TC Lethbridge | The Sons of TC-Lethbridge

Lord, take this badge off of me…

18th May 2007

"You cannot buy your social status on the higher levels; you have to earn it by enlarging your mental capacity, and in this mental capacity is power." T.C. Lethbridge The Power of the Pendulum p.44

I recently read with interest a review of Camouflage an exhibition currently running at the Imperial War Museum, London. The review contained an interesting quote from the show’s curator James Taylor: “The first camouflage unit, made up mainly of artists, was set up by the French in 1915 to combat the threat of aerial reconnaissance. It was led by the portrait painter Lucien-Victor Guirand de Scévola. The artists used Cubist techniques to conceal equipment – art combating science.” The concept of being able to merge into the background, yet still remain influential, has always appealed to me.

The idea of science and art interacting are indeed strange bedfellows. By wearing camouflage, the combatant merges with nature and instantly becomes a predator like his counterparts in the animal kingdom. This act must trigger primordial instincts that undoubtedly result in the abandonment of civilised manners and etiquette. The primeval hunter is not governed by the rules and regulations of the city dweller. The world of the hunter stands in stark contrast to those whose who rely upon the protocols of society.

To be able to merge into one’s surroundings is a notion alien to modern life. Western culture is filled with people crying, “Look at me” and “I am here” and the craving to be noticed and stand out from the crowd has fuelled a media-led celebrity culture. The ‘wannabe’ mantra has become, for many, an existentialist philosophy and ideology.

The other day, I happened to catch John Sergeant’s ‘Driving me Crazy’ – a TV programme that railed against the use of 4X4 vehicles in urban areas. The owners of the ‘offending’ vehicles all consciously, or subconsciously revealed that that vehicles they drove were an extension, or representation of themselves. When confronted with the negative aspects of their choice of vehicle, many were horrified by the fact they had been sold a misconception. Far from being a marker of social status they realised that beauty was indeed in the eye of the beholder and not, as they initially believed, a warrant of universal approval. This realisation made a number of those involved in the programme, re-evaluate how they were being perceived by the outside world.

The badge, whether it be a t-shirt bearing the name of famous rock band, a designer label, or choice of vehicle represents a desire to be associated with a given aspect of popular culture, or social standing. It is of course a label that is purchased rather than earned. In Sergeant’s programme, a driver of a 4X4 was asked to drive a smaller vehicle as an experiment. Whilst undertaking the procedure, he became alarmed, for he realised that people were no longer taking notice of ‘him’. However, he failed to comprehend that the attention he attracted in his monster truck, wasn’t entirely favourable. I was reminded here of Terry Wogan’s abstemious comment to David Icke: “David, they are laughing at you – not with you.”

Maybe the displaying of brands is a desire simply to belong. However, the saying “Birds of a feather stick together” may not necessarily apply here. Just because I spy someone sporting a Zed Zeppelin t-shirt, doesn’t mean that we would necessarily see eye-to-eye on more fundamental matters.

The Neolithic hunter or ‘Iceman’ found on the Ötztaler Alps, on the Austrian border in 1991, was found to have tattoos on his skin. Once again this suggests that he belonged to a certain tribe or upheld a certain mindset. The markings were indeed a non-verbal tool of communication, possibly portraying an association or standing. However, to those not privy, or interested in the markings, the individual would just looks odd, or even absurd. Here the ‘emperor’s new clothes’ syndrome springs to mind, for any badge, or branding can only be pertinent to those ‘in the know’ or those who comprehend the association. Even today such permanent markings can instantly define an individual. In the Neolithic, to be identified as friend or foe could quite easily mean the difference between life or death.

Maybe the idea of living without artificial labels or markings is the way forward. This form of impartiality is un-dogmatic and free of any attachment. By adopting this approach, the transience of camouflage enables the informed individual to move chameleon-like, within society. Of course, a t-shirt, or fashion accessory can easily be removed and replaced with something more conducive to reflect the individual’s evolving persona. However, more permanent brandings remain for life and freeze in time representations of archaic irrelevances.

Those who conceal their associations are able to appear, on the surface, impartial, whilst others, with their colours firmly nailed to a mast, struggle to maintain the obligation to their associations. This labour can be exacerbated if their ideals fail to live up to expectations. In nature, there is a strong evolutionary pressure for animals to blend into their environment or conceal their shape. By using camouflage rather than a badge, the canny individual maintains a union with nature, yet through their intellect they remain in the metaphorical driving seat.

welbourn TEKH – 'the town in the gravel basin' – May 2007