Art and Technology
The problem with great art is that it is sometimes hard to understand and not widely advertised, if at all. On the other hand technology is ubiquitous. It is constantly making news and becoming part of our lives.
To be technical; it is the bus and the signal as well, that is, it advertises itself. The problem is that many people mistake a technological advance for an artistic one. Similar to my ideas about language and music (fewer people understand music then understand texts for example. Everyone is familiar with technology and if they don’t exactly understand every aspect of it, they still use it as tools. As a culture we are obsessed with technology to give an edge to keep up with the Joneses etc. So it seems that art and technology is a natural combination. Of course if we consider the cell phone-its tendency to disrupt live concerts and invade other peoples spaces (that’s half the fun I think). It promises instant contact, shows that we are never alone and we don’t have to plan. To shop without a cell phone is so 20th century. The cell phone is so wonderful that we forget that you can’t understand your bill. Also, having an ipod is cool and all that, but it does not imply taste. We can now create virtual albums of music but then is all popular music just made of hits?
Technowise popular music has been concerned with the new sound since the 1950’s . Thats also when popular music started to push classical music off the map. In the 1950-1960 even 17 magazine covered classical music as well as popular music – no longer. In this case the new sound also made commercial music cheaper to produce.
Was this a goal or a by-product? Talent is expensive (as are orchestras) so generic performers who can be made to sound great are cheaper and easy to replace.
Technology has a dirty secret; that its ease of use has a cost and those costs remain hidden. Its not just the implied lowering of standards. Hi tech can win a war but not the peace.
That takes people.