Session 6. The Why of Art.
This conversation was about defining the values and principles that we hold to be true about ART in the Invisible Economy. It’s a free-ranging conversation about freedom in art, and very recommended.
The sidebar was quite inspired:
LADY PHE: Thank you for hosting these discussions 💎
Judy: Thanks for being here!
Sparrow: Good to have you!
Ilan: The only diff between Hundertwasser and Gaudí is that Hundertwasser was also a painter.
Sparrow: Gaudi is wonderful.
Judy: He is a great example of someone who made art out of commissions.
Ilan: Yes… I call it hijacking. The best kind.
Judy: Yes, he had no fucks to give.
Ilan: That is essentially what Gaudi did with the Sagrada Familia.
Judy: and the houses he designed for rich people
Matt: I’d love to share my recent experience making commissioned portraits for CoinDesk
Judy: Please do Matt!
Sebnem: Correct. you hacked the commission ;)
Matt: https://superrare.co/artwork-v2/visionary-founder---jesse-powell-17044
Lenara: The feeling of agency, choice, etc. is very important for life in general and of course art too. One could even argue that someone not feeling agency in other areas of life could enjoy freedom and choice and agency through their art.
Sebnem: priceless :D :D :D
Karen: Isn’t a commission just a mechanism? It doesn’t always dictate what the final product will be.
Ilan: These are exceptional stories.
Karen: A commission can be (and has for me) been a great trigger for exploring new skills/thoughts/approaches I never realized I had. It’s kind of bizarre to think that if someone thinks I’m the best artist for a particular situation, the end product is automatically not art.
Ilan: what if these were the norm?
Marko: OK, but both Gaudi and Hundertwasser were already “stars” when they did those projects. They were at the level where intrinsic was a choice and job wasn’t a necessity.
Lenara: Commissions may impose limitations on freedom most times. The key is freedom.
Karen: Right, so the commission isn’t the defining thing — the artist’s relative freedom is.
Lenara: Yes that is the key point, Karen.
Sparrow: One of the basic freedoms is the freedom to say no. If you can’t say no, you are not free.
Ilan: exactly that.
Lenara: Yes Ubi uses that as a motto many times
Ilan: The freedom to say no to coercion.
Lenara: If you would do something anyway regardless of receiving any money then it’s your choice (substitute money for other extrinsic rewards too).
Judy: You should draw on DADA, Sebnem!
Serste: Yes, Sebnem I’m waiting for you!
Judy: You can’t eat money. But money can eat you.
Marko: I want to be free from eating! :)
Judy: Not me, haha.
Lenara: Join the breatharians, Marko.
Marko: Well, I would like to have tastes, but not to eat…. that way you could taste things non-stop:))))). I want to be free from breathing!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
Lenara: A being of pure light.
Marko: hahahahaha!!! right, energy! but not god.
Ilan: people actually do do this.
Lenara: Seems you can make more money selling sex. Art is created in a process but the result is an object of sorts. I am now thinking about selling prayers.
Judy: That’s right Lenara. The Popes did that for centuries, I think they still do.
Lenara: yes even in Buddhism it is considered OK. It’s a profession, like being an artist. Would be interesting to read about it and see what they say regarding this, the Buddhists about selling prayers. The reasons and explanations behind it. if might be that it is actually a gift and they don’t think it’s demeaning etc to accept money. but I don’t really know, have to check.
Marko: Think someone tokenized a reiki session, but prayers are being a business for a long time.
Lenara: Right but I would expect the Buddhists to have a noble reason
Marko: Totally! I would also expect Buddhists not to wear watches.
Serste: We could tokenize ex-voto. That’s a business.
Lenara: like free trade coffee.
Serste: No artists were harmed yes.
Lenara: Oops fair trade. I like free-range artists.
Serste: well raised, juicy free-range artists.
Judy: not raised in cages!
Lenara: we give the experiences as a gift. They give the art as a gift. Both are part of the process.
Ilan: I just laid a free-range art egg.
Judy: on DADA?
Ilan: the DADA funny farm. yeah. The shitty tool of freedom.
And with those words of wisdom, we’ll see you in two weeks, or perhaps 2021!
