Re: <nettime> Are Cities Good For Creativity?

[Jason Nelson <arcticacre@yahoo.com>]

No.....no they arent.
   
  I grew up in Oklahoma. And what I found was that the contrast of the
  landscape, and the sparse population made for these rare mixes, these
  truly curious and creative spurts.  Sure there were lots of terrible deeds
  in those slow rolling plains, but some of the artistry that came from trailer
  parks was more alarmingly creative than most of the NYC art I see.
   
  But then that is the trick isnt it.  The are no art critics, or book publishers
  or galleries in trailer parks or in those isolated worlds.  And so, the art and
  creative spinnings that happen are not exposed and shared beyond drunken
  nights by the half filled pool behind the mower shed.  But then the big cities
  are filled with technically able and well versed theory artists who can whirl
  the right words and conceptual bang bang to make their copyworks seem
  somehow novel.  "well mine is a commentary on the plight of those poor living
  on the third floor, not the second".
   
  So.....I find cities too powerful for creative play. And those creatives that do
  come from cities are usually working against the structures or suffering from
  the crush of city life.
   
  hmmmmm.....Jason Nelson





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