case in point- The 'work for the dole' program, which some people in the community see as a great way to move 'dole bludgers' off unemployment and into the workforce. This program forces the financially vulnerable (ie the unemployed) to work for free (or else have their unemployment money cut off). Despite research showing the program doesn't achieve what it claims it will do, which is to provide employment outcomes, the program continues and no one is talking about it, or asking who benefits from turning members of a maginalised group into slave labour. Is this the kind of society we are proud to be part of and why aren't we talking about this?..not you, you are a critical thinker, it is the others...the less than fifty percent, but more than five.

Copyright matthew schiavello 2015. Written as part of my forced work for the dole activity.

True North Festival

This year I was invited to be part of the True North Festival. This is local festival run by the Darebin council. It is on from Friday the 21st of March until Sunday the 23rd of March.
I am blown away to be one of four artists selected to take part in an exciting event called: 'cARTography…mapping the creative process'. 
One of my photographs will be placed in a shop front window in Edwards St, Reservoir along with some text describing/mapping my 'creative process'.

For those of you who can travel to it easily, pop down to Edwards St, Reservoir this weekend and especially check out the shop window at 2 Edwards Street (yes, it is all about me!). For those of you across the seas and distances, here is my image (which will be presented as a 20X30 inch print) and some text on my process:


                                                         "certain/uncertain #18"

cARTography....mapping the creative process

by matthew schiavello.

The creative destination, how did we, how did I arrive here?

Sometimes our destination is reached as a result of a well thought out and planned process. We select the destination, we map it all out and we follow the plan. Sometimes we make
adjustments along the way, sometimes we don’t.

Sometimes, we kind of know where we want to go and we head off with little or no planning. We hope we may get there and sometimes we aren’t too fussed if we don’t.

 
More often or not for me, I tend to realise I have arrived somewhere without meaning to. I chuckle to myself and wonder how I managed it. 

My most favourite destinations have never been planned.

My photographic works are like this. I sometimes go out with an idea of what I will try and do, but this generally falls by the wayside and before I know it, I have arrived someplace other and someplace much better than I could have imagined or planned for.

With camera in hand I walk about city backstreets and photograph whatever catches my eye and my attention.  Sometimes I don’t know why I like what I see, sometimes I am
confused as my mind attempts to find worth and meaning in what I am photographing. When this happens I tell my mind to be quiet as I try to appreciate the beauty in what I see. I ask, is there something wrong or shameful in not knowing why you like something?


 
I digress, for I am meant to discuss how my style of abstract photography became so? How did I unintentionally arrive at this destination?

I guess the answer lies in how I arrived at who I am, without a map and also unintentionally. I grew up in the housing commission towers and estates in Collingwood and its
surrounding areas. We were poor and had little but our imaginations to keep us entertained. In the stark greyness of the towers and estates, we had to look for the beauty that was
around us, which was often hidden or overshadowed by all else.  

In my late teens I stumbled across a phrase by Pierre-Jules Renard- “Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it”.  I asked myself, what if the word ‘ridiculous’ was replaced with another word, would the same ring true? What if that word was 'beauty'?

 
Could we find beauty everywhere? If I had found it in those cold dark grey commission towers, surely I could find it anywhere else if I looked?

Here I am many years later, with my eyes still looking for and still finding the beauty in what lies around me.  Those neglected and vandalised spaces that are seen as an eyesore and
abhorred by many, are often a treasure trove of beauty for me and my camera.  But enough of me, where do you find or see beauty?


 
all work © matthew schiavello 2014

Public statements

I recall when I was growing up a real movement around defacing billboards and putting messages on them that made you think about what was being 'sold to you'. It was not unusual to see cigarette billboards suggesting a fun and carefree life, with messages illegally sprayed across  asking if this carefree life was after the character's diagnosis of  terminal lung cancer.

I grew up in Collingwood and neighboring Clifton Hill. I heard recently from somewhere that the City of Yarra, which the suburb of Collingwood sits within, has the highest percentage of people in government housing, in the country or state (I can't recall now and couldn't find anything easily on the internet (yes, I do some research for my blog posts!)). I was not surprised. The suburb of Collingwood is in an interesting one, as it has three twenty-story government housing towers or flats, as well as many low and medium rise government housing, all mixing with an increasingly gentrified area, which is close to the city and is becoming more and more popular for visitors and new residents alike. The  high costs to purchase property in the area is testament to this.  Add to this, neighbouring Richmond and Fitzroy's own Housing towers and estates. But what does this all mean? I do fear that it may only be a matter of time before the government sell off the large allotments of inner city land and edge the poor out and force them to the urban fringes, which lack decent transport/infrastructure and job opportunities. Sadly, these same people that may be forced out, actually helped create Collingwood's unique vibe that attracts many.

Recently a strip of shops were torn down in Smith St (one of the main shopping streets). I recall some of the stores that have come and gone over the past thirty or so years. This now vacant strip, that has had shop fronts torn down and shops gutted, is going to become apartments. Maybe even apartments over a supermarket. I read somewhere that a project was undertaken to photograph some locals and plast their images over the boarding around the construction site....Perhaps done to 'sell' the locals the idea that this development is 'ok' and will be a natural part of the existing community. It wasn't long until these images were manipulated and public statements were made....


Through whose eyes do we see? And what lens are we being asked to view live/change through?

I love the torn face, the image no longer becomes about one particular person, but a representation for many.

The dispossessed original owners of the land, now being dispossessed yet again.

 

This next image is so rich with ideas of the layers of community, of the original image of a dark skinned woman, has been pushed back and replaced with that of the whiter skin of the dominant culture. There is the suggestion of an Asian looking eye as well and then the text which suggests that evil smashes!!!  Fitting given that money is moving into the area and in time, just as it has happened in other places, the poor will be displaced.

original images copyright of the respective artist (no copyright infringement intended), the above photographs copyright matthew schiavello 2013