“But today people use cellphones, Kinnect sensors and After Effects to deal with the present and shape it. And if artists do not expose themselves to the workflow and economies that come with contemporary means of production, they become souvenir peddlers.”
I loved this portion of the interview. (Especially when Steryl talks about his frustration when he walks into an art gallery and sees a 16mm film projector.) Don’t get me wrong- I love nostalgia. I like the feeling of developed film and the clacking of typewriters, and old mediums can have their place in the art world today. But to use outdated mediums simply for the sake of using them, is baffling. If the medium adds another layer of meaning to the final piece, I can tolerate it. But, I think that its so important to stay on top of trends and developing technology. In today’s age there’s no reason why you can’t create what you want.
I loved watching some of the first pieces of video art in class and appreciated them in their context. But if I went and recorded a video of myself walking in circles today, no one would care. Technology today is advancing so rapidly, there are so many opportunities for artists to create. We live in a world where iPhones can shoot 4k video, anyone with Adobe Creative Cloud and a Lynda account could make studio quality animations and films. Art should be moving to embrace new tech, not desperately hold on to its past.
Steryl is right- for art to stay relevant to its audience, the medium needs to be approachable and come from a context the audience can understand. Sure, someone can make a 16mm film piece, but if they do it just to do it, it loses relevance for the audience. Artists should constantly be striving to push boundaries, just like the guy who walked in circles over 30 years ago…