[rumori] commodification of our 'alternative'? (was re:genre)

Steev [rumori] commodification of our 'alternative'? (was re:genre)
Thu, 10 Dec 1998 11:03:15 -0800 (PST) (00913316595, Pine.LNX.4.05.9812101020470.4933-100000atflotsam.detritus.net)

On Thu, 10 Dec 1998, Boster, Bob wrote:


>>From: The Evolution Control Committee[SMTP:eccatpobox.com]
>>
>> Solicitation for opinions: Do you think makers of mediage/collage
>>rock/sample music should be able to make a living from it and forget their
>>day jobs?

This question depends on many others, including: are we talking
within the current socio-economic situation (late capitalism), or some
other possible (tho implausible) one? I guess the word "should" was used, which means we have permission to mention any pie-in-the-sky utopia we can
imagine.


>I guess my feeling would be to extend the practice the other
>direction...instead of "us" getting paid for making this stuff, the
>making of this stuff should extend into everyday practice of the bulk of
>the population. Like cooking, or at least like making mixed tapes.
>People with day jobs all over the world should be making this kind of
>stuff. Including "us"...

I agree completely, and add: I'd like things to be more like Bali
supposedly is, or other small-scale "native" cultures gone or still with us. I'd like "Art" to be "art" or better yet "life". Everyone an artist. Not neccesarily a collage artist, but basically, art should be part of
everyone's life, rather than some mysterious energy that only some lucky
few supposedly have that enable them to be "Artists". I like the cooking analogy a lot, Bob.

But y'know, how is this going to happen when people are conditioned
otherwise, and also conditioned that they have to work 50 hours a week?
People don't even cook! There no time, you have to work! Supposedly.

Ideally, imho, everyone should do a little of everything, the economy
and culture should be... oh hell, i'm about to go off the deep end
and i don't have time. maybe later, another thread. or even another
list....


>Not that I'm resistant to the idea of making a living off of art, but I
>think it's not only the slippery slope issue you outlined, but a sense
>of needing to waste a lot of time in promotion and other business
>practices just to close the financial loop, when I would actually prefer
>to focus on making the work instead. And if I have to maintain a day
>job to do that, so be it. Then I still have the joy of it being "for
>its own sake" instead of "to pay the rent".

Absolutely. This aversion to the non-art business involved with "doing art", which most artists have, is exactly why record labels and agents and promoters and gallery owners and other middlemen have jobs.

Let me digress slightly but still relevantly:
One of the reasons I went to grad school was because I told myself I
wanted to dedicate my life to art. I thought the way to do that was to get
an MFA. I went to CalArts, and one of the most valuable things I learned
there was that only a very lucky few get to be professional artists, even
with advanced degrees and whatever other pedigree you can wave around.
It involves lots of luck and lots of willingness and ability to
ceaselessly promote yourself. Those are the artists who "make it" and that the world knows about - the ones who are constantly pushing and
saying "hey look! I'm a great artist!" Another thing I learned is that there are other things to be dedicated
to. Art is still a huge, probably the biggest part of my life. But art
can't be for it's own sake. At least for me. At least there are other
things to KNOW about. (At an art school you will see lots of people who
don't know anything else. Especially undergrads.)


>Wondering how many practitioners whose day job involves the same craft
>as their art feel less inspired to make the work because their hands are
>in the same machine all day long. I know I would make more desktop

me! me! omigod yes. oddly or not so oddly, my vocation and my art began
to involve computers more and more at about the same time and rate.
Now it is definitely hard to sit down and do some digital audio stuff
after a day of coding for money.

Related to this and even worse, certain jobs which are not art related
still partially satisfy the creative urge. Which make me less inclined to
want to do actual art. Anyone else experience this?
For instance, programming can be a very creative act sometimes. It
tickles some of the same neurons, it can be clever, inspired, etc etc.
But it's not really art. But your brain gets tricked and thinks "I've been creative today. No need to work on the music tonight."
oh boy what a big ball a wax you started, mark....

smh

Steev Hise, Infoserf
steevathise.org http://www.cyborganic.com/people/steev recycled art site: http://www.detritus.net -----------------------------------------------------------------
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