Recession Art
Illustration by hugohugo @devientART
Last night on my way home from work I remembered that I needed a new tube of white oil paint for a piece I’m working on at the moment, and stopped into my local art store to pick up a big tube. All of the store brand paints were on sale, and I picked up my big tube of Titanium White for about $12 (instead of the $24 it is regularly). I started browsing through some of the smaller colors and thinking about what I’d need to fill in my collection. Then I found a 37mL tube of Cobalt Blue (pure – not hue) for $15 – and realized that it was normally about $30, for the store label. WOW. Granted, it’s been a little while since I’ve invested in new paints – I try and get every last drop out of the tube before replenishing – but in the current state of the economy the thought of spending $30 on a 37mL tube of paint seems pretty steep.
After doing a quick search under “Recession Art”, I was pointed towards the 2008 Biennial at the Whitney in New York. This exhibit ran from March till June in 2008 – before those fateful days in late fall and winter when we all watched the economy crumble beneath us and a borderline-depression recession really kicked in. Wondering what this exhibit had to do with anything, I dug a little farther into the reviews and images of the installations. The video for the Biennial can be watched here, with an overview of many of the artists.
In the New York Times reviewof the show, Holland Cotter speculates, “A biennial for a recession-bound time? That’s one impression it gives. With more than 80 artists, this is the smallest edition of the show in a while, and it feels that way, sparsely populated, even as it fills three floors and more of the museum…” But it’s not just the smaller number of artists featured, it’s also the work itself. “Assemblage and collage are popular. Collaboration is common. So are down-market materials — plastic, plywood, plexiglass — and all kinds of found and recycled ingredients, otherwise known as trash,” Cotter continues, sending my mind overboard wondering what the connections truly are between art and times of heavy economic crisis.
“Starving artists” have always seemed to make it through the best of times and worst of times with a strong dedication to their work. We’re in a recession? Who cares? I’ve been eating ramen noodles every night for the past 10 years so I could afford to build/paint/draw/create. Perhaps, like the rich, the poorer artist communities are hardly effected by times of economic difficulty. But what about that other large chunk of the art community – the ones (like myself) who work full time, multiple jobs, or juggle freelancing to fund their art? When these artists take a financial hit in times like these, chances are their art (as well as other parts of their life) will suffer. Sure, they may find themselves with more time on their hands to create their masterpieces upon getting laid off, but when the art supplies dwindle what will they create next?
This is the idea that intrigues me. Not only am I interested in the toll these times will have on my artwork, but also on the creative community as a whole. What kind of beauty will emerge and in what form? Will artworks take a more simplistic and concentrated turn? Will they become commentary or statement? What materials will be used and why? Is there a new prevailing style that will emerge? Will lines between cultures and beliefs be blurred and substituted with a planetary distress call?
On the one hand, certain artistic endeavors may seem out of reach financially for artists. On the other hand, the possibility for newer ideas and creations is very strong.
