Truth Understanding is the Key tow by Joachim Philipsen Our age is a glorious one. Finally we have all realized that there is one underlying and overarching theme to creation. I'm speaking, of course, about money. There are a number of important debates going on in our society, from the role of immigrants to the management of public space to the kind of big guns our armed forces get to use. The nature and role of art is, as per usual, also a subject for debate. These debates all have one thing in common. The argu- ments spoken the most, and the ones listened to with the most seriousnes, all pertain to how much it costs. Sure... it would be nice to be able to do something to help the poor, it's just that it's too expensive. On the other hand, if we do not help at all it will be expensive too -- those poor people will just steal a bunch of stuff and then get sick and have to be taken care of. | won't even mention what it costs our economy that all those parasites laze about and panhandle, instead of working hard at some nine to five job to improve our Gross National Product. The question then is one of efficiency. How do we man- age those poor people so they do their best for the economy while causing as little grief as possible to us, the tax-payers? The same goes for all the other issues. We are not as unfeeling and cold as all that, we do let our conscience guide us as well. Sentiment and ideals are a nice luxury for those who can afford them. But in the end the bottom line is... well, the bottom line. We run our soci- ety like we run our businesses. How did, and do, we settle these issues as a society? Through the aforementioned debates, or discourse, to use a big word. How is this discourse disseminated? Through the media, pretty much by definition. Just like acrylic medium disseminates pigment on canvases and other places, the media is the medium for debate. And just like acrylic medium has its own distinct prop- erties (it's kinda plasticky), the media has its own properties as well. One of the properties of the media is that, much like our society, it is usually run like a business. There are associated costs and revenue. There are owners whose craving for profit has to be satisfied. And so, the news, the views and the debates that tend to receive the longest shrift are those that are good for the bottom line. If a particular magazine or show or what-have-you cannot pay for itself, it usually stops being around. Another property of the media, somewhat at odds with the previous one, is that it is thought to exist in service to the Truth. Much confusion and many struggles, public and personal, are engendered by the continual conflict between the truth of the Truth and the truth of the bottom line. By cultural convention us artists are usually thought to be idealists rather than money-grubbing capitalists. Perhaps this is not entirely true in all cases, though it undoubtedly is in some. The artist, it is further thought, is engaged in some deeply personal conversation with the Truth. This is very important to society. Art, like the media, is one of the main ways we understand, come to terms with, and arrange, the world around us. Others, of course, will argue that art is just something to do. It's not even about per- sonal truth, it is just a hobby. Yet others again regard art as flash, as a means to generate atten- tion, as a mercenary way to manipulate stimuli to achieve a desired effect. Many hide behind thick walls of irony and detachment, but essentially one (or more likely a mix) of the above three outlooks apply. Whatever the case may be, the artist will likely want exposure to society at large, whether to spread the truth, for personal gratification, or for material gratification. And to do that, the artist must use the media. And so, the vigorous artist should turn to the media, not with airy notions of an ideal- ized media, but with a realistic understanding of it. The media is not a message, it is a medium. Some things it does well, and easily, like propagate scandal, other things it does not so well, like giving well-balanced insight into unpopular beliefs. it is the duty of the artist to be aware of these limitations and use them, rather than complain about them. Only by mastering the vocabulary and general form of the media is it possible to make-a strong contribution to the public debate, and perhaps create the possibility of a world where the bottom line is not money. it @) Truth Understanding by Joachim Philipsen Our age is a glorious one. Finally we have all realized that there is one underlying and overarching theme to creation. I'm speaking, of course, about money. There are a number of important debates going on in our society, from the role of immigrants to the management of public space to the kind of big guns our armed forces get to use. The nature and role of art is, as per usual, also a subject for debate. These debates all have one thing in common. The argu- ments spoken the most, and the ones listened to with the most seriousnes, all pertain to how much it costs. Sure... it would be nice to be able to do something to help the poor, it's just that it's too expensive. On the other hand, if we do not help at all it will be expensive too -- those poor people will just steal a bunch of stuff and then get sick and have to be taken care of. | won't even mention what it costs our economy that all those parasites laze about and panhandle, instead of working hard at some nine to five job to improve our Gross National Product The question then is one of efficiency. How do we man- age those poor people so they do their best for the economy while causing as little grief as possible to us, the tax-payers? The same goes for all the other issues. We are not as unfeeling and cold as all that, we do let our conscience guide us as well. _ Sentiment and ideals are a nice luxury for those who can afford them. But in the end the bottom line is... well, the bottom line. We run our soci- ety like we run our businesses How did, and do, we settle these issues as a society? Through the aforementioned debates, or discourse, to use a big word. How is this discourse disseminated? Through the media, pretty much by definition. Just like acrylic medium disseminates pigment on canvases and other places, the media is the medium for debate. And just like acrylic medium has its own distinct prop- erties (it's kinda plasticky), the media has its own properties as well One of the properties of the media is that, much like our society, it is usually run like a business. There are associated costs and revenue. There are owners whose craving for profit has to be satisfied. And so, the news, the views and the debates that tend to receive the longest shrift are those that are good for the bottom line. If a particular magazine or show or what-have-you cannot pay for itself, it usually stops being around Another property of the media, somewhat at odds with the previous one, is that it is thought to exist in service to the Truth. Much confusion and many struggles, public and personal, are engendered by the continual conflict between the truth of the Truth and the truth of the bottom line By cultural convention us artists are usually thought to be idealists rather than money-grubbing capitalists. Perhaps this is not entirely true in all cases, though it undoubtedly is in some. The is the Key to’ artist, itis further thought, is engaged in some deeply personal conversation with the Truth. This is very important to society. Art, like the media, is one of the main ways we understand, come to terms with, and arrange, the world around us Others, of course, will argue that artis just something to do. It's not even about per- sonal truth, it is just a hobby. Yet others again regard art as flash, as a means to generate atten- tion, as a mercenary way to manipulate stimuli to achieve a desired effect. Many hide behind thick walls of irony and detachment, but essentially one (or more likely a mix) of the above three outlooks apply. ‘Whatever the case may be, the artist will ikely want exposure to society at large, whether to spread the truth, for personal gratification, or for material gratification. And to do that, the artist must use the media. ‘And so, the vigorous artist should turn to the media, not with airy notions of an ideal- ized media, but with a realistic-understanding of it. The media is not a message, it is a medium. Some things it does well, and easily, like propagate scandal; other things it does not so well, like giving well-balanced insight into unpopular beliefs. It is the duty of the artist to be aware of these limitations and use them, rather than complain about them. Only by mastering the vocabulary and general form of the media is it possible to make a strong contribution to the public debate, and perhaps create the possibility of a world where the bottom line is not money. st 11 _@-