Police surveillance of avant-garde screenings shows authorities saw culture as a threat

Evidence

Whites in the audience also took issue. Kenneth Tynan, present at the Cinema 16 screening, reported that soon after one irate man stormed out, “a policeman came in and took the names of the people who were participating in the debate: It seemed that someone had put through an anonymous telephone call, alleging that the meeting was a deliberate attempt to stir up racial antipathy.” The movie was praised in the Voice by Jonas Mekas, who, responding to complaints it was an anti-white film, wrote, “It’s about time somebody made one.” — J. Hoberman, Everything Is Now, 96

Categorization

• ADDENDUM: This is the illegality/harassment dimension the reader wants as part of the material conditions enabling avant-garde density — an avant-garde under police surveillance is politicking by default.