Planet of the Arts -Vol 4-No.4-1989. OLUMN AS I SEE"EM by MARTIN HUNT If the universe unfolds as I think it should, I will graduate from this College in May. What then? What will I do with my “education”? How will I live? In the short run, Pll get a job. There are debts I must pay. I’m very bored with being very broke. But for me, jobs offer very little hope of future development, happiness, or even security. I’ve tried. It doesn’t work. I need to earn my living as an artist. To put it crudely, I need to sell my pic- tures. Crudely put another way, I need people to buy my pictures. The situation looks grim. Art markets seem to be scary, no-win sorts of places. Too many sellers, not enough buyers. Dealing with the Artmarket is made even harder because of an underlying feeling that the “real” artist doesn’t have to worry about markets. Somehow it’s dirty for artists to view their productions as the raw material for a commercial marketplace. This dirtiness makes the whole topic of art-in-the-marketplace hard to think about, talk about, agree about or eve study. : Certainly the college is of no help when it comes to exploring the art marketplace. No- body asks questions like: How many pictures were sold in Vancouver last year? At what kind of prices? What kind of work is popular? Why? How many artists are needed to create that work? There are no courses that cover book- keeping and taxes for artists. There’s nothing examining the relation of artists to commer- cial galleries/stores/bureaucracies/each other. There’s no information about value: What’s worth $100? What’s worth $10,000? Why? Given that professional artists are basi- cally small businesspeople, this mental block against thinking about marketing our work is a major handicap. One is tempted to blame some sort of conspiracy for this situation (We’re all being controlled by the Big Galleries and their running-dog Critics). I think the causes are more mundane, but deeper: Some artists are rich; they sell dope or stocks or have inherited or some tacky thing like that. They have an interest in hiding their income and adopting a pose of lofty indiffer- ence about money - especially about money and art. Some artists are art-teachers; my ob- servation is that art teachers seem to start young and stay on forever in comfortably ten- ured positions. No wonder! Easy work and good pay. I'd do it too. These are fine people, but they too can afford to not connect money and art. Some artists are art administrators; people earning $50,000 or $60,000 a year or more, ad- ministering artists and art students living far below the poverty line. These people must be intensely embarrassed by the economic dis- parity. If I were them, [’d have a mental block about art and money too. A deeper cause for our blindspot lives within all of us. We spend our lives soaking up consumer propaganda - it’s unavoidable after all - and so it’s no surprise that we adopt con- sumeristic attitudes. Nobody wants consum- ers who are interested in the mechanics of the marketplace. We're supposed to be so en- thralled with the product we want to buy that we don’t think about where it came from, or why it costs what it does, or why we want it. The ideal consumer buys because it feels right, not because of an informed decision about the broad or narrow usefulness of whatever it is that we purchase. I remember buying my first computer. It was just a little guy by today’s standards (I bought my first 16k about 8 years ago). My mind knew that it was just a fancy program- mable calculator. My heart was dreaming of creating my own databases, research into arti- Ww. feel the large bi-monthly, hour-long meetings, at which six or more major issues are discussed,are limited in effectiveness. Therefore we encourage all grads to participate actively on the various committees which meet to discuss specific concerns. MEETINGS pre-pre-pre Grad Party Comittee - Friday feb.3, 1:30, Planet of the Arts office. Design of Ceremonial Site Comittee - Monday, Feb.6, 12:00, Cafeteria. Catalogue Committee - Thursday, Feb.9,4:30, Planet of the Arts office : Af 0 EI AAAARR 3 Hours"! SORRY SON. you ABUSED] YOUR PRIVELESES. ficial intelligence, and dazzling graphics. I was going to have the world at my fingertips. Pretty soon my mind was saying to my heart “I told you so!” Luckily, all my friends were still im- pressed - they knew even less about computers than I did. The point here is that I didn’t buy my computer because I had a strong practical use for it. I needed a computer because I’'d had my psychology manipulated by mass culture. I’d read too many Omni Magazines. I think that _ most of us approach the marketplace with that same uncritical, follow-your-gut type attitude. This is not surprising. When was the last time you saw a car promoted because it was the most cost-efficient way of getting from one place to another? When was the last time you were urged to buy TV dinners on the basis of their superior nutrition? Have you ever been urged to buy blue jeans because they'll keep you warm? I think that the whole consumer society would collapse if very many people were strongly conscious of the market forces that influence their purchases. Psychological tricks work best on those who are unaware of them. We are so unaware that many of us deny that advertising is psychological manipulation at all. It’s no surprise then, that we at the Col- lege have a hard time thinking about the Art- market. Not only do we have mental blocks against thinking about markets, but when we do we’re disgusted. This makes it very diffi- cult for us to think about how to enter the marketplace as sellers of products. We suffer poverty or the abandonment of our art because of this. Next month, I’ll offer some thoughts on how we might escape from this trap. @ THE YEAR OF THE OKAY SO TLL MOVE IT IN TT ayeBjoy-seAey uneys /ol 4-No. Planet of the COLUMN AS I SEE'EM by MARTIN HUNT Tr the univorss unfolds an 1 think it stould, Twill graduate fom this College in May. ‘What then? What wil do with my “education”? How willl ive? Ty Sg RuLaY maa GUY a jobs Testa staat Sete pay ore ery area weeny Fey CGR tse any softer very Tele Gi ottcrire aden pasiasayptien tere Sosarty ve ited teaceen ori eon cara my Evia aaa if gat eesoly Vase (7000 ay le ecaae BE Dot enacted pear ta ay pieces: Thc stein al eos a Meee bc teens We searysoortn nero ice ater, soe capa Viyecd aban inte Asta rats ove asdor uctuslet aateateriyiny oatag Oat tis Sear eta eel unverte worry aa taurksla. Somehow ive dir for ertiststo view uae cctisaw'es the ate naataciaa mise cia Teil RIT coat ts Wo topic of aretane-nareeeylias bart tolilak about tal about apres abont cr oven ay: Cortainly the colloge i oo help when it comes to erplocng the ort mariage: No: “ioe TReatiote likes How many ploteres ve sslait Vancouverlaet year? At what kind Sipicect What kind of work i popelar? Why? Ey any artists ure needed to create that ork? There arene courses tha! cover book: Taping and tazes for artist, There's nothing ‘samining the relation of atte to commer Sai plotouttoreufoureaverecieteach other. Shes no" information aboct value! Whats Mrorth $1007 Whats worth $10,000? Why? ‘elven tad professional artits aro bas cally sll busizscopeople, this mental look Sfalare thinking aboot marketing our work ia Serer hendicgp. One is tempted to blame Suimabort of conspiracy for this oteation (We're all being controlled by the Big Galleries and but deoper: Some artists are rich; they sell dope or stocks or have inherited or some tacky thi like that. They have an interest in hiding their income and adopting a pose of lofty indiffer- ‘ence about money - especially about money and art. Some artists are art-teachers; my ob- servation is that art teachers seem to start young and stay on forever in comfortably ten- ured positions. No wonder! Easy work and good pay. I'd do it too. These are fine people, but they too can afford to not connect money and art, Some artists are art administrators; people ‘earning $50,000 or $60,000 a year or more, ad- ministering artists and art students living far below the poverty line. These people must be intensely embarrassed by the economic dis- parity. IfT were them, T'd have a mental block about art and money too. A deeper cause for our blindspot lives within all of us. We spend our lives soaking up consumer propaganda - it's unavoidable after all - and so it's no surprise that we adopt con- sumeristic attitudes. Nobody wants consum- ers who are interested in the mechanics of the marketplace. We're supposed to be so en- thralled with the product we want to buy that we don’t think about where it came from, or why it costs what it does, or why we want it. The ideal consumer buys because it feels right, not because of an informed decision about the broad or narrow usefulness of whatever it is that we purchase. I remember buying my first computer. It was just a little guy by today’s standards (I bought my first 16k about 8 years ago). My ‘mind knew that it was just a fancy program- mable calculator. My heart was dreaming of creating my own databases, res ‘We feet the large bi-monthly, hour-long meetings, at which six or more major sues are discussed are din effectiveness. Therefore we encourage all grads to participate actively on the various committees which meet to discuss specific concerns. MEETINGS pre-pre-pre Grad Party Comittee - Friday feb.3, 1:30, Planet of the Arts office. Design of Ceremonial Site Comittee - Monday, Feb.6, 12:00, Cafeteria. Catalogue Committee - Thursday, Feb.9,4:30, Planet of the Arts office ficial intelligence, and dazzling graphics. Iwas you so!” Luckily, all my friends were still im- pressed - they knew even less about computers than I did, The point here is that I didn’t buy my. computer because I had a strong practical use for it, Ineeded a computer because I'd had my Psychology manipulated by mass culture. Td ines. I think that same uncritical, follow-your-gut type attitude. This is not surprising. When was the last time you saw a car promoted because it was the most cost-efficient way of getting from one place to another? When was the last time you were urged to buy TV dinners on the basis of their superior nutrition? Have you ever been urged to buy blue jeans because they'll keep you warm? I think that the whole consumer society would collapse if very many people were strongly conscious of the market forces that influence their purchases. Psychological tricks work best on those who are unaware of them. We are so unaware that many of us deny that advertising is psychological manipulation at all. It’s no surprise then, that we at the Col- loge have a hard time thinking about the Art- market. Not only do we have mental blocks against thinking about markets, but when we do we're disgusted. This makes it very diffi- cult for us to think about how to enter the marketplace as sellers of products. We suffer poverty or the abandonment of our art because ofthis. Next month, I'loffer some thoughts on how we might escape from this trap. THE YEAR OF THE SON. yOUABU: PRWELeses.