RCA Summer Exhibition

While in London we popped into the Royal College of Art's summer exhibition. It was in a very large marquee in Kensington Gardens. It was interesting to experience the work of these young radical free-thinkers from a Bic biro turned into a hexagon to a vision of a rather bleak future to a structure made from kids' play tunnels supported by scaffolding. When we tried to leave by the same hole in the tent through which we entered we were stopped by two security people. "You'll have to leave at the other end of the marquee" was their cry. They wouldn't be budged in this and stood firmly in our way. There was no-one trying to enter or leave other than us and the exit led directly into the gardens. It was just a question of a rule that had been made. It made me think that the marquee was there to contain all the free-thinking and not let it out into the "real" world. The poor RCA people and their ideas were the exhibit in a sort of zoo - to be stared at and contained. How did we get into such a state that meaningless petty rules take over and we all comply? How did we end up a nation of form-fillers? When did we give up and let the bureaucrats take over? Why don't we protest loudly at the obvious stupidity of much of what goes on in our nation? It makes me want to start making a fuss - maybe I need to do so when the next really stupid thing crops up.