Cterism (pronounced 'Seeterism') is an art form which concentrates on
    true elements of nature or, using true elements of nature as artistic mediums.
    For Instance, Cter music incorporates samples of a bird chirp as a melody,
    sounds of thunder for a backbeat, and other elements of nature that form into
    an aural whole. Cter film making derives its roots from the German
    Expressionists, presenting a duality between the grim and serene shapes of
    Mother Nature. One could say that the abstract painter Debuffet was a
    precursor to Cterism, filling his canvas with leaves, pine cones, animal remains,
    and even dirt. Cter poetry is very similar to Tzara's 'chance' technique,
    however, the words used in poems have natural connotation (e.g. rockrollroad
    --treetop to top of greens and pines.)
 

              Cterism is not only an artistic movement, it's a way of life.
    One important philosophy of Cterism is the Union of Everlasting Colours,
    which emphasizes the concept of a total society, or union, pursuing their
    life in an artistic and naturally euphoric environment. The UEC, like Cterism,
    embodies the ideological elements of Surrealism and William Burrough's
    "cut-ups" to form its paradoxical canon. Nevertheless, the UEC mainly
    prefers the more subdued ideas of art and aesthetics, as opposed to the
    metaphysical levels of Cter.
 

           Started in 1996 by Daniel R. Vazquez, Cter was discovered at random
    from a cut-up of the word "ba(cter)ia." Thereafter, Cter has gain some
    recognition with its "natural graffiti" in the town of Northampton, MA.
    Dann spread the word with dictums as:

                             "Cterism, a movement in nature . . . a movement of Art."

        and:               "Ctergroovalisticality. . . Join Cter"
 

                However, the Cter following was not large, but Dann continued to
    formulate his ideas and wrote "Cterism: A Manifesto," which he read at a local
    cafe in Northampton. Unfortunately, the reading was a fiasco and the audience
    misunderstood his meticulous concepts, which were slurred when read
    due to Dann's endless caffeine addiction. However, after his last reading of
    Cter poems, at the Fire and Water Cafe, Dann declared that Cterism is dead:
    "Cterism was just an inspiration, now its just a plain old cut-up."
                Although lacking a solid collectivity, Cterism is an art movement
    which presented a different approach of looking at things. Nevertheless, Dann's
    idee fixe was indeed the stepping stone for art movements of the 21st Century
    and I must say that although it had its flaws, the Cter movement will give an
    inspiration for generations to come.
 
 

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