I don’t get it. Why are artists more deserving than unemployed insurance salespeople or carpet installers?
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Ireland rolls out basic income scheme for artists
181–190 of 736 posts
Re: Ireland rolls out basic income scheme for artists
#182This is admittedly a tangent, but I love that British (and apparently Irish) government programs are commonly called "schemes". To American ears, it always sounds like some grand confidence trick is being pulled.
In India too, discounts and promotional policies are commonly called 'schemes.' I learned the hard way that in the US, the word has a negative connotation when I asked my rental office about any 'schemes,' they looked at me with total shock.
That's hilarious! I hope y'all cleared up the confusion quickly.
Re: Ireland rolls out basic income scheme for artists
#183Artist speaking. A similar scheme was employed by Holland for many years. The state committed to buy at least one artwork from each artist per year and predictably their warehouses became filled with crap art that no one wanted.
That being said, wise governments recognize the value of some kind of support of the arts. One reason for the incredible esteem that Korean culture is held in within Asia is the Korean government's active support of its filmmaking, TV and music industry. This was also true in Renaissance Italy (courtesy of the Medici family) and in 17th Century France (courtesy of Louis XIV). It was even true of the CIA's active support of abstract expressionism. The payoff of such support is soft power, which is a very real force.
Re: Ireland rolls out basic income scheme for artists
#184[dead]
Re: Ireland rolls out basic income scheme for artists
#185They had something like this in the Netherlands during the 80s. Basically everyone was out of a job back then so it didn't really matter. Worst recession since 1929. Artists had to make a buch of art which was then given to the government. The state ended up with entire warehouses filled with crap.
Oddly enough I have just finished making the same observation and used the word 'crap' to describe the result, without even seeing your comment.
Re: Ireland rolls out basic income scheme for artists
#186They had something like this in the Netherlands during the 80s. Basically everyone was out of a job back then so it didn't really matter. Worst recession since 1929. Artists had to make a buch of art which was then given to the government. The state ended up with entire warehouses filled with crap.
Sounds a bit like if the state invested in startups … hm wait.
Re: Ireland rolls out basic income scheme for artists
#187Artist speaking. A similar scheme was employed by Holland for many years. The state committed to buy at least one artwork from each artist per year and predictably their warehouses became filled with crap art that no one wanted. That being said, wise governments recognize the value of some kind of support of the arts. One reason for the incredible esteem that Korean culture is held in within Asia is the Korean govern…
Even in the US we see cities becoming desirable place to live when they successfully cultivate a film scene, or an art school, and being dead when they don't. But this feels like a better approach than a basic income (which is an invitation to idleness)--make it easy to use the environs for film, streamline permitting, provide cheap capital, solicit locals for public installations.
Re: Ireland rolls out basic income scheme for artists
#188Earlier quoted context omitted.
Many people who work as schoolteachers, grocery clerks, etc. at one point might have had ambition to be the next James Joyce.
Joyce did work as a schoolteacher. Maybe he would have written better books if he hadn’t had to do this.
Equally possible that those books would have been worse.
Re: Ireland rolls out basic income scheme for artists
#189Earlier quoted context omitted.
i purchase a hell of a lot more stuff from Walmart than I do fine art.
What's interesting is that you don't realize how much of that stuff from Walmart had artistic processes embedded into it along the production line. Did those shower curtains have a design? Did your sweater have a color and style? Probably so, but you never pay attention to how the world of "fine art" refracts into your daily life. If the products were cheap, it's likely someone unpaid is responsible for the design. S…
Even when people are paid, it’s not necessarily fair nor driving the price paid - like clothing/purse manufacturing in low income countries for high income markets.
Re: Ireland rolls out basic income scheme for artists
#190I don’t get it. Why are artists more deserving than unemployed insurance salespeople or carpet installers?
They should get basic income too, good idea