Think about how being an artist has changed. Back in the 20th century works needed a big release to have a chance. If this push wasn’t big enough to blast something immediately into the mainstream, then it often faded quickly into obscurity.
Now, everything lives on the web to be shared and experienced at any time, by anyone, in any instant. Of course, we still see the phenomenon of brand new things trending and dominating the media space. But overall, works are less likely to feel like wasted efforts simply because they’ve failed to immediately find a large (paying) audience.
Most 20th century artists never cared about the big media outlets, but these were necessary evils. It isn’t advisable to bite the hand that feeds when you’re right in the middle of trying to accomplish something. It was more useful than it was demeaning to be complacent. But today, thanks to the good ole internet, an artist can share their voice with everyone forever. I believe this sharing is the goal of any true artist. “Selling out” and over-commercialization of the arts are the result of a bigger cultural corruption.
I also have this queer belief that artists are now being forced to consider time differently. There’s been a general shift happening that IT and media people have become aware of gradually over the past 20 years. Whereas many artists have even taken pride in remaining naive to this, choosing instead to focus on creative writing, painting, or on tuning their harps. But the times they are a-changin’.
Before the 20th century, art was commissioned. Painters painted for the rich and noble classes, musicians only composed and performed works agreeable to their employers. I once held the delusion that people had more creative freedom at some point in the past. They never ever did. Now is the time in our history when the most purest artistic visions ever can be realized.
What happens when artists make art for the sake of eternally sharing it with all of humankind, as opposed to placating overlords, or launching campaigns aimed at dominating the airwaves?
