Just been reading J.J. Charlesworth's article on sustainability in May's Art Review. The text suggests a misconception of the positive effects of the current recession, and in particular the 'crisis breads creativity' attitude that many artists tend to adopt. Operating within economic constraints is 99.9% of artists situation. I have to juggle a number of different activities – art making, writing and working in a museum (the bulk of my income). I continue to practice within a tight budget and would consider myself relatively successful at it. But do these limits improve my creativity?
The arts are in a unique position in that instead of simply illustrating current political, economical and ecological trends it has the opportunity to actively impact on the networks and systems that underpin the current economic crisis. Perhaps it is through an understanding of how these processes operate in the first place that we can move forwards.
Jx
