from the DeepMind of Josh Plough

Bring me back to the Collective DeepMind

21.

You definitely don't feel you can be yourself, even though you're supposed to find yourself.

To sum up the argument so far, then:

Parts of design have been severed from their historic reliance on the object, with research taking its place. However because the discipline is still in denial about this, the structures are not yet there to support this more dematerialised work. A fissure emerges between realities, only leading to more ambiguity and intent. The profession is in future-shock at a time when it’s trying to mitigate such things.

All work undertaken that is of an overtly socio-political nature will forever be classified as intent as long as it stays within the current conservative structures of funding, academies, institutions and exhibitions.

Our technologies of self-expression do not serve this goal. In fact they are the complete antithesis to what we need. They exacerbate the discipline’s tendency to promote the glamour of the individual over collective action.

We can transition from intent to action, not by focusing on the outcome, the reach, or the intention of the research. But by placing serious weight and significance on improving the mental health of the practitioner. This intent is synonymous with action.

For this to happen historic relationships need to be rethought and new mongrel ones forged from past experiences: in the shell of the old.