Thread by @FendeVilliers

1/12 We are living in a spiritual and aesthetic dark age. It is trench warfare on the cultural front. I am trying to find something of WHO WE ARE. Today. We are not 1700s man, not 1800s man. I care about where we are today and where we are going.

2/12 I was fortunate to have a recent post of mine really get some traction. It provided a terrific litmus test. The positive comments and curiosity were just terrific to behold. Thank you all for the support 💪

https://twitter.com/FendeVilliers/status/1488930258736889862

3/12 What I found entertaining were the low energy replies coming in from a few Trad Larp / Retvrn accounts. Which were actually quite a pleasure to sift through. I am glad I am on their radar. Perhaps I may even convince them/you to wake up out of the larp dream.

4/12 Guys, we are not going back. The society we have is in ruins, we have to start again. We need to cradle the embers of strong arts movements and formulate something that resonates today and now. Look back to go forward. But not too far back.

https://twitter.com/FendeVilliers/status/1460212277735477251

5/12 Many of the retvrn guys want to see this↓ but honestly they provide absolutely zero vision to how this style would be expressed today. Does our society nurture such technical ability? No. Of course it doesn't. The best I know can copy, but dream in this style? Rarely.

6/12 At best what you get is this ↧ which is just laughably kitsch and sweet. Utterly devoid of glory, life and energy. No ladies and gentlemen this ain't it. This is nothing but a pastiche. Simulacra.

7/12 There is a huge difference between dreaming in a certain style and then simply reproducing what greats did before. My conclusion is many are caught in a ghost dance. You notice there is a major problem in our society and you just want to go back

8/12 I have sobering news. That ship has sailed. Hold your hand in the flame and accept where we are. No genius collective of amazing artists and architects are going to come out of the woodwork and start making High Renaissance art. Enjoy what the greats made and move forward.

9/12 Where can we look to then? The primal essence and residue of greatness. A blissful aftertaste of past glory. Where was it last seen? 1870 - 1940+- still embodied that vital flame. If we can reinvigorate that spirit of dynamism and vitality, a new way can show itself.

10/12 Styles and refinement will organically grow as our current civilisation begins to find its senses again. This will take time. It will not happen one day to the next. The periods in ancient Greece took 100s of years to change and develop. We wont just be RETVRNING.

11/12 Embrace where we stand today. Fight in your own way to bring something of vitality and strength to the mix. The primal energy is eternal and will forever be here, we just need a way to channel it back into our visual culture.

12/12 And lastly, if you are an artist, start dreaming of another way. Ask the question, who are we now? And where are we going?