It’s not very often that I wish I had a laptop, but seriously this is one of those times. I know there is the whole cloud thing etc etc. I know. But a laptop would be good.
Article in the NYTimes today about the idea of paying artists a royalty when their works are resold. I think it’s interesting that bigger names like Chuck Close are looked at as profiting because they are well-known. I do think they have the right to earn money as the work is sold and resold. In my heart I know that if they can force the establishment to follow these laws, ALL artists will benefit and they know that too. For many, buying the works of unknown artists is like buying stocks – a gamble you hope pays off in the long run. Those sales and the momentum of sales and interest should pay off for the artist too.
Sometimes we who blog/post/forum-post/email-list get rather looked down upon by, well, mainly by those who don’t do those things LOL. My reaction is generally a shrug because since the beginning of my web time, back in days just before real web browsers, the idea of being able to easily share information between people was all wonderful and exciting. All you needed was a computer and a plug into the internet and it was one big world. And I was quite sure you would have those things before you knew what hit you. Most people did. Some people didn’t. Some people did and then proceeded to treat it like it wasn’t at all like the big thing in the driveway that they’d conquered once and now drive everywhere without a qualm. But I digress.
Are there good things about being connected via the web? Of course there are. You can meet and converse with people everywhere. I was watching a show about art the other night and how the artists of the day converged in parts of France, and in areas of Paris and connected not only with like-minded folk and those who shared a language but with people who were different in materials used, thoughts about style and the world etc. This caused a big cauldron of new things happening – things went in many directions at once and things changed “suddenly”.
Well, I thought, suddenly in that patrons of the art showed up at annual shows and were shocked to find things that made them uncomfortable. If you gaze in one direction long enough, whatever lays out of view is going to be a bit different and uncomfortable.
In any case, today’s Robert Genn newsletter is mainly about the importance of keeping the work flow going as a way of keeping the work flow going, and one of the suggestions is to share photos of work in progress via email, not necessarily for feedback or critique:
…more often than not it’s just the simple human joy of sharing. “Electronic interdependence,” famously said Marshall McLuhan, “recreates the world in the image of a global village.” While we may operate as independent workers, we are not islands unto ourselves. The Brotherhood and Sisterhood is alive and well and living in cyberspace.
Best regards,
Robert
PS: “It’s a great time to be alive.” (George Lucas)
This has been the mantra for the last week or so. Thanks Jackie H-V for Ben’s take on it
Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. — Benjamin Franklin
This morning, despite all the snow that fell last night, I went over to Albany to test drive a fiat 500. The test drive was really fun I didn’t go all that far but it had good power and was a lot of visibility. Being small I’m always concerned that it will be hard to reach the pedals or to see over the steering wheel but the car is very adjustable. I just laughed when it was clear that there was only one color — silver– okay a black and white. No yellow no blue what else is new?
Before I knew it, I was saying ‘see you around 5!’
Couple small hitches but at 5:40 I was on my way back to show the folks my new car. (and a co-worker spotted me while I was test driving, which was pretty funny!)
The first hour is the rudder of the day.
