Monday 10 August 2009

tiktoc Writing and Principles - Update

tiktoc combines good design, bad design, attention to detail, pedantry, error in abundance, writing of questionable quality, fine writing, parody, satire, comedy, earnestness, seriousness, sincerity, politics, nihilism, low resolution, high resolution, focus, lack of focus, nepotism, truth to materials (time).

Some principles:

1) The subject should be an item of 'unendorsed' art. i.e. work which is not typically found in the more serious art spaces. More likely the items will be found at an 'open-house', a café, a small possibly commercial gallery or it is graffiti or street art.

2) Design or 'functional' objects such as lamp-posts, bins, advertising or buildings will not be considered at this stage. The subject is more likely to be seen as art, or is less easily definable in terms of a practical use. Potentially these are seen as examples of decoration or expression, but not necessarily so.

3) We are not art critics. This is writing 'with' the art but writing can still be ruthlessly critical in the more widespread negative connotation. Potentially the subjects chosen are enormously problematic in terms of significance or quality but the approach ought to be open minded enough not to dismiss crudely any work.

4) Writers can select subjects and propose these to the Doomsbury Set tiktoc@mocksim.org or alternatively ask for suitable pieces to be assigned to them.

5) Our aim in future is to pay writers (£13 per 100 words) for pieces of 500-1000 words. We cannot offer payment at this stage.

6) Publication will take place on four dates per year.

7) A number of meta-texts will be included i'e' texts relating to other texts in every issue. This is a separate part of the initiative which may eventually override that stated above.

8) Errors are not simply irradicated. We consider publishing these especially if they lead somewhere exciting. We tend to work at just above a certain speed which guarantees regular genuine slips, mistakes and errors.

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