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"Who do you see playing with anarchist aesthetics, symbols and lineage? And, most importantly, how could anarchists be doing aesthetics better?"
there was a workshop at bastard one year that compared monks to anarchists -- called something like "the hooded ones". it was good. and spoke to what k. williams has written about too, the implicit puritanism of so many anarchists, whether it's from growing up in a christian society (those of us who have), or being influenced by christian-influenced leftism (those of us who were).... if anarchists are saying "no" to things all the time, as we are and as i support, it's probably easiest to fall into the implicit no's related to minimalism, aescetism, etc. despite the emma-affiliated references to dancing.

but there's also something compelling about claiming the ominousness of black, about wanting to be dangerous (of course it's always easier to look the part). being bright and colorful suits some kinds of anarchy a lot better than others. how hard is it (not a rhetorical question) to be happy and joyous while dressed dourly? is the point that happiness is too associated with conformity? does that change as an anarchist marker as other people acknowledge/become more unhappy?

there's a lot to this topic.