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Altamont
and Utopic Geography
The failure of the youth culture
embodied in the historic 1969 Rolling Stones free concert at Altamont,
California is significant. As with Woodstock, the subtext of Altamont
is esoteric. It is the belief that this was destined to be a significant
event in the mass spirituality of "youth", seen until then as
a group with common goals and beliefs.
However, events occurred there which changed the perception of an entire generation, as it was well documented in rock journalism and the film Gimme Shelter. While Woodstock was presented in the media as a positive gathering of collective and resourceful powers, Altamont was seen as the symbolic event where shit fell apart. In the underground, It was the beginning of laying blame for the failure of real change and lack of focus in the 60's. It also laid bare the conflict of interests between underground idealism and commercial rock and roll. In my drawings I am interested in trying to depict that idealism which was fading, but obviously apparent, in the images of the crowd. In some ways the crowd can be seen as delusional, yet these landscapes made of people are literal depictions of their utopic idea of collective power. When hundreds of thousands of people gather together, they are bound to have a collective face, a collective vibe. I am interested more in perceptions of this group rather than of the events that took place that day. The video piece "Free Concert " is an attempt to create a sensation of movement through this transcendent landscape. -Mike Paré April 2001
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