Comments on: Consume or Create http://www.nathancolquhoun.com/2009/11/21/consume-or-create the home of Nathan Colquhoun Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:53:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nathan Colquhoun http://www.nathancolquhoun.com/2009/11/21/consume-or-create#comment-2879 Nathan Colquhoun Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:45:24 +0000 http://www.nathancolquhoun.com/?p=2334#comment-2879 Chris, are you comparing purchasing items to the Eucharist, or is this something Cavanaugh does that I'm unaware of? Yes, they started a business, but I really don't think picking paint colours, putting together a budget and advertising is really the kind of art that calls for the kind of creativity we are talking about here. Danny, great points, art is sold, you are right, however, there is quite a bit of "exhibits" that go on in Sarnia, that have no price tag, they just exist and then they shut down. This isn't to say they aren't trying to sell some of their other work on the side, but I can name a large number of artists run things that had no price tag. Chris, are you comparing purchasing items to the Eucharist, or is this something Cavanaugh does that I’m unaware of? Yes, they started a business, but I really don’t think picking paint colours, putting together a budget and advertising is really the kind of art that calls for the kind of creativity we are talking about here.

Danny, great points, art is sold, you are right, however, there is quite a bit of “exhibits” that go on in Sarnia, that have no price tag, they just exist and then they shut down. This isn’t to say they aren’t trying to sell some of their other work on the side, but I can name a large number of artists run things that had no price tag.

]]> By: Chris Lewis http://www.nathancolquhoun.com/2009/11/21/consume-or-create#comment-2876 Chris Lewis Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:12:43 +0000 http://www.nathancolquhoun.com/?p=2334#comment-2876 I don't think you can say that the businesses on Front St. weren't at some point engaged in a creative process. They had to dream up the idea of their business, were (hopefully) involved in its design, colour schemes and ultimately gave shape to their business. Maybe they are in it just for a buck, or maybe they are passionate about what they do and it just so happens that they think others should be as well. I also agree with Danny. Art galleries, at some level need consumers or else they won't exist. We are all born consumers (we need to consume to physically live)- and die if we don't. It is not immoral to consume; it is not necessarily 'better' to create. The Eucharist is fundamentally an act of consumption - take and eat. See Cavanaugh's "Being Consumed". I hear he's good. I don’t think you can say that the businesses on Front St. weren’t at some point engaged in a creative process. They had to dream up the idea of their business, were (hopefully) involved in its design, colour schemes and ultimately gave shape to their business. Maybe they are in it just for a buck, or maybe they are passionate about what they do and it just so happens that they think others should be as well.

I also agree with Danny. Art galleries, at some level need consumers or else they won’t exist. We are all born consumers (we need to consume to physically live)- and die if we don’t. It is not immoral to consume; it is not necessarily ‘better’ to create.

The Eucharist is fundamentally an act of consumption – take and eat. See Cavanaugh’s “Being Consumed”. I hear he’s good.

]]> By: Danny Kam http://www.nathancolquhoun.com/2009/11/21/consume-or-create#comment-2875 Danny Kam Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:14:51 +0000 http://www.nathancolquhoun.com/?p=2334#comment-2875 These are good thoughts, though in America art is also usually made to be sold (it just so happens that the sales are less frequent because the prices are much higher, thus eliminating the majority of the populace from participating in such consumption). I would like to think that in a perfect world, art would be made for art's sake, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Even artists have to eat. The real problem is that we live in a culture that seems to define ourselves economically in terms of scarcity. We believe there simply isn't enough to go around. The primary thing we need to help people see in the church that there is enough to go around if people would just share everything. These are good thoughts, though in America art is also usually made to be sold (it just so happens that the sales are less frequent because the prices are much higher, thus eliminating the majority of the populace from participating in such consumption). I would like to think that in a perfect world, art would be made for art’s sake, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Even artists have to eat.

The real problem is that we live in a culture that seems to define ourselves economically in terms of scarcity. We believe there simply isn’t enough to go around. The primary thing we need to help people see in the church that there is enough to go around if people would just share everything.

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