WEEKEND REFLECTIONS - THE POLITICS OF OBSCURITY...

My image of an image behind glass is obscured by 'reflections' that interfere with the real viewing of the artwork - 'reflections' that are a microcosm of a growing larger problem - and that is the politics of curtailing certain inalienable Constitutional rights to folks who live here by politicians whose agendas are different from those of the people.        If you don't want to read the rant that follows,  just view my WEEKEND REFLECTION and move on!

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On July 19, 2010, many NYC artists who have the right to sell their work under the First Amendment Right to Free Speech in public parks, will be barred from doing so.  It may seem like just a local issue to many, both here and abroad, yet it is but a symptom of a world wide issue stemming from recent mishandled economic problems that continue to plague some nations as wrong-headed party politics and corporate interests deliberately set out to obscure common sense action for the sake of the party that is not in power and wants to be.  

Art and artists are usually the first victims of government tightening, whether they be teachers of art or the artists themselves.  As I see it right now, the US banking system seems to be at the root of slowing cash flow, busy protecting themselves from further wrong lending,  instead of selectively speeding up the need to lend money at this time.  The government needs the banks to lend because no lending leads to no spending and no spending leads to unemployment.

Spending is what is needed now to move the economy away from a continuing recession and loss of jobs.  But the city of New York doesn't see it that way - the tax paying artist is to be removed to make more room for larger vendors who can pay higher fees and who, therefore, will charge more for their wares.  Tourists will not be getting the bargains they look for offered by artists willing to sit out there, come rain or shine, who are not charging extra for the overheads of an  elaborate cover for themselves.  They ingeniously make do with the very small spaces allotted to them.

When a population hears the politicians arguing about how to manage a weak economy, the natural response is to draw in one's horns - to switch off the lights, don't spend money except as needed, and for employers to fire anyone whose job is considered redundant. It is a psychology of fear that bodes ill,  the beginning of the end.  Particularly an end for many artists who do not expect the lawsuit to re-instate their rights against the city reaching the Supreme Court within the next 4 years.

As in many cities and countries, there is world of independent artists who depend on their otherwise unrecognized skills to make a living in this way.  It is an accepted tourist attraction, and exposure here is a step towards being discovered by a buyer, collector or a gallery owner.   Artist, Donna Lee Michas, commented - "The cumulative sadness in the park was sickening tonight",  as she and other artists anticipate joining the ranks of the unemployed.  


In the end, it is not really just an issue for artists.  Everyone is affected by the mishandling of the economy, and the politics of greed needs to be recognized and stopped.