Q: Do you feel that politics is inextricably linked with being an artist?
A: I think that being alive is linked to politics, there is no separation. That’s the greatest illusion of humankind, we think that things are separate from each other, that chemistry is separate from biology, and politics is separate from spirituality or what have you. It’s all connected. Even for someone to say “I’m not political” that’s a political statement.
In the realm of artistry, especially in America, where we’re dealing with artists (like myself) that encounter the media (like yourself), the question of responsibility comes into play because it is a question of power. The fact that I open my mouth and people listen puts me in a powerful position. Thus I need to think about what I say, because I know that people are affected by it.
When we deal with the current scheme of politics war and people like Bush and the current regime and all of these things – it’s extremely important for artists and people themselves to speak up and connect their beliefs to their actions and to their artistry. Especially when the media is on the side of and owned by the corporations. The government, the regime itself, is controlled by corporations. So we have a greater responsibility in this day and age because the government is not doing its responsibility. It no longer truly represents the people, it represents corporate rule, and the demands of supply and demand.