Hmmmedia
PRINT VS. PRIMP
It’s been said and done before, it’s been ‘kvetched‘ about, analyzed, criticized, dodged and otherwise discounted, poo-poo’d or completely ignored. What is this I am talking about? Of course it’s the control of the media. Though in the past decade most major media has itself taken a severe counter-attack blow to its infrastructure.
In its place we the people have discovered the infinite power of the Internet(s?) - and free speech has truly reared its head, often as ugly and indifferent (perhaps with more typos per square inch). Now, mind you we all know that print media has its flashy, cashy sponsors, etc. Slowly but surely however, these dollars are being earmarked for reassessing and readdressing a population that pays for it. This can of worms is nothing new or shocking at this late date, but some of the residual effects include the slow shrinkage of real, nitty gritty cultural coverage for new idioms such as “adventure travel meets cooking” and traversing into a world solely based on the decorative mirage of our homes and gardens. Aren’t we already bombarded enough by the tempting flyers from West Elm, Ikea (welcome to Portland) and Pottery Barn? And sure, Dwell has enabled the nuevo riche to understand that living boxy can be both beneficial and beautiful. America’s love affair with fabric swatches in invented colors like citron, pomegranate, fawn and verdigris just continue to mesmerise the masses. Jail time aside, those like Martha Stewart have yet to have had the final word on ‘the good things’ in life.
WAR OF THE WORDS
It makes me want to do some type of street art/video project where I grab a bunch of these catalogues and give them out to some of the folks hanging on the sidewalk by the lower north side of the Burnside Bridge for comments. Imagine. People, come on! I mean, it certainly does come down to the almighty buck…but what keeps this city truly juiced and vibrant? How do we uniquely stand out as a region? To my assessment it’s the first/last Thurs/Fridays of the month - when the art scene spreads it wings to continue providing a means of expression for its population of youthful energy (vintage fashion meets skater chic, hippie/yuppies, cafe culture, performance and film fests and all that comes with it). And this just bolsters other traditional events like Saturday Market and the whole beloved Keep Portland Weird slogan. Not to mention that in national/international media some of our own are helping to generate a larger sense of cultural tourism for our fair city. Do we need to re-invent ourselves, or simply show our own vibrant true colors? For that we can look to the Portland Business Alliance, Portland Oregon Visitors Association, and the offices of Sam Adams for the growing concerns ’round the Creative Capacity Roundtable.
Now, don’t mark my words yet as domestic life is a whole variant shade of wonderful at times and should be something from which we can dig from our own individual backgrounds (and yards if we have one). Crib, nest, project, duplex, loft or illegal studio living situation without running water - whatever we call it, our homes are of ourselves and they have a certain je ne sais quoi that speaks to individuality. And with a brimming-to-the-rim contemporary overpopulation of artists here, there is more to choose from to make your mark. Though in a world where you didn’t have access or know about it, what’s out there, there is a certain disservice built into the larger process at work. But somehow, the inches of print real estate for the visual arts, in particular, seems not in the best interest of the major media anymore. This has also become obvious in the weeklies as well. It’s disheartening to see a slim 1/3 page “reporting” on the arts at times, as the visual arts just barely touches the porno ads. Sometimes I wonder if certain editors simply feel obliged to “even bother” rather than reflecting the real balance of how culture ticks out there. Sure, many art galleries don’t run 1/2 page ads, it’s just not a business model with free admission. That certainly hits home when you flip through any general music section, there are tickets to sell after all.
Hey, I’m doing my small part on both sides of the canvas so to speak, without advertising or payment as you may notice. But times, they are a-changin’ and the world wide web is delivered to you 24 hours a day, and without the use of trees. Some readers simply may not want to sully their fingers, others may prefer the compact sense of go-go-go provided by their laptop or pda. So as the world turns, as YouTube, CNN, BBC and most other newsprint and glossy media follow suit online, one of the things we lose in the process is the sense of the object, that sense of touch (and ownership?). Blogs have huge role now and a growing credibility, though some of us still love the familar scent and crinkle of the printed page over morning coffee.