Wednesday 10 July 2019

The Battle of Walkerloo Facebook Encampmant

In 2011 I began to make paper soldiers that were not wholly related to historic war.  These forces were conceived as participants for the contemporary real pretend war that is the Battle of Walkerloo (see Chinese coal miners and Google Panto horse corporate beasts).  I completed yet did not publish a depiction of Facebook with Mark Zuckerberg as Pharaoh Ramses II leading a chariot army at Kadesh/Qadesh.  Photos of my prototype model were published on Flickr in 2012 and have been seen over a thousand times. Why Zuckerberg as Pharaoh?  Even back then he seemed to be garnering godlike personal power over the human story - I had better get him in mine.


Just before publishing this set a professor of history e-mailed admiration for my work.  A specialist of ancient warfare he agreed to cast a critical eye over my next release.  The professors one criticism was that the skin tone of my Egyptian warriors was almost certainly too pale for Nile inhabitants of that period. ARGGGGHH - I always try to maintain an historical accuracy but there was no easy remedy to change all the warrior skin tones - especially for the complicated pdf layouts I'd spent days creating.  Apart from the Flickr image of my prototype models Pharaoh Zuck and his war chariots were shelved - until now!


In preparation for a bold new offensive in the Battle Of Walkerloo I patrol the social media site for paper soldier intelligence.  Facebook mediates a virtual turf for its own ends but the convenience of the platforms monopoly is all seductive.  With my updated model as a PDF vanguard I opened the Battle Of  Walkerloo Fb page and the Battle Of Walkerloo Fb group.   Members of this group have access to the Zuckerberg Pharaoh Printafntry model in Facebook corporate colours.  Come join 'us' deep inside the belly of the beast... Pharaoh Mark Is our protector.











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