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Images of Artists and Intellectuals in the Popular Media
Written By zheni on Nov. 10, 2007.
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For a long while, I have noticed a dissappointing trend in the popular media regarding images of artists and intellectuals. I rarely see artists in television and film and when I do, they are often depicted as misanthropic misfits.
Recently, I attended a conference in South Carolina on the Business of Being an Artist during which some recent public opinion results on the arts and artists were discussed. According to one public opinion poll, 75% of the public polled said that they did not respect artists. (Ironically, 75% also said that they desire art in their lives!) I am wondering if there is a relationship between the media representation of artists and public opinion.
Is there anyone interested in cultivating a better public image of artists?
I discuss some of this, albeit tongue-in-cheek on my blogsite: kozachekart.blogspot.com. I have been reading Richard Hofstadter's book, "Anti-intellectualism in American Life" to get an historical overview on the subject and have found it truly enlightening and fascinating. The book was originally published in the 1960's but it is such a classic that it is worth a second look. I would like to know what current texts others might be reading on this topic.
johnbakeronline
Written Nov. 11, 2007 / Report /
This kind of reaction is not really new. See: this post.
zheni
Written Nov. 17, 2007 / Report /
John,
This was a fascinating article, yet police surveilance of writers in 19th France wasn't exactly what I was thinking about when I was writing about negative images of artists and intellectuals in 21st century American popular media. It does demonstrate, however, that we are not unique in this arena with regard to era or country.
Zheni
zheni
Written Feb. 9, 2008 / Report /
The blogging world is fascinating but I don't quite have the hang of it. Note the topic that I posted back in November last year that went nowhere.
Recently I've become interested in a new topic. I had occassion to restore a painting completed by a woman artist in 1901 to her great grandnephew and wrote about it in my blog: kozachekart.blogspot.com
I had come across the painting, of all places, on top of a pile of hedge trimmings near a public park. What question it prompts is what will happen to our artwork generations removed from our present lives?