The Rage Gallery

February 29, 2020

A few days ago I was visiting the art department at Sonoma State University when I happened to pass by a small room with four white walls, a white ceiling, and a concrete floor. It was empty, and had a sterile, prison-like appearance, as though it were a space set aside for solitary confinement. On the locked glass door were block letters spelling the words Rage Gallery.

Curious, I asked a couple of nearby art students if they knew why the gallery was named Rage. They didn’t know the origin of the name, but one said that she had seen art in that gallery that had depicted chaotic and violent themes. The other student said that it had recently held feminist artwork featuring vaginas, suggesting to her that perhaps the gallery specializes in art installations with angry subject matter. I didn’t know that vaginas are angry. I suppose that my ignorance is just another example of white male privilege.

So I went to the art department office and asked Cindy the office manager if she knew the reason for the name of the gallery. She did, and I’ll share it with you shortly.

Later that night I watched the most recent Democratic presidential debate, broadcast from South Carolina. Talk about rage! Bernie Sanders was furious as always, waving his arms and turning red as he denounced the rich and “racists” and whatever other individuals or groups he considers to be his enemies. Elizabeth Warren and billionaire Tom Steyer joined in the shouting, and even the usually good-natured Joe Biden and Amy Klobuchar contributed some yelling to the Rage Gallery festivities. Only Mike Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg seemed to keep their cool in the political free-for-all of giant egos.

In fairness to the seven would-be presidents, they obviously felt pressure to show their toughness in order to convince voters that they can defeat the Ranter-in-Chief, Donald Trump. But in lowering themselves to his level, several of them allowed their ambition and competitive juices to overwhelm whatever wisdom and sense of decency they might otherwise possess.

And arrogance, self righteousness, and fanaticism are contagious. Some of Trump’s and Sanders’ rageaholic followers are verbal thugs, inspired by Bernie (perhaps unconsciously) and Donald (probably intentionally) to hate and threaten anyone who disagrees with them. These left wing and right wing purists are united by at least one quality: feverish intolerance of anyone who is not part of their lunatic fringe.

With the planet inflamed internationally by extremist politicians and their true believers, global warming, and the coronavirus panic, now would probably be a good time for all of us to lighten up and laugh at ourselves and the insane asylum that we are creating on Earth. Better to laugh than to despair.

Which brings me back to Cindy. When I asked her about the reason for the name Rage Gallery, she laughed, then explained that some prankster had peeled off the first three letters of the word “Storage” Gallery.

Sometimes things are not as serious as they seem to be.