CONSTANT CHANGE – BY HIWAY

Posted by Chris Noonan on

“The only constant is Change” – Heraclitus

It may sound cliché, but times are changing. Indeed, history repeats itself. Each new generation may seem more alien to us than the last. We may be experiencing what our parents did, as did their parents before them. New laws and regulations, advancements in technology, even changes of style, can all bring on this feeling. But could art be in jeopardy?

Where we are now is a time where instant gratification is sought out. Technology has advanced to the point where everyone has access to the internet. Radio and television are no longer the main media outlets. Apps replace an endless array of services. Art can be as simple as dragging a finger across a smart phone screen. Even this blog is a modernized alternative to a newspaper.

What is beautiful about the time we’re in is that it does create many, many jobs, and supplies infinite resources to us all. The problem seems to lie in the fact that although yes, we are all physical bodies in a tangible world, our time is shifting toward the virtual world. We are on the brink of not really needing to go out in the real world at all, at least not outside our basic necessities. Of course jobs, tasks, and communication are going to frantically be revised and remade to become more convenient, but where will art stand in all this? We could mention the laptop replacing classic turntables for DJ’s. We could mention Autotune for vocalists. We could mention how Outkast were booed by a large crowd of young EDM fans. We could mention the availability of YouTube tutorial videos on how to recreate something rather than discovering one’s own techniques. Were we all really supposed to be able to run our pictures through effects in an app instead of hiring a photographer?

Are we pushing out our DJ’s, our vocal coaches, photographers, painters, and our thespians? Will we eventually see no need for libraries? Will there be a day when the tattooist is replaced by a laser machine with preset design options? Are jobs being taken away, or are we all just being integrated into this new and ever-changing system somehow? What are your thoughts?

-Hiway

Hiway is a sponsored artist and guest writer for Fatbol.

Learn more about him at http://www.wayhi101.com/


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