10/25/99

Manuel Mancillas aka Zopilote;

It came to my attention in reviewing recent activities about El Campo Ruse on the internet that the 1998 interview, In Poblado Maclovio Rojas, that I had done for the Ruse/Bawtaf Web Site "Features Section" with Michael Schnorr as "Ruseagent,"

http://members.xoom.com/bawtaf/aguas.html

had been condensed and published as, SPACE FOR THE POBLADORES, in the Summer 1999 issue

http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Dunes/7449/par.html

of FORECAST Public Artworks Journal out of the University of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

http://www.forecastart.org/forecast.htm

Idea 1: You could have interviewed Michael Schnorr separately, as he is your collaborator in BAW/TAF, and generated a new interview.

Idea 2: You could have had the courtesy to inform me of your intentions to condense and publish the past interview and sited the original source .

I have to express my disappointment of, once again, witnessing the type of reckless disregard for intellectual property and administrative functioning that so characterizes your tenure, past and presently, of directing the Ruse activities. This is exactly the type of behavior that has caused so many Ruse contributors to back away from active involvement in an organization which claims egalitarian functioning and roots. Though this may fall, in your mind, just short of plagiarism on technical grounds, your running a very obvious game of organizational and self aggrandizement on the backs of those you claim as your community. I recommend, that in the future, before you utilize materials and affiliations for publication or grants, that you consult those individuals and obtain their consent. Behaviors like this impugn the good work of BAW/TAF and others who are sincerely working in the arts with integrity and cast a negative view on egalitarian arts projects and of the arts in general.

Gary Ghirardi (ex ruse agent)

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