Category Archives: Reviews

Media, Reviews

Otherzine: “Cacophonies Now!”: Interview with Carrie Galbraith and John Law

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This interview took place in Oakland, CA, November 20, 2017 with John Law, Carrie Galbraith, David Cox, and Molly Hankwitz at John Law’s studio in downtown Oakland, CA.

Introduction

In the days leading up to Donald Trump’s inauguration and taking office as President, Molly and I visited with John Law and Carrie Galbraith in Oakland. From the neon-bedecked heights of Law’s studio in the Tribune Tower, the prospect of a Trump-led USA seemed like a rapidly approaching distant horizon-wide storm-cloud of dread and menace. Yet, within this cloud, fingers of lightening indicated a few growing threads of bright resistance; the imagination of the population which was refusing to be dominated was snapping back already with brilliant and sporadic gestures of bold and furious defiance…….

Media, Reviews

KQED says “Not only a history text, but a menu of possible activities to recreate in your free time.”

kqed arts Great review in the KQED Literary sections! Read the full review at KQED 

Take away quotes:

” The group’s events took on surrealistic subversion as a rallying ethos. In this light the book becomes not only a history text, but a menu of possible activities to recreate in your free time.”

and

“The book, edited by John Law, Kevin Evans, and Carrie Galbraith and released by underground book publisher, Last Gasp, is a pastiche of flyers, memos, newsletters and previously unpublished photographs from the group’s more active days. It chronicles the birthing ground for today’s Burning Man ethos, and paints the Society as precursors to today’s tactical media jammers like the Yes Men and even Anonymous. The book, a memoir of a subculture, is an interesting insight into the ’80s and ’90s for those of us who, at the time, were focused more on legos and sleepovers than art movements. Read it for its alternate history, its retro aesthetic, and to remind yourself to try something new, something silly, something pointless, just because you can.”

 

Media, Reviews

Daniel Terdiman of CNET says “illustrates the way much of digital-era culture jamming emerged”

cnet-logo-smDaniel Terdiman at CNET wrote :

“The new book “Tales of the San Francisco Cacophony Society” illustrates the way much of digital-era culture jamming emerged from a few 1980s- and ’90s-era out-of-the-box thinkers”

“Now, a new book, titled “Tales of the San Francisco Cacophony Society,” goes a long way toward introducing the group, and its exploits, to new audiences more familiar with taking in planned, packaged entertainment than with being responsible for their own excitement and fun.”