Thursday, October 1, 1998

Jacque Fresco's God complex






Welcome to the Future


By R. Pitman
(1998) 3 videocassettes, 16 min. each. $150 each (series price: $400). Study guide included. Global Cyber-Visions (dist. by Film Ideas). PPR. Color cover.
Futurist Jacque Fresco’s vision of the society, sketchily outlined here, has more than a faint Marxist-utopian ring to it, except that in Fresco’s world — a kind of Bucky Fuller landscape on steroids — cybernated systems (artificial intelligence networks even more advanced that those which operate Bill Gates’s house) will replaced most physical labor. Here, Fresco shows viewers glimpses (or — more often — drawings and computer animated clips) I’ll his 25 Acre 2nd Garden of Eden, code-named The Venus Project. Roughly circular in shape, the prototype community mixes elements of the urban, suburban and country living together with a community access center where the new cybercitizens can select needed items for daily living (resource-based economies Will replace monitor he based economies [goodbye Alan Greenspan!]). Certainly not the first, And undoubtedly not the last to confuse form with function, Fresco sees in his social overhaul, which is largely based on architectural design, the solution to — among other societal ills — hunger, war, and crying. In fact, the more I listen to Fresco’s specifics (computer chair in underwater structure for communicating with dolphins) and fuzzy non-specifics (education will become more “hands-on,” meaning…what, exactly?), it seemed to me I was encountering a God-like hubris coupled with the standard sci-fi dreamer’s naivete vis à vis human nature. But just as I was jolting this last down in my notes, Fresco cautioned viewers — and it gave me the shivers, since he seemed to be responding directly to my written reservations — to remember that human nature is not synonymous with human behavior; the latter can be changed. Although Fresco’s futurist scenario is — in my humble opinion — rife with problems, it’s not every day that somebody comes along ambitious enough to offer a blueprint for redesigning the world. Sure to spark animated debate, this is a strong optional purchase for larger collections. [Note: Global Cyber-Visions was originally selling this as a single video for $19.95 on their website.] Aud: H, C. P. (R. Pitman)

Monday, November 17, 1997

Architectural Arts, Inc.

Archived Record Venus, FL 

Architectural Arts, Inc. filed by Roxanne Meadows as a Domestic for Profit Corporation in the State of Florida and is no longer active as of 2008.. This corporate entity was filed on Monday, November 17, 1997 as recorded in documents filed with Florida Department of State.

Thursday, July 17, 1997

Jacque's Brother passes away

David Fresco was an artist and became an actor. After being included on the blacklist of Hollywood in the 50's for not cooperating with the Committee on UN - American Activities, he resurrected his career in the 1960's, appearing in many movies and television shows. He died in 1997 at age 87 and was the father of Victor Fresco.

[Audio] Why could you not turn your own brother to these ideas? Why did he go into acting instead?


Jacque Fresco: Because I wasn't skilled enough to reach him. In those days, you know that we're talking about forty--fifty--sixty years ago, I was not able to reach him I really tried I could not reach him at the time I was not as skilled.
Roxanne Meadows: You were the younger brother too. How much older was him to you?

Jacque Fresco: About five--six years older.