[-empyre-] Eddies, Whirlwinds, Trade Winds

[G.H. Hovagimyan]

On Apr 5, 2009, at 11:33 AM, Nicholas Ruiz III wrote:

> ghh...what might an 'extra-marketable' utopia look like...?


I think in terms of art making.  There are two parts to art one is the  
making process and the other is viewing the work. Neither needs a  
market to function. The first step is to uncouple art from money. You  
don't need money to make art. The second step is the viewing. You  
don't need museums, galleries or alternative spaces to view art.  The  
question of course is the audience. For me it's anyone that is  
interested in the art I make.  The simplest access is via the  
internet.  The audience for non-marketable art starts with other  
artists.   In New York there are hundreds of artists collectives that  
are now functioning outside of the market. They share loft spaces,  
produce work online and offline and function despite the market.  As  
far as the notion of Utopia goes, I see experimental art as a place  
where there is freedom from the market.  It is an intellectual and  
spiritual freedom.  This utopia says that every aspect of living has  
creative potential, that every aspect of society can be altered by  
creative attention. I see the notion of a loose socialism that allows  
people to share tasks and nurture on another's creativity.  Small  
groups can be loosely formed that function somewhat  like villages.  
The members  concerns for each other become a sort of extended family.  
There is love and respect in this equation.  There is also the idea  
that if one member succeeds it doesn't follow that other members have  
failed. All members share in success. It is the opposite of the primal  
alienation of a worker from their product or to be more precise  
production can be shared. Each individual has a voice and an identity  
but also shares in the groups identity.  In this non-market  
consumption is not the goal. Creativity and love are the most valued  
activities.

G.H. Hovagimyan
http://nujus.net/~gh
http://artistsmeeting.org
http://transition.turbulence.org/Works/plazaville