Summary

The Blind Authority Manipulation Corporation was created in the situationist tradition as a shared identity for the purposes of culture jamming.

Details

Situationists such as Guy DeBord argued that:

"Within capitalism, … most people's creativity is alienated, and appropriated by an exclusive category of specialists - 'artists'. As a consequence, society is divided into actors and audience, creators and spectators." (Shipway, 1987, p 152)

Therefore, situationists called for "the supersession of art as a specialised activity separated from most people's everyday lives." (Ibid)

In this tradition, anyone could anonymously use the logo for the Blind Manipulation Corporation. According to one website branded with its logo:

"The Blind Authority Manipulation Corporation is a corporation that belongs to everyone. The name is fixed, the people operating it aren't. The purpose of many different people using the one logo is to create a situation for which no one in particular is responsible and to practically examine western philosophical notions of identity, individuality, originality, value and truth. Also to challenge and reveal the methodology and assumptions behind the operations of conventional corporations. All contents of this site is in the public domain. Feel free to use the logo for letter heads, posters, promotions, publications, stickers, shares, rubber stamps, etc, or any interventions or actions you can think of. Publish your own Blind Authority Manipulation Corporation website. It need not look anything like this one or it could look exactly the same. Produce your own Blind Authority zine. Call it 'Smile'. When plagiarising the use of the words 'authentic' and 'original' are encouraged. Include the logo on any publications or musical releases, etc. It is important that individual persons are not directly associated with The Blind Authority Manipulation Corporation so when using a name with the logo use a multiple name such as Karen Eliot, David A. Bannister, Monty Cantsin or Luther Blissett or a suitable pseudonym. The currency of The Blind Authority Manipulation Corporation is not necessarily monetary, material or exchangeable (although there is no reason why it shouldn't be either) The currency is up to the individual operators and shareholders. Everyone is a share holder in The Blind Authority Manipulation Corporation. Not everyone knows it yet.

…

"Written and authorised by The Blind Authority Manipulation Corporation Public Relations Department"

Stickers for the Blind Authority Manipulation Corporation were distributed at the S11 blockade in Melbourne in 2000.

References:
Shipway, Mark (1987) "Situationism". In Maximilien Rubel and John Crump. Non-Market Socialism in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. Palgrave MacMillan. New York. Pp 153-172.

The Blind Authority Manipulation Corporation. [Website] (2001) Accessed 14 February, 2024.

Resources

Stickers

• Eliot, Karen, Blind Authority Manipulation Corporation, [This scan courtesy of Viola Wilkins], 2000. PDF Details

Online Resources

• Bamco; and Eliot, Karen (eds), 'Join the Blind Authority Manipulation Corporation', Flicker, 2000?, https://www.flickr.com/photos/konsumterra/albums/72157623431653560. PDF Details