The Simulacrumists
From Plastic Tub
The Simulacrumist (alias The Copiest, The Vanillist and sometimes the Denaturist) were a collective of ad-men, writers and publishing houses funded by heavy handed capitalist intent on smashing counter ideologies in the name of deregulation and free markets. The artisans were instructed to amass a campaign of mediocrity and to ensure group think through the dilution of opposing ideals. The copiest, as they were commonly called were the extension of the movement that worked exclusively in the art world, attacking newer art forms like the ready made, minimalism and the more fringe elements of the conceptual world. The idea was to copy and appropriate style and ideas from up and coming movements and quickly release tainted versions into the public consciousness via the mass media.
ExtrapolationWhitewash The movement began as a Utopian formula with a cockeyed ideology; the belief in higher achievement through homogeneous assimilation of everything from language and attitude to art and architecture. These ideals soon found favor with certain radical publishing groups who would spread the ideology until the war caused the movement to fracture and regroup in the United States. Gray Matter Although forgers have long operated in the art world, the methods employed by the Copiest were not as focused on the actual replication of the artworks as much as hijacking the essence of the idea. The movement begun with as a covert attempt to bring their message of world war one Dada ideals to the States by way of the movements main magazine Le Mal Jumellent and its controversial editor Heinrich Erickson. At the height of the movement, members scoured the nation lifting ideas from such exotic places as rural flea markets, children art shows and the senior citizens watercolor circuit. Sunny side down The simulacrumist goal was twofold- one was to obtain art in its many common and lowly forms as to ensure the direct dissemination of poob culture. The second aim was to spread disinformation and prejudice through plagiarism and slander. Many of the eastern European members eventually found themselves stateside working their evil magic on Madison avenue influencing the entertainment and publishing industries. Freedom Fries The movement was essentially anti modern and sought to derail any new philosophies that may lead society to a better understanding of the power structures under which they find themselves in constant struggle. Malcom Aaronson of Media This explains
The real reasons behind the counterfeit ring was not to make money but to stifle and poison societies acceptance of the creative arts. Their goal was to emasculate any progressive movements who may influence the general public by co-opting lower art forms and producing them on such a mass scale whereas to confuse and corrupt the markets, and supplant the high with the low, the Canon with the Kitsch. It is a common fact that most sympathetics of the movement work in Hollywood, primarily in the sit-com sector. Their masterworks include the painting of the old ship captain, the painting of the dead tree with yellow sky and most famously the painting of dogs playing poker.
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