With social contractures comes a redefinition of what is ‘safe,’ and that hits creative people hard.
On social contracture and ‘safe’ art
Tag: Art
Buffy at 20
After twenty years, Buffy the Vampire Slayer retains its iconic cult status, and says a lot about creating enduring art.
Creative work is work — and it should be compensated
Creative work is work, not just fun — and people should be compensated for it, even if they love doing what they do.
On the valuation of art
A 2015 survey found 70 percent of artists in San Francisco reporting housing displacement, for a variety of reasons, supporting the hypothesis that an important demographic shift is happening in the Bay Area. Of the remaining 30 percent, many cited displacement as a concern, even if they weren’t dealing with it directly. Artists and many […]
Street art and accessibility
Humans have been making unsanctioned art for thousands of years. Even as they were commissioned to make fancy temple statues and beautiful textiles, they were carving graffiti in the public baths and making stealth installations. Art, as they say, is gonna art, and it’s gonna art wherever it wants, however it wants, depending on the […]
We’re surprised by nudes in photo books?
(Note: The links in this piece lead to art photography sites/art criticism, many of which contain nude images.) Earlier this year, I backed two projects by photographer Michael Stokes — Always Loyal and Exhibition. Both works are photobooks, one collecting images of injured veterans while the other focuses on erotic male photography. While the works are very much tied in […]
Supporting My Friends By Buying Their Work
I’ve spent my life surrounded by creative people producing incredible works of music, writing, and visual art. It’s almost overwhelming, sometimes, to be in this landscape and to feel like whenever I’m associating with a group of my friends, I’m getting a chance to talk with people who have creative strengths in a huge range […]
Book Review: S., by Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams
The minute I saw S., at a party with friends shortly before the New Year, I knew that I needed to have it. And I promptly ordered it from the book store, only to have to wait patiently for nearly three months for my copy to arrive, because it was just that backordered. No wonder, too […]
What Value Does Shock Really Have?
It comes up over and over in defense of media: It’s provocative. It has shock value. It’s meant to startle. It should make people uncomfortable. People defending art that’s attracted controversy turn to these statements, arguing that art is not supposed to be nice, that sometimes it does make people experience discomfort and unease, and […]