[-empyre-] forwarding from David Byrne

[simon]

Dear <<empyreans>>,

Alan: "The arts get in the way of Trump of course - that's fundamental; 
even the simplest acts of resistance have their contrary aesthetics... "

Lucio: ..."it happens around the world"..."less than a trace in a budget 
pizza chart"..."It is only a matter to change the name of the country. 
The policies are exactly the same."

Yes. I agree with you both. Historically, in New Zealand, rightwing 
governments have better supported the arts than the left with its 
liberal social agendas. Then with the 1984's cooptation of the latter by 
neoliberal agendas--Milton Friedman himself was invited by young Labour 
(left-leaning) to speak; Karl Popper's ex-students from Canterbury 
University are said to have led Treasury policy... Then: there was no 
question but that government of all flavours and leanings would fail the 
arts; not so much by cutting spending, but by a change of paradigm.

Size of pizza slice not so important as creation of a market in all 
social sectors, including arts and culture--and of course education, 
health, transport.

And the problem for government of covering one's tracks so as not to be 
seen as having created the market, usually by outsourcing governance 
structures. The ideal self-regulation of the market follows.

Except that the arts is more difficult, more structurally resistant to 
the introduction of competition, of conventions of gaming and 
value-creation--and of wealth. Thus: trash aesthetic; star-celebrity 
arts 'icons'; relational practices; or sell-outs to social service on 
the part, particularly, of theatre--and, as you say, Lucio, dance.

So cuts to arts spending is business is usual. No. I don't think so. I 
think the paradigm is shifting again. And that this is a function of 
populist nationalism (also called nativism (Houellebecq, his novel 
/Submission/)).

Not the monied-up Republican philanthropists--of which there is a 
'healthy' tradition in the States; not the dressing-down, the 
down-dressing, of the Democratic preference for 'direct' social action: 
but the cutting-off of the arts as a cultural 
prosthesis--parasitism--the common white man can do without, having two 
white legs and two white thumbs-up.

Best,
Simon
http://squarewhiteworld.com/




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