Letters Received: Edition 3

CLIMATE CHANGE ART

Hi there

I flicked through your issues in the Art Gallery of NSW, and I was very impressed by what you were doing, especially in regards to land art [“Trees in Coffins”, 19 Nov 2019]. 

I’d love to see an article on the impending Climate Change Crisis and how it affects the art of this society. I think it’d be a very interesting read.

Thanks, Vi.

The Editor Responds:

Thanks for your letter, Vi. 

Have a look at the article “Filtering Disinformation” by Wendy Bacon and Chris Nash in Edition 2 of EXTRA!EXTRA! – that piece discusses the ethical role of journalism in reporting on climate change over recent decades. In my own experience as an artist and a university teacher, artists are increasingly engaged with the problem of the climate crisis. The big question is how to respond in a meaningful way to an issue of such an enormous scale. My own personal favourite artists in this field are the Harrison Studio in California – look them up!

-Lucas

THE VALUE OF CREATIVITY

Dear Editor

Please investigate why creativity isn’t as valued as much as how much money you earn, and its impact on childrens’ mentality and social habits.

Thank You

The Editor responds:

I agree that this is a big issue. Our society does indeed seem to place a disproportionately small value on human labour which involves creativity. The income that artists receive is one part of this. In “Live Art and the Gig Economy” published in Edition 3 of EXTRA!EXTRA! Malcolm Whittaker reflects on this problem.

-Lucas

BECOMING AN ARTIST

Dearest Editor

How does one chase the role of an artist when there are limited positions?

Yours truly

A small scared Highschooler, Zara Mambralu

The Editor responds:

Dearest Zara

Great question. By “chase the role” I presume you are asking: how does one become an artist? Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that there are _unlimited_ positions for the role of artist in society! As long as you decide to be an artist, you can be one. You don’t need to go for a job interview or anything like that. The bad news is that the gigs available to be an “Artist” (with a capital A) in Proper Art Galleries are indeed limited. To get those, you generally need to belong to a fairly select social club called “The Art World”. These days, the best way to get club membership is to go to university and study art, and then hang around in the foyer of The Art World until someone sneaks you in. A route that is less tedious is to gather together a gang of cronies and form your own DIY artist run initiative – that way you can have fun right now and you don’t have to kow-tow to the powerbrokers and gatekeepers. But hey, look, your letter is in EXTRA!EXTRA!, so you’re already an exhibiting artist in the Art Gallery of NSW! Mum will be proud.

-Lucas

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