last writing

Dave Hickey’s “Romancing the looky-loos” raises important questions about selling out. I found it interesting that Mr. hickey believes most artists begin playing for those you like and are “like you”. However, in the age of youtube stars, those who make videos make them out of pure self-indulgence devoid of spectators or even participants (as Mr.Hickey believes participants are the audience of meaningful connections.) To the author, Looky-loos are spectators whom eventually lose interest of those with “talent” and express a dramatic shift from covertly hating the things they desire most to show outright discontent of one’s celebrity. Hickey then goes on to explain the participant, which I agree has its inherent problems such as “losing interest at the moment of accreditation, always assuming there is something better out there, more in tune to there own agenda’s.” But at least the participant works to increase the social value of things. Another problem is that the same institutions that sanction uninspired arts for the “use” of spectators are in line with the same institutions that create artists. Hence the example Hickey uses when he find that artists can’t simply call upon their art friends as participants. Entourages are a quick fix to having a “comfortable, local as well as social activity” and bringing attention from everywhere, but as soon as it gets “too” big and is owned by the institution then you must abandon it. Or so hickey suggests.