Arts and Capital

In examining the arts, one can see almost all art falling into either for-profit or non for profit categories.  Before the digital age, the divide between the two was distinct.  Pop singles, rock bands on tour, big and bright Broadway shows, shoot-em up westerns, all clearly made by corporations to make money, and fund future artists, who will, in turn, develop more capital for the company. Non for profit art is more avant-garde, cutting edge, and since it is not financed by corporations, or aimed at making money, important social messages can be addressed, such as toxic chemicals in cosmetics, or tobacco lobbyists supporting candidates in Washington. Not concerned with profit, harsh tactics were employed to preach on social and societal issues. But with the coming of the digital age, the lines between the two have become blurred.  As media developed by corporations became legally available online, according to fair use copyright laws, capital-based art became more prominent in consumer created content, such as Justin McIntosh's Disney-based remixes. At first, companies saw these consumers as a threat, but slowly the tide is turning: marketing tactics in commercial art has begun to employ these non-for-profit, consumer tactics.  'Flashmob' dances to advertise a company, or a band, such as Atomic Tom, playing in a public place, in their case a subway.  Stretching even further, companies are beginning to let consumers dictate the price they pay for a good.  Like many non-for-profit forms, which are supported by donations or patronage, record companies, spearheaded by select artists including Issa, are letting the buyers decide how much they should pay for a song, and they are making more money than before. In turn, as corporations realize the value of consumer based art that utilizes their content, fair use laws are becoming more liberal than their counterparts depicted by Duke students.  As the two forms continue to blend, a day will come when the differences between consumer and capitalist art will dissolve, and the two will become one.