Re: <nettime> "China:Imitation Nation"-Salon

[Plasma Studii <office@plasmastudii.org>]

>Just because copyright is becoming an anachronism doesn't mean 
>people should starve to be artists.

wait, this is a completely different angle.  No one starves in order 
TO BE an artist.  (well technically some do but that's not a 
financial thing, more philosophical)  A person makes art and the 
English language is constructed that we can add "-ist" to refer to 
the maker.  That's it.  The word is shorthand for cocktail party 
conversations.  "so what do you do?"  two syllables.  Move on.  No 
hunger involved.


People who are holding on to that "anachronistic" copyright mentality 
(owning ideas as if they can be owned personally) is wishful 
thinking, ignorant and those people might as well starve.  but no one 
HAS TO hold on.  Everybody else, who sheds this old school stuff will 
just move on, do whatever they think of.  It's not like anyone either 
depends on money from residuals or never sees a cent again.

But as an alternative, the general public will NEED art.  The people 
who fulfill that need we can call "artists".  Nobody IS fundamentally 
an artist.  But if the publics' needs are being fulfilled, folks will 
have to bite the bullet and start paying for it.

Right now, we are getting art at tremendously discounted rates. 
Probably, a healthy solution (and psychologically beneficial) to the 
demise of the copyright notion is that we, as consumers, PAY in full. 
Sacrifice a chunk of our sweat to experience art.  This makes the art 
have more value to us as the audience.  And creates more of an 
impetus for artist to speak with their art to people other than 
themselves, hoping the curator plays along.

Sounds flawed, but I see some cool solutions coming together.  Maybe 
Armageddon isn't such a bad thing after all.


judson


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