Absolut Art?

Recently I got into an interesting discussion about how Sprite, Nike, Reebok, ESPN, ABC, and many other corporations use graff or graff-inspired imagery in their ads and they make tons of money off of images that continue to be considered illegal works of art.

My connection to graffiti is pretty much the same as my connection to hip-hop: both personal as an observer and hands-on as an artist. When I was a high school freshman, Futura 2000 came to my school. We had an afterschool graffiti session and the class made a mural about transportation. I was in awe of Futura. I had already discovered hip-hop/rap and here was this guy from New York, with his Kangol hat and "fresh" gear. He gave me the ultimate compliment. He said I was pretty good and I had "potential". It did not occur to me that he might be considered by some to be a sell-out.

"Back then I don't think anyone ever thought much about the future of the movement and where it was going. Surely I didn't. It was a passing fancy, a fad, a sign of the times. Social unrest and war were at the forefront of our culture. There were gangs and there were causes, there was indecision and there was pressure. There was a feeling of helplessness and there were messages to be delivered. Modern day graffiti was that movement." - from http://www.graffiti.org/futura/futura.html

As you may know, Futura went on to become a hot commodity in the 80s, in the commercial art world that wanted to exploit graffiti. He was part of the East Village art scene along with Lee, Fab 5 Freddy and others, as well as becoming popular in Europe.

"Futura credits Europeans with embracing graffiti as an artform way before the American art establishment recognized it as valid folk art and fine art. Futura is known throughout the world as an abstract artist and has exhibited in cities such as Moscow, Seoul, Rome, Tokyo, Nairobi, Barcelona, Sydney, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, and Paris, just to name a few. In 1982, he put out a record with himself rhyming called "Futura 2000 and His Escapades" with music done by punk rock icons the Clash."

Futura 2000 is a great example in this regard. He still "paints canvases and does shows and hits a billboard or a wall here and there around the world". Futura was one of the first to leave the subway and enter the commercial art world. It was inevitable. About his entry into the fine art world he says:

"It was the platform I needed to showcase my talents. not just painting canvases but actually creating artistic compositions. I never went to ART school, and wasn't even sure who Warhol was, but I knew I had something. I had always known that. Right place right time, that's me...... I always go against popular opinions, like to blaze my own trails."

Sprite, Nike, Reebok, ESPN, ABC and more have all attempted to commodify the urban/street image because it gives an edge to their products or programs, not necessarily for people of color and definately not for the artists. However, artists like Futura have profited from exhibiting their work. Absolut Vodka comes to mind (Absolut Generations). Make some graffiti featuring their bottle and make some $$$, get some promotion. I see the commercial art world and these other companies part of the same system. Some of these graff artists have a relationship with these companies, as well, and it's all about capitalism, not community building or sustaining the culture.

The intro to Absolut Generation's site is a quote "I love the packaging, I love the feel of it...I want to do something." by Andy Warhol. You may or may not find graffiti on the site but it constantly changes. I guess what I am saying is that, in a way, companies like Absolut are promoting the artists via the Web. It's not promoting graffiti, not building walls to showcase the artists. These companies stay on the safe side, with the packaging, so to speak. Promote the packaging.

Perhaps Absolut would be willing to sponsor such a project, as long as it promotes their brand and product. I think many graff artists would take serious issue with that, just as some took issue with Futura. IMO I think the responsibility lies with artists like Futura who make an effort to give back and promote the next generation, minus the product or branding we see in commercials.

Car Companies, Media, Music & Technology

Car companies are taking media and commodification to a whole level. Scion and Ford (Fusion) have made music and culture jamming a part of their business.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_Jammer:
"Culture jamming is the act of using existing mass media to comment on those very media themselves, using the original medium's communication method. It is based on the idea that advertising is little more than propaganda for established interests, and that there is little escape from this propaganda in industrialized nations. Culture jamming's intent differs from that of artistic appropriation (which is done for art's sake) and vandalism (where destruction or defacement is the primary goal), although its results are not always so easily distinguishable."

So what does cars, music, media, and technology (mixed together) have to do with commodification?

A commodity is something that is produced for the purpose of exchanging for something else, and as such, is the material form given to a fundamental social relation. Commodification refers to those processes through which social relations are reduced to an exchange relation.

"Scion is making heavy use of non-traditional marketing, such as public test-drive events and small venue concerts. "We don't invite people in advance, as we think it is important for consumers to think that they are discovering us. We set up near restaurants and neighborhoods where we think a target audience will be," says Brian Bolain." - http://www.forbes.com/2004/10/12/cz_sk_1012feat.html

I got my first invite to a Scion Metro concert last spring. The gimmick was very enticing because it paired "old school" rappers with a local DJs. They are clearly reaching my demographic. For more info check out http://www.scion.com/metro/.

Not to be undone Ford answered with their Fusion Flash Concerts concept. This time the venues are much larger and the car company is partnering with Sony Digital. See http://www.fusionflashconcerts.com/index.htm.

When I signed up with Fusion I got a thank you/confirmation email:

"Thanks for registering to be a part of the Fusion Flash Concerts™ experience. You're now signed up to receive emails providing you with secret concert information leading up to the day of the show.

Here is your insider reward coupon good for 10 complimentary music downloads: Click here to get your free music!

Don't forget to visit www.FusionFlashConcerts.com to check out the music downloads, exclusive video, and other premium swag from some of the biggest artists in music."

WOW!!! Free concerts, secret locations, 10 complimentary music downloands. I was hooked...sort of. I did log into the web site and found more. I found video clips, a blog & podcasts, a mashup site (not working, yet), and, of course, a couple of links to buy Ford's Fusion cars. I was hooked but I wasn't getting sunk.

The Scion and Fusion marketing schemes are pretty ingenious. The Fusion site hits on all the hot spots and topics of interest for people like me but I have to question the intent. However, despite my reservations I still visit the site. Maybe I'll buy a Fusion car sometime in the near future...not!

Welcome to Mixx and Mash

In this blog I will write about how art, media and digital communications have merged to create new and interesting trends. This blog is an attempt to

Collect - Get background information (people, places, situations).

Collate - Put info in categories such as projects that are related, situations that link up, etc.

Analyze - Decide what the people involved want to do and how they want to do it.

Synthesize - Start building sequences from the blocks of information...for education and discussion.

To begin I wanted to write about variables. My mother was a computer scientist and mathematician. I am an artist, so it makes sense to start where and when I enter the world of technology and computers...as an artist. It makes sense to start with variables.

The definition of a variable is something that is likely to vary or something that is subject to variation. In computer science, a variable is a symbol denoting a quantity or symbolic representation. It represents a place where a quantity can be stored. Variables are often unknown and constantly changing much like art, media, and technology in the 21st century. This is sort of a timeline of Mixx and Mash (cultural) variables

1988 - Computer Graphics emerged as a field of study in the mid-to-late 1980s, with the advent of the personal computer. I was encouraged to make art on computers as early as 1988 (my last year in high school). We used Amigas and Mac Color Classics. I explored color cycling, using text, turning 2D graphics into 3D with one click, transferring objects & cartoons from books or magazines and animating them. I had two portfolios: Art & Design and Computer Graphics for scholarship competitions. I entered Pratt via a talent search and majored in CG.

Early 1990s - Art & Technology replaced CG as a preferred field of study (for me, anyway). During this time, the World Wide Web emerged as a new digital communication...and it changed art and media for good. Digital video emerged, as well, including Scala Art, CG for animation, Render FX, LightWave and Video Toaster. I got my masters degree in Art & Tech and noone knew what it was about back then. Some folks thought I had wasted my time...

Late 1990s - Digital Convergence was a technological trend whereby a variety of different digital devices such as televisions, mobile telephones, and even refrigerators are merging into a multi-use communications devices employing common software to communicate through the Internet. This trend has had serious implications for production of art, media and for communications. DC, with Multimedia and the World Wide Web thrust novices, artists, mediamakers, and culture jammers alike into the 21st century.

Today we have mixed media + remixes + mash ups and the variables keep changing...

Check out WIRED magazines July issue titled "Remix Planet" and the William Gibson article "God's Little Toys" (see link on right).