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The Beat Goes On NEW YORK

Survival Research Laboratories is perhaps the most devastating performance statement known to mankind. Beyond rock, beyond art, Mark Pauline and his horde of evil geniuses combine firearms, heavy machinery and psychological warfare under the guise of artistic expression.

October 1, 1988
Steven Blush

The Beat Goes On NEW YORK

DEPARTMENTS

Survival Research Laboratories is perhaps the most devastating performance statement known to mankind. Beyond rock, beyond art, Mark Pauline and his horde of evil geniuses combine firearms, heavy machinery and psychological warfare under the guise of artistic expression. Far too dangerous and disturbing for general consumption, Survival Research Laboratories has gained a tremendous cult following during their decade of organized mayhem.

Survival Research Laboratories' performances are shockingly graphic parodies of accepted forms of cultural violence, sort of like Roller Derby—mock battles of epic proportions. Their massive machines, often weighing thousands of pounds and standing 30-40 feet tall, create outdoor spectacles of ritualized destruction. Since 1978 these San Franciscans have lived out their Road Warrior fantasies, scavenging the city for usable 'goods' by collecting heavy machinery from firms that were going out of business and by looting factories.

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