Art in the recession

A few weeks ago I read an article in the NY Times art section about the way artists – working in both visual and non-visual media – were reacting to the recession, how it was affecting them, how they felt about it, what they were planning to do, etc. I was interested but it didn’t make a huge impression on me – until I was redirected to it recently by a friend, and discovered that literally hundreds of artists had replied to this article with their comments. Their thoughts make fascinating reading, rather like a group effort journal entry that pinpoints and describes a moment in our time, as felt by artists.

Naturally, there are a number of entries talking about the added difficulties they face as a result of the recession. In particular, artists who were not yet established when it hit have found notable difficulty in breaking into what has become a very conservative market. Many galleries or institutions which occasionally used to take a bit of a gamble on work they liked are simply not willing to back anything but a sure-fire sale at the moment – and sometimes, not even that. Not-for-profits that support the arts are having to manage with dwindling resources as grant money becomes increasingly restricted and face the awareness that the situation might not improve any time soon.

Yet despite this hard-headed awareness of the difficulties of the current financial climate, the overall sense of the comments sent in were, amazingly and inspirationally, overwhelmingly positive.

There were a number of artists who pointed out that they hadn’t entered the art world in order to make money. They had always expected to have to do without some of the luxuries that friends in the corporate world took for granted – and, if anything, it now seems to be a more level playing field! They create for the pure joy of creating, for giving direction to their artistic urges and ideas – and that is something that hasn’t changed.

If anything, many said, the joy of it all has increased. The new demands of the recession have once again made it clear that art painted for a market is not for them, that they paint for themselves and for their art, not for buyers. And the fact that everyone knows that things are tough means that artists are helping each other out more, taking time with and for one another in a way that was unusual beforehand.

Artists are also more aware of the value of publicity than before. Some rely on representational galleries (like Agora Gallery) to promote their work for them in a professional manner, others take the more relaxed, personal approach, developing their local image by advertising, local sales, and participating in community projects.

Some artists actually said that the situation, although sometimes worrying, has been a source of inspiration for them. For one thing, they are more determined to create. For another, they have found new subject matter, new ideas in the changes around them, things they want to express in their art. Many have also seen this as a good time to reinvent themselves. They find a sense of liberation in the current situation, something that is productive in terms of their artistic endeavours.

How do you feel about this? Are you affected by the recession? I’d love to hear your experiences and stories here, so do leave something in the comments section.