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The destructuring of society and the restructuring of artJohn Whiting

Online Publication Date: 01 January 1996

To cite this Article Whiting, John(1996)'The destructuring of society and the restructuring of art',Contemporary Music Review,15:3,71 — 76

To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/07494469600640531

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7/27/2019 The Destructuring of Society and the Restructuring of Art John Whiting

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Contemporary Mu sic Revie w,1996, Vol. 15, Parts 3-4, pp. 71-76Reprints available directly from the pu blisherPhotocopying permitted by license only

9 1996 by OPA (Overseas Publisher s Association)Amsterdam B.V. Published i n The Netherlands

by Harwood Academic Publishers GmbHPrinted in India

T h e D e s tr u c t u r i n g o f S o c i e t y a n dthe R e s tr uc tur i ng o f A r t

J o h n W h i t in g

Artists face a crisis which threatens not only their livelihood but also their concept of what, how, andwith whom they communicate. Working capital, as opposed to idle wealth, is deserting the devel-oped countries in favor of those without financialor social regulation;public and private support forth e arts, along with other societal amenities such as health, education and welfare, is therefore evap-orating. Artists who do not want to devote the ir talents to advertising, in whatever guise, must nowexplore media and methods which do not rely on massive grants.

In t he W es t and i nc reas i ng l y a round t he p l ane t , a r t i st s f ace a c r i s is wh i c h t h rea t -ens no t on l y t he i r l i ve l i hood bu t a l s o t he i r concep t o f wha t , how, and wi t h w ho mt hey com m un i ca t e . B efo re cons i de r i ng the i m p l i ca t i ons , an e l em en t a ry r ev i ew o fm o d e r n s o ci a l h i s t o ry i s r e q u i re d w h i c h , o n l y a g e n e r a t i o n a g o , w o u l d h a v e i n -s u i t ed t he r e ade r ' s i n t e ll i gence .

In t he op t i m i s t ic 1960s , t he N ew Lef t be l i eved t ha t des t ruc t u r i ng wa s a pos i t i vev i r t ue r a t he r t h an a t h rea t t o s oc i a l s tab il it y . The p roces s w as t houg h t t o be i nhe r -en t l y cons t ruc t ive , as i n Ivan r e i ch ' s s angu i n e p l ea fo r educa t i ona l r e fo rm , TheDes choo l i ng o f S oc ie ty . A quar t e r - cen t u ry l a t e r, we a re c on t i nua l l y r em i n ded t ha tt he o r i g i na l m e an i n g o f s angu i ne i s no t ju s t con f i den t , bu t bloodyconf ident ! In theB a l kan p s eud o -na t i ons cyn i ca l l y cobb l ed t oge t he r by t he s upe rpow ers f rom h i s -t o r i ca ll y wa r r i ng f ac t ions , t he b r i e f eupho r i a o f l ibe ra t i on f rom t he S ov i e t Un i on

i s be i ng des t royed by a r e t u rn t o c i v i l war fa re . In t o t he e n t i r e ex -S ov ie t a r ena haspou re d a g reed y invas i on o f m u l t i -na ti ona l co rpo ra t ions an d s ta t el e ss m af i a s wh i cha re m u t ua l l y s uppo r t i ve a nd i m pos s i b l e to d i f f e ren t i a te . The "ne w cap i t a l i sm "has dem ons t r a t e d t ha t t he de fea t o f one k i nd o f opp res s i on i s, i n the J es u it s ' u s e fu lph ras e , "neces s a ry bu t no t s u f f i ci en t" fo r t he t r i u m p h o f li be rt y .

E t hn i c m a yh em fu e l ed by pov er t y i s no t l i m i t ed t o t he fo rm er R us s i an s a te l -l it e s; it h as becom e a g l oba l phenom enon . The W es t e rn powers , anx i ous l y d i ag -nos i ng t he i ll ness , s eem ob l i v i ous t o t he f ac t t ha t t he l a i s s ez f a ir e v i ru s t he y hav es o d i l i gen t l y s p read i s even no w des t roy i ng t he i r ow n s oc i a l f ab ri c . L i ke a vam -p i r e r i s en f rom i t s co ff in , " s oc ia l Darwi n i s m " , once t ho ugh t by t he op t i m i s t ic t obe s a fe l y dead and bu r i ed , s t i l l d r aws i t s obs cene nou r i s hm en t f rom t he ve ryt h roa t s wh i c h a j u s t econom i c s y s t em w ou l d p ro t ec t. The h ea l t h o f s oc i e ty ism ea s u red , no t by t he we l l -be i ng o f i ts m em bers , bu t b y a rb i t r a ry and d i s con t i nu -ous f i scal yards t icks : gree d i s t au to logica l ly i t s ow n jus t i fi cat ion .

In a ba r r en s oc i al l ands cape , t he am el i o ra t i ve s t ruc t u res pa i n fu l l y begun i n t hen i ne t een t h cen t u ry a re be i ng des t roye d i n a f r enzy o f f a ls e econom i es . Du r i ng t hei ndus t r i a l r evo lu t i on , i t b ecam e a pparen t t ha t , s o l ong as t he ne w l abou r i ng c l a ss escou l d expec t no t h i ng f ro m s oc i e ty , t hey w ou l d p u t no t h i n g i n t o i t. Hav i n g l i tt le

71

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72 John Whi t ing

t o l o s e a n d m u c h t o g a i n f r o m s o c i al c h ao s , th e m o r e e n t e r p r i s i n g p o o r b e c a m e

p r o f e s s io n a l c ri m i n a l s a n d t h e r i ch , u n a b l e t o v e n t u r e o u t s i d e t h e i r w a l ls w i t h o u tp r o t e c t i o n , f o u n d t h e m s e l v e s p r i s o n e r s o f t h e i r o w n p r o s p e r i ty . T h e w e l f a re s t a t ew a s b o r n f r o m t h e r u l i n g c l a s s es ' e n l i g h t e n e d s e l l- i nt e re s t.

I t s o o n b e c a m e a p p a r e n t t h a t t h e r e w e r e a l s o p ro f i ts t o t h e r e a p e d f r o m a p r o s -p e r o u s w o r k f o r c e . H e n r y F o r d , f o r e x a m p l e , s h r e w d l y c a l c u l a t e d at t h e b e g i n -n i n g o f h i s c a r ee r t h a t h i s f o r t u n e w o u l d b e m a d e i f h i s w o r k e r s c o u l d a f f o r d top u r c h a s e t h e c a r s t h e y m a n u f a c t u r e d . F o r a t i m e , r a p i d i n d u s t r i a l e x p a n s i o n ,t o g e th e r w i t h t h e p a i n h fl l y w o n r e co g n i ti o n o f t he t r a d e u n i o n m o v e m e n t , b r o u g h ta b o u t a r o u g h e q u i l ib r i u m o f p r o d u c t i o n a n d c o n s u m p t i o n , a t le a st w i t h i n t h eWest .

T o d a y, t h r o u g h s o - c al l ed " f r ee - tr a d e " , m u l t i n a t i o n a l c o r p o r a t i o n s a r e r a p i d l ye x p o r t i n g t h e d e m a n d f o r b o t h s k i l l e d a n d u n s k i l l e d l ab o u r t o i m p o v e r i s h e d a r e asw h e r e t h e r e i s n o s e m b l a n c e o f p o w e r s h a r i n g o r e v e n e l e m e n t a r y s o ci a l j u st ic e .

C a u s e a n d e f f e c t a r e n o w s o g e o g r a p h i c a l l y d i f f u s e t h a t t h e s e l l - c o r r e c t i v e t e n -d e n c i e s o f t h e l a is s e z f a ir e m a r k e t , l i m i t e d a s t h e y w e r e , n o l o n g e r o p e r a t e . T h es t r an g l e h o l d o f w o r l d m o n o p o l y , m o r e p o w e r f u l t h a n a n y n a t i o n b e c a us eu n g o v e r n e d b y l a w , e n s u r e s t h a t " m a r k e t f o rc e s " c a n n o l o n g e r p r o d u c e e v e n a na p p r o x i m a t e e q u i l i b r i u m . T h e i n e v i t a b l e d e c l i n e i n t h e p r o s p e r i t y a n d s e c u r i t y o ft h e W e s t e r n l a b o u r f o r ce h a s p r o d u c e d a c ri si s o f c o n s u m p t i o n , s u c h t h a t t h e m u l t i -n a t i o n a l s m u s t i n c r e a s i n g l y r e v e r t t o p e d d l i n g i n fe r i o r p r o d u c t s a n d o c c i d e n t a la d d i c t i o n s to t h e w o r l d ' s n e w l y " l i b e r a te d " b u t i m p o v e r i s h e d m a s s e s. T h e h e i rso f t h e t r a d e r s w h o s o l d t r i n k e t s a n d b o o z e t o t h e n a t iv e s n o w p u s h b u t t s , b u r g e r sa n d c o l a .

W i t h t a x e s s h i f te d d o w n t h e s o c i a l s c a le f r o m i n c o m e to p u r c h a s e , t h i s d e c l i n ei n W e s t e r n c o n s u m p t i o n h a s p r o d u c e d a p a r a l l el r e d u c t i o n o f t a x r e v e n u e , s u c ht h a t t h e w e l f a r e s ta t e, w h i c h w a s a l w a y s i n t e n d e d t o b e f i n a n c e d b y i t s b e n e fi c i-a r ie s , is d i s i n t e g r a t i n g b e c a u s e o f r i s i n g c o s t s a n d f a l l in g i n c o m e . W o r k e r s o f t h eW e s t a re r a p i d l y j o i n i n g w o r k e r s o f t h e E a st a n d S o u t h a s m e m b e r s o f t h e e x -p l o i t e d ' f f l l ir d W o r l d " . T h e m u l t i - n a ti o n s , marginal lya n s w e r a b l e t o t h e i rs t o c k h o l d e r s , h a v e n o i n t e r e s t in t h e w e l f a r e o f t h e ir w o r k f o r c e , o f w h a t e v e r n a -t i on , E v e r y w h e r e , a t a l l p o i n t s o f t h e c o m p a s s , t h e c a s u a l iz a t io n a n d f r a g m e n t a -t i o n o f t h e l a b o u r p o o l s a n d t h e d e s t r u c t i o n o f s m a l l h o l d f a r m i n g b y a g r i b u s in e s s ,t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e s l a s h i n g o f w e l f a r e st a t e s a fe t y n e t s , h a v e m a d e u r b a n s q u a l o rt h e n e w e c o n o m i c r e v o l u t i o n ' s m o s t s i g n i fi c a n t p r o d u c t .

C o u n t r i e s w h i c h w o u l d r es i st t h e s e f or ce s h a v e b e e n m a d e i m p o t e n t b y t h e irc o n s is t en t p o li c y o f d e re g u l a ti o n , m o t i v a t e d b y b o t h g r e e d a n d d o g m a , w h i c h h a sb e e n e a g e r l y p u r s u e d b y t h e w o r l d ' s f i n a n c i a l c a p it a ls . E v e n o n c e - p o w e r f u l g o v -e r n m e n t s w h o w i s h t o r e c l a im a m e a s u r e o f c o n t r o l o v e r t h e i r o w n d e s t i n i es a r en o w h e l p l e s s i n t h e f ac e o f m a s s e d f i n a n c i al p o w e r o n a m i n d - n u m b i n g s ca le .W h e n t h e c o l l e c t i v e t u r n o v e r o f t h e w o r l d ' s m o n e y m a r k e t s e x c e e d s t h e c o m -

b i n e d g o v e r n m e n t a l e x p e n d i t u r e o f a l l t h e w o r l d ' s s t a te s , w h a t h o p e i s t h e r e f o ra r u l e o f l a w , n a t i o n a l o r i n t e r n a t i o n a l? I f a c o u n t r y a t t e m p t s a n e c o n o m i c p o l i c yo f w h i c h i t s c o r p o r a t e c re d i t o r s d i s a p p r o v e , t h e y i m m e d i a t e l y l a u n c h a r a i d o n i t sc u r re n c y , a n d t h e W o r l d B a n k t i g h t e n s i ts c o n t r o l. All n a t i o n s , l a r g e a n d s m a l l , a r eg o v e r n e d b y i n s t a n t r e f e r e n d u m ; h o w e v e r , t h e v o t e s a re c a s t, n o t b y l e g i t i m a t ee l e c to r s , b u t b y t h e o c c u p y in g f o r c e s o f t h e i r f i n a n c i a l d i c t a to r s .

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The Destru cturing of Society 73

T h i s d o o m s d a y s c e n a r i o w o u l d p l a y i t s e lf o u t e v e n i n a w o r l d o f in f i n it e re -

s o u r c es ; w i t h i n o u r r a p i d l y s e l f - d e p l e t in g b i o s p h e re , t h e s u i c i d a l i m p e t u s i s e v e nm o r e b iz a r r e . W e w o r s h i p a t t h e C h u r c h o f E c o lo g y , n o d d i n g p i o u s l y a s w e a r ew a r n e d o f th e c r is is b r o u g h t a b o u t b y t h e v e r y p o li ci e s w e s p e n d o u r w o r k i n gd a y s p u r s u i n g . B u t a m o n g t h e p r e a c h e r s a r e e c o n om i s t s w h o s e s e r m o n s a r e c o r-r u p t e d b y c y n i c a l " c o s t / b e n e f i t " e q u a t i o n s i n w h i c h t h e w o r t h o f t h e e n v i r o n -m e n t a n d e v e n o f h u m a n l iv e s is m o n e t a r i s e d a n d b a l a n c e d a g a in s t c o r p o r a t ep r o f it . ( O n e U K g o v e r n m e n t - f u n d e d t h i n k - t a n k p e g s t h e d o l l a r v a l u e o f a W e s t-e r n e r a t t e n t i m e s t h a t o f a C h i n a m a n ! ) T h e s e e c o n o m i s t s , o f c o u rs e , a r e m o u t h i n gs c r i p tu r e s w h i c h t h e i r e m p l o y e r s h a v e d i c t a t e d ; li k e t h e a n c i e n t p r ie s t s , t h e y a r ea d e p t a t r e a d i n g t h e e n t r a il s o f t h e s a c ri fi c ia l v i c t i m s i n s u c h a w a y a s t o g u a r a n -t e e th e i r o w n c o n t i n u e d e m p l o y m e n t . T h e y a r e f o r b i d d e n t o c al l i n to q u e s t i o n t h eu s e le s s p r o d u c t i o n a n d a d d i c t iv e c o n s u m p t i o n w h i c h h a v e p r o d u c e d t h e c r is is .T h e r e i s n o h o p e o f f a r - s i g h te d d e c i s io n s w h e n s o m u c h g l o b a l p o w e r l i e s in t h eh a n d s o f s h o r t - te r m i n v e st o r s w h o m o v e t h e i r m o n e y w h e r e v e r t h e i m m e d i a t e

r e t u r n i s g re a t e s t . A t t h e h i g h e s t l ev e l s, t h e w o r l d i s g o v e r n e d w i t h t h e r e s t r a i n to f a s y b a r i t e , t h e c o m p a s s i o n o f a m e r c e n a r y , a n d t h e f i n a n c i a l a c u m e n o f a c o m -p u l s i v e g a m b l e r .

M u r d e r , a s a l w a y s , i s a c e n t r a l f a c t o r i n t h e a c t i o n a s w e l l a s t h e m e t a p h o r o f t h em a r k e t p l a c e . T h e m i n i - m a s s a c r e s i n o u r W e s t e r n u r b a n n e i g h b o r h o o d s a r e m i -c r o c o s m s o f B os n ia , R w a n d a , t h e M i d d l e E a s t , a n d o t h e r f o c a l p o i n t s o f m a s s i v es o c ie t a l h a e m m o r h a g e . N e w t e c h n o l o g ie s h a v e g i v e n e v e n t h e s m a l l e s t u n i t s o fs o c i e t y a d e s t r u c t i v e p o t e n t i a l w h i c h i s v a s t a n d t h u s f a r u n g o v e r n a b l e : t h e b a r -r i er s o f c o st a n d c o m p l e x i ty b e t w e e n t h e d a g g e r a n d t h e b o m b h a v e c o ll a ps e d .U n l e s s w e c a n e v o l v e a n a c c e p t e d m o d e l f o r b e h a v i o r t o r e p l a c e t h e r a p a c i o u sn o r m o f " m a r k e t f o rc e s " w h i c h i s g l o r i fi e d i n o u r e c o n o m y , t a u g h t i n o u r m e d i a ,p r a c t i c e d o n o u r s t re e t s, a n d f o u g h t t o i t s l og i c al c o n c l u s i o n o n o u r b a t t le f i e ld s ,w e w i l l b e s u c k e d i n e x o r a b l y i n t o t h e b l a c k h o l e o f a f r e e- l a n c e a t o m i c A r m a g e d -d o n .

W h a t i s t h e r e l e v a n c e o f s u c h g l o b a l i s s u e s to a r t , a s d i s t in c t f r o m p r o p a g a n d a ?I w o u l d s u g g e s t t h a t -a r ti s ts w h o a r e i g n o r a n t o f t h e f o r c es w h i c h d e t e r m i n e t h e i rs o c ia l d e s t i n y a r e c r e a t i v e ly d i s a d v a n t a g e d . I n a n e n v i r o n m e n t w h e r e e v e r y p u b -l ic u tt e r a n c e , w h e t h e r f r o m h u c k s t e r s o r f r o m s t a t e s m e n , i s c o n t r o l l e d b y s p i nd o c t o r s , e v e n t h e " f i n e a r t s " a r e e v a l u a t e d , n o t b y t h e i r m e r i t s, b u t b y t h e i r a b i li t yt o s e l l t h e m s e l v e s t o a h o s t i l e o r i n d i f f e r e n t p u b l i c . Th e a r t i s t w h o i s i n s e n s i t i v et o t h i s w i l l m e a s u r e t h e s u c c e s s o f h i s w o rk b y t r i v ia l c r i te r i a . ( " I t m u s t h a v e b e e nr e l e v a n t - h a l f th e a u d i e n c e h a d p u r p l e h a i r! " )

E v e n a m o n g t h e i n t e ll i g en t s ia , t h e r u l e s o f t h e m a r k e t p r e v a i l . B o t h a r t a n di n v e s t m e n t a r e b a s e d o n r e p u t a t i o n : s t o c k s g o u p a n d d o w n , a r t i st s r is e a n d f al l.A d e a d a r ti s t, w h o c a n n o l o n g e r d a m a g e h i s r e p u t a t i o n ( u n l e s s t h r o u g h t h e p o s t -h u m o u s p u b l i c a t i o n o f h i s c o r r e s p o n d e n c e ) , is s a f e r t h a n a l iv e o n e . A m i n o r w o r k

b y a m a j o r a r ti s t is l ik e l y t o r e c e i v e m o r e a t t e n t i o n t h a n a m a j o r w o r k b y a m i n o ra r ti st . A n d i f m o d e r n a r t i s i n c o m p r e h e n s i b l e , t h e r e a r e a l w a y s t h e G r e a t M a s t e r s.U l t i m a te l y , w h e t h e r i n v e s t i n g m o n e y o r e m o t i o n , i t i s s a f e r t o t r u s t t h e e x p e r t st h a n t o r e l y o n p e r s o n a l j u d g e m e n t . T h e p a r a l le l w a s o b v i o u s t o E z r a P o u n d , w h or a il e d a g a i n st t h e d e b a s e m e n t o f t h e c u r r e n c y w h e r e v e r i t o cc u r e d . " A m a n s t a n d -i n g b y h i s w o r d " d i d n o t f l u c tu a t e w i t h t h e m a r k e t .

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74 lohn ~ i t in g

W ith in t h e c o n t e x t o f w o r ld - w i d e s o c i e t a l c o l la p s e , i t i s i d l e t o e x p e c t t h e r e c o v -

e r y o r e v e n t h e a r re s t o f s e r i o u s a r t' s d e c l i n i n g s ta t u s . T h e B r i ti s h g o v e r n m e n t h a sa n n o u n c e d i t s G r e a t L e a p B a c k w a r d o f a c c e l e ra t i n g cu t s , w i t h t h e c e r t a i n t y t h a tt h o s e t a rg e t s s u c h a s t h e A r t s C o u n c i l a n d t h e B BC w h o i n t e r r o r h a c k a w a y t h e i ro w n f l e s h , w i l l t h e n b e c o m m a n d e d t o s a c ri fi ce t h e i r li m b s a s w e l l . M e a n w h i l e ,a s w a s i n t e n d e d , t h e ir b r ai n s w i l l h a v e a t r o p h i e d .

A f t e r a b r i e f ta s t e o f re l a t i v e f r e e d o m , a r t i s ts i n B r i t a i n a re a g a in w o r k in g w i th ina s u p p o r t s t r u c tu r e w h ic h , t h o u g h i t o f fi c i a ll y e n d o r s e s t h e i r e f f o rt s , r e s t r i ct s t h ep r o c e s s e s o f o b s e r v a ti o n , t h o u g h t a n d f e e l in g w h i c h , l e f t u n f e t te r e d , g i v e a r t i t s

v a l id i ty . W h e t h e r t h e m o n e y c o m e s f r o m t h e s t a t e o r f r o m p r i v a t e s p o n s o r s , t h e r ea r e a c c u m u l a t i n g u n v o i c e d p r e s s u r e s , a s e l a st ic b u t u l t i m a t e l y a s l e t h a l a s a s p i -d e r ' s w e b , w h i c h i n f l u e n c e t h e c h o i c e o f m a t t e r a n d o f m a n n e r , t h e ir i n t e r re l a t io n ," r e le v a n c e " , " a cc e s si b il it y " , a n d f in a ll y , w h e t h e r a n d t o w h o m t h e w o r k i s a c c ep t -a b le . F i n e v o ic e s a re c o a r s e n e d b y t h e g u i d e d s e l ec t i o n o f s u b je c ts , m e d i a a n dm e t h o d f o r w h i c h n e i t h e r e x p e r i e n c e o r p r e d i l e c t io n h a v e p r e p a r e d t h e m ; o t h e rs ,

w i t h n o t h i n g t o s a3 ~ p a i n t b y n u m b e r f o l l o w i n g t h e o f f ic ia l g u i d e l i n e s a n d a c h i e v ef i ft e e n m i n u t e s o f n o t o ri e ty . T h u s a r t i s ts g o o d a n d b a d , w h o o n c e d i f f er e d n o t ic e -a b l y f r o m o n e a n o t h e r , b e c o m e , i n t h e p r o c e s s o f m a k i n g t h e s a m e c o m p r o m i s e s ,a s i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e as a n y o t h e r m a s s - p r o d u c e d a r ti fa c ts .

T h e r e is a n u n d e n i a b l e a t t r a c ti o n i n h e a r i n g o n e s e l f n o i s i ly t o u t e d a s a w o n d e r -p r o d u c t w h i c h s o m e l a r g e c o r p o r a t i o n w i s h e s t o p r o m o t e . " I n t e rg a l ac t ic D e te r -g e n t s p r e s e n t s T h e C o m p o s e r o f t h e Y e a r" i s h e a d y s t u f f fo r a s t r u g g l i n g m u s i c i a nw i t h a d r a w e r f u ll o f u n p e r f o r m e d w o r k s . G e n e r o s it y m u s t b e r e p a i d w i t h g r at i-t u d e , e v e n i f i t i s n o t e x p r e s s e d o b s e q u i o u s l y a s i n e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r y d e d i c a -t io n s ; d i p l o m a c y s ti ll d e m a n d s t h a t t h e p a t r o n s h o u l d n o t b e g r a t u i to u s l y o f fe n d e d .O n c e a c c e p t e d , t h e s i l k e n c o r d o f s p o n s o r s h i p b i n d s t h e a r t is t t h e n c e f o r t h t ou n d e r t a k e o n l y p r o j e c ts fo r w h i c h s u c h s u p p o r t i s fo r t h c o m i n g . " I h a d t o p o s t -p o n e i t ," o n e c o m m o n l y h e a r s. '~I d i d n ' t g e t t h e g r a n t . "

T h e a l t e r n a t i v e s a re p a in f u l b u t s a lu ta r y . T h e v i s i o n a r y E n g l i s h e c o n o m is t R o b e r tT h e o b a l d , w h o i n t h e 1 96 0s o u t l i n e d h i s p r o p o s a l f o r a g u a r a n t e e d i n c o m e , f o re -s a w t h e f o r m a t i o n o f " co n s e n t i v e s" : sm a l l g r o u p s w h o s e i n t er e s ts w o u l d b r i n gt h e m t o g e t h e r t o p u r s u e a c ti v it ie s w h i c h o t h e r l i k e - m i n d e d p e o p l e w o u l d e n c o u r-a g e a n d s u p p o r t . T h e o b a l d s a w t h i s a s a n o u t c o m e o f t h e l e is u re t i m e p r o d u c e db y e c o n o mic s e c u r it y ; b u t p a r a d o x i c a l l y , s u c h a l l ia n c e s w e r e h i s t o r i c a l ly t h e p r o d -u c t o f d e s p e r a t io n . D u r i n g m u c h o f t h is c e n t u r y t h e m o s t f e rt i le s e e d - b e d s o f a r th a v e b e e n t h e s e l f -g e n e r a t in g e n c la v e s o f m i r a c u l o u s p r o d u c t i v i t y i n t h e E u r o -p e a n c a p it a ls , d r i v e n t o g e t h e r f r o m a l l o v e r t h e w o r l d b y l a c k o f l o c al s u p p o r t a n dc o m p a n i o n s h i p . T h e n e e d f o r r e c ip r o c i t y ex t e n d s t o a l l o f li fe , e v e n t h e l o n e l yp u r s u i t o f s o l i t a r y c r e a ti o n : t h e e l e c t r ic c u r r e n t o f s o c i a l i n t e r c o u r s e i s A C , n o t D C .

T h o s e w h o w i t n e s s e d t h e n e w m u s i c a l e v e n t s o f th e 1 9 6 0s , o n e i t h e r s i d e o f th eA t la n ti c, w i l l r e m e m b e r t h a t s o m e o f t h e m t o o k p l a ce a g a i n s t o d d s w h i c h t o d a yw o u l d b e t h o u g h t i n s u rm o u n t a b l e . T h e w o r k s w e r e o f t e n u n c o m m i s s i o n e d , t h e

p e r f o rm e r s u n p a i d ( u s ua l ly t h e c o m p o s e r s o f t h e o t h e r w o r k s o n t h e p r o g r a m m e ) ,t h e v e n u e s s h a b b y , a n d t h e i n c o m e f r o m t i c k e t sa l e m i n i s c u l e o r n o n e x i s t en t . B u tt h e l a c k o f o f fi c ia l r e c o g n i t i o n w a s a l s o a n a d v a n t a g e : t h e c o n c e r t s c o u ld t a k ep l a c e b e c a u s e t h e e n t r a n c e w a s n o t s e a l e d w i t h y a r d s o f r e d t a p e .

T o d a y i n t h e W e s t, e v e n t s s o c a s u a l ly o r g a n i s e d w o u l d r e q u i r e t h e s e c r e c y o f am i d n i g h t r a v e p a rt y . O t h e r w i s e , t h e b a t t a li o n s o f b u r e a u c r a t s w h o w o u l d h a v e t o

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The Destructuring of Society 75

be satisfied, at enormous expense, that more than a handful of people could come

together in an unestablished venue without causing a fire hazard or a threat topublic health would ensure that the cost of such a gathering would rival thecollective expenses of a prizefigh t at Madison Square Garden.

There is, however, a bonus of the communications revolution: global electronicnetworks of instant accessibility, such as Internet, which wou ld have made thoseearlier artists green with envy. Antidp ated and anatomised a quarter-century agoby Marshal MacLuhan, they have thus far been exploited principally by scienceand industry, together with various mediocre talents such as the technology'sself-salesmen and the hobbyists for whom the medium is exclusively the mes-sage. The "Information Superhighway" is travelled largely by juggernauts andpogo sticks.

Major artists still appear in established venues such as the concert hall, thetheatre, and occasionally film and TV. But for how long? The increasingly mo-nopolised ownership of the commercial channels of communica tion is bringing

about the levelling of standards, together with the banishment of those who areunwilling to accept aesthetic and intellectual emasculation. The CD has a lreadymade serious music more a private than a public experience. In the future, re-spected artists who today enjoy prestigious exposure may be reduced to explor-ing alternative channels of communication which they would presently regard asbeneath their status. As the digital exchange of "verbi-voco-visual" informationaccelerates, its technology may finally become more than just a control mecha-nism or a plaything. (Will it still be freely available? A modicum of optimism isessential.)

There is even an alternative to the fast-di sappearing BBC which has never beenattempted in Britain - chiefly because, with all its faults, the BBC has served i t s

purpose so admirably. But in the United States, where the head of the FederalCommunications Commission once described the airwaves as "a vast wasteland",there have existed since 1949 a small number of listener-supported, non-commer-cial radio and TV stations, paid for by volunta ry subscription. Their income isminiscule, their staffs skeletal (sometimes from lack of nouri shment), and theirprogram part idpants unpa id; but miracles keep happening, because there are thosewho insist on being heard, whatever the obstacles. When the BBC's last channelgoes up for public auction, perhaps some benefactor will endow a modest copyof its American imitators.

Not tha t it would be much more than a mu seum of obsolescent values. Todaythe BBC is frantically diversifying in an amoebic proliferation of separate enter-prises with unasha medly commercial aims and methods. While intellectuals andpoliticians bicker over the cost of the nurs ing home where Auntie should live outher days, she is engaged in a heroic but futile struggle to retain a piece of theglobal action, in which mammouth cartels are introducing the peasants to thejoys of consumer addiction. As the satellite networks, wi th the blessing of GATT,

swamp the third world airwaves, handfuls of struggling teachers in crumblingclassrooms find themselves shouting into a whirlwind of hi-tech interactive com-munication systems. As William Burroughs has warned, the end-product will bea legion of willing zombies, in which the pusher, the product and the consumerflow into an indistinguishable unholy trinity.

So wha t of the societies which are being destructured? What of the swelling

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76 John Whit ing

a r m i e s o f t h o s e w h o c a n n o l o n g e r a ff o r d to li v e , l e t a l o n e " c o n s u m e " , a n d w h o s e

m e a g r e r e s o u r c e s a l l o w t h e m n o c o n s o l a t i o n f r o m a r t , o r f r o m a n y t h i n g e l s e ? I nt h e n e w s t r e a m l i n e d s t a te , c y n i c a l l y i n d i f f e r e n t to t h e n e e d s o f it s c i ti z e n s , m i g h tt h e y n o t b e t e m p t e d , e v e n d r i v e n t o v i o l e n t p ro t e s t, c u l m i n a t i n g y e t a g a i n i n a r m e dr e v o l t? I n t h e w o r d s o f a n o t o r i o u s q u a s i - f i c t io n a l U K p r i m e m i n i st e r , "Y o u m a yv e r y w e l l s a y s o ; I c o u l d n ' t p o s s i b l y c o m m e n t . "

N f l d e s p e r a n d u m . " O n l y t h e a r t i s t , f o r c e n t u r i e s , " w r o t e E z r a P o u n d , " h a ss u c c e e d e d i n d e ta c h i n g t h e id e a o f w o r k f r o m t h e i d e a o f p r o f i t . . . " I n a w o r l di n w h i c h p r o f i t h a s b e c o m e n o t m e r e l y o b l ig a t o r y , b u t i n d e e d t h e s a c r e d i n c e n t i v ef o r al l o f h u m a n a c ti v it y , a r t is t s w h o a r e a b l e t o fo l l o w P o u n d ' s p r o g r a m , t h e r e b ys h a r p e n i n g b o t h t h e i r s e l f - m o t i v a t i o n a n d t h e i r s e lf - d is c i p li n e , m a y , a s t h e y h a v ed o n e t h r o u g h o u t h is t o ry , s e r v e a s t h e " a n t e n n a e o f th e r a c e " , th e e a r l y - w a r n i n gs i g na l s w h i c h c a n h e l p t o m a k e l if e o n t h is p l a n e t n o t m e r e l y p o s s i b le b u t e v e np l e a s u r a b l e . I n t h e m e a n t i m e , t h o s e a r t i s t s w h o f o r m t h e m s e l v e s i n t o f l e x i b l e ,

i n t e ra c t i v e , s e l f- r e g u l a ti n g a l l ia n c e s m a y r e d i s c o v e r t h e e x h i l a r a t io n o f u n c o m -p r o m i s i n g , h a b i t u a l h o n e s t y . I f y o u c a n s t i ll s c r a p e a l i v i n g , i t 's w o r t h a l l th e g r a n t si n t h e w o r l d .

John Whiting s an international ound designer and recordist, and Hono urary Treasurer of The GlobalCommons Trust.