There’s another element to this system that didn’t exist, before the data age. Our data, personal and professional, has value to the powers that be. Regardless of how you enter platforms, our engagement on tech has value to someone else from scammers and fraudsters to Zucky and Musk.
I wish I had suggestions, but sharing this article is the best I’ve got.
I have a couple of thoughts (or maybe questions) on this very thoughtful article. I'll preface this by saying I am not a working artist, I am a dabbler who is blessed with the time and ability to spend hours a day painting and collaging. I sell nothing, so my understanding is limited.
First, it seems that creators are largely dependent upon some type of infrastructure to help them get their products seen and distributed, whether that system is a patron system, a gallery or publisher, or a tech platform. One cannot be both creator and marketer without collapsing from exhaustion. I am not imaginative enough to envision an alternative system that isn't small and local - like an art fair or farmer's market. Or even a collective of some kind. Would you agree to the statement that some kind of infrastructure is a necessary component for most creators (except maybe Picasso)?
If we agree that some type of infrastructure is a necessity, then I keep coming back to the idea of state-sponsored support of the arts. For example, Scotland appears to me to be highly supportive of artists. The National Gallery markets art and creativity to the citizenry in an engaging way, although it focuses attention on the most successful artists. Could a type of state-sponsored art collective work? However, while I recognize that the National Gallery appears benign, there is always a chance that will change and a tin-pot dictator will take over and dismantle the system.
So then, how might museums be brought into the idea of the collective.? I live in a small town, with two museums. The state run museum has a historical focus and is an unlikely partner, but our privately owned museum works hard to highlight young artists and creators, and to engage the community. Is it feasible to create a network of museum/collectives with nodes in various communities across the country, and eventually the globe?
Thanks for writing. Good questions. The current closest thing that I can think of is the international mail art community where artists are privately exchanging and archiving each others correspondence via the mail system. But that is not exactly a stable infrastructure and still requires outside support to create, let’s say, a research center like Artpool.hu which has state support. It is difficult to say how the arts community would support itself without an ongoing market of exchange or what the arts would become in practice until there is a complete restructuring of how an economy works beyond capitalism in its current form. Just as there are artists, crafts people, etc. there are also people who have a love of collecting and it seems those two groups maker/collector depend on each other in many ways as an ecosystem. Living in a global environment like we do now, how to go about that exchange is the interesting question. How any community goes about supporting itself in a sustainable and acceptable way. It is fascinating to imagine inventing new ways to think about it and practicing it in daily life. Most of our lives are built on assumptions based on what already exists but creative people are always questioning those assumptions. That is part of the work - to imagine beyond the apparently obvious.
Such a thoughtful essay. I cannot imagine the collective “walkout” that might be better than the current system. Substack seems like a step toward something more democratic. Ditto podcasts and YouTube. Thank you for opening this conversation. Looking forward to other comments.
There’s another element to this system that didn’t exist, before the data age. Our data, personal and professional, has value to the powers that be. Regardless of how you enter platforms, our engagement on tech has value to someone else from scammers and fraudsters to Zucky and Musk.
I wish I had suggestions, but sharing this article is the best I’ve got.
I have a couple of thoughts (or maybe questions) on this very thoughtful article. I'll preface this by saying I am not a working artist, I am a dabbler who is blessed with the time and ability to spend hours a day painting and collaging. I sell nothing, so my understanding is limited.
First, it seems that creators are largely dependent upon some type of infrastructure to help them get their products seen and distributed, whether that system is a patron system, a gallery or publisher, or a tech platform. One cannot be both creator and marketer without collapsing from exhaustion. I am not imaginative enough to envision an alternative system that isn't small and local - like an art fair or farmer's market. Or even a collective of some kind. Would you agree to the statement that some kind of infrastructure is a necessary component for most creators (except maybe Picasso)?
If we agree that some type of infrastructure is a necessity, then I keep coming back to the idea of state-sponsored support of the arts. For example, Scotland appears to me to be highly supportive of artists. The National Gallery markets art and creativity to the citizenry in an engaging way, although it focuses attention on the most successful artists. Could a type of state-sponsored art collective work? However, while I recognize that the National Gallery appears benign, there is always a chance that will change and a tin-pot dictator will take over and dismantle the system.
So then, how might museums be brought into the idea of the collective.? I live in a small town, with two museums. The state run museum has a historical focus and is an unlikely partner, but our privately owned museum works hard to highlight young artists and creators, and to engage the community. Is it feasible to create a network of museum/collectives with nodes in various communities across the country, and eventually the globe?
I look forward to other thoughts on this subject.
Thanks for writing. Good questions. The current closest thing that I can think of is the international mail art community where artists are privately exchanging and archiving each others correspondence via the mail system. But that is not exactly a stable infrastructure and still requires outside support to create, let’s say, a research center like Artpool.hu which has state support. It is difficult to say how the arts community would support itself without an ongoing market of exchange or what the arts would become in practice until there is a complete restructuring of how an economy works beyond capitalism in its current form. Just as there are artists, crafts people, etc. there are also people who have a love of collecting and it seems those two groups maker/collector depend on each other in many ways as an ecosystem. Living in a global environment like we do now, how to go about that exchange is the interesting question. How any community goes about supporting itself in a sustainable and acceptable way. It is fascinating to imagine inventing new ways to think about it and practicing it in daily life. Most of our lives are built on assumptions based on what already exists but creative people are always questioning those assumptions. That is part of the work - to imagine beyond the apparently obvious.
Very insightful analysis.
Such a thoughtful essay. I cannot imagine the collective “walkout” that might be better than the current system. Substack seems like a step toward something more democratic. Ditto podcasts and YouTube. Thank you for opening this conversation. Looking forward to other comments.