A Critical Look at Make Art Not Content: the Networked Art World and The Place of the Artist in the Puzzle
The podcast Make Art Not Content aims to expand on the problems faced by creatives and to guide them on how they can succeed as artists. It analyzes the creative journey providing valuable insights for the artists by covering topics such as finding inspiration, maintaining a work ethic, identifying the right audience, and choosing appropriate channels (1). However, it does so with certain limitations. This essay will delve into the podcast based on its two characteristics: i) at the core of the proposed guidance lies the belief that self-optimization and individual efforts ultimately help one establish their place in their sector; and ii) art is something distinct from content (which consists of commercialized and market-driven productions).
This essay aims to clarify that while the second proposition is vital for keeping art autonomous and maintaining artistic integrity, the first proposition falls short of doing justice to the complex interplay of factors necessary for success (2). In doing so, it alienates its audience (i.e., creatives) from the reality in which they function.
Self-defined as the “ultimate blueprint for aspiring creatives” (3) and created by ‘Father Bronques,’ Make Art Not Content embraces a cult-like branding, structuring all its episodes according to specific ‘Books’ — e.g., the Book of Mental Health, the Book of Purpose, the Book of Money, etc. — all of which set the rules of conduct for artists aiming for a distinguished career. Echoing this cultish format, the content itself has romanticized qualities:
“You eat healthier — because eating healthier helps you create more art — you get enough sleep — because getting enough sleep helps you create more art — you exercise — because keeping your body in shape helps you create more art. You finally figure out a reliable way to rewire your DNA with the repetitive regimen of discipline”. (4)
As exemplified in this quote, the podcast promotes individual self-optimization, implying that if one advances themselves, they can ultimately succeed. However, philosophers like Dickie (1997, 7) remind us that context matters and that relationships are essential in the art world. In his words, “works of art are art as a result of the position they occupy within an institutional framework or context.” The same applies to the artists themselves. While self-advancement may facilitate the development of an artistic capability and the art’s quality, it cannot de facto guarantee a recognized place in the art world. By ignoring the relational reality of the art world that surrounds the creatives, the podcast fails to fulfill its premise of being the best guide for its target audience.
Thornton’s observations of the art world in situ reveal how integral interpersonal dynamics are to one’s career progression. From a practical viewpoint, Thornton (2008) exposes that great art only becomes as such within the system of the art world -i.e., made by it. These observations are invaluable in exposing the complex, networked, and socially constructed side of the system, which acts as the legitimizer of both art and the artist (through factors such as institutional support, media coverage, branding, and entree to instrumental circles). Thus, it is essential to direct artists’ attention to how to navigate the power structures of the art world efficiently, recognizing that self-advancement is only one part of the equation.
A particularly eye-opening part of the book discusses how the judgments of the art world function like “self-fulfilling prophecies” (Thornton, 2008, 124). The various systems of support that indicate the worth of an artist leave one unsure whether these systems merely show or create an artist’s reputation, genius, or longevity (Thornton, 2008, 124). By failing to provide these substantial and essential insights to aspiring creatives while positioning itself as an ‘ultimate guide,’ the podcast ultimately undermines its own legitimacy and fetishizes the concept of artistic genius as an isolated occurrence.
Lastly, even though lacking in some parts, the robust analysis presented by the podcast regarding the dichotomy between art and content must be addressed. The podcast significantly identifies and highlights a pressing issue: the external influences in today’s world, such as trends and audience demands, tend to overshadow the non-economic values of art. Opposing the reduction of art to its economic value — that is, its popularity, price, and demand — it champions the autonomy of artistic production.
In suggesting such polarization, the podcast does not argue that artists and their works exist in a non-economic field, and are independent of the market; instead, it asserts that commercialization happens when production transforms from being an aesthetically autonomous one to a market-driven one. In other words, the podcast insists that one should not ‘sell one’s independence’ to market demands, and only in this way can one truly realize themselves as an artist. It further explains that it is when this “selling out” occurs that ‘art’ transforms into ‘content.’ Hence, contrary to the initial assumption, the ‘commercialization’ of creative efforts does not stem from being part of a market transaction but rather from the fact that they become entities whose raison d’être becomes profit-making and demand-fulfilling.
Dave Beech explains this distinction made between “the production of art and the production of commodities for sale” (2015, 36) as follows:
“The values attached to art (and other non-economic or not primarily economic activities), including questions of quality that discriminate between individual works, are not only independent of their price but are regarded (by the communities that judge such works) as more important than their market value. Selling out occurs when market value impinges on these more important values”. (5)
In conclusion, Make Art Not Content successfully highlights the significance of artistic independence and autonomy by championing creative thinking, curiosity, and unique self-expression but fails to provide a holistic understanding of the dynamics that affect the achievements of the individual and ends up feeding the illusion that artistic performance can be sufficient in proving/attaining worth in the art world. (1053)
Notes
(1) A short summary of the podcast’s content: the podcast identifies the problems creatives experience (e.g the distraction of the social media, lack of time, negative beliefs or habits, maintaining mental health, or finding purpose); offers analysis; and offers guidance. The episodes are given in short chunks with captivating storytelling -some parts of it being motivational talks, some interviews with other artists and some examples from success stories.
(2) Within the context of this essay, what is meant by success is one’s place in the art world (the validation they get from it) rather than self-expression, as the podcast itself positions it as such.
(3) Father Bronques. Make Art Not Content. “Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen of Your Mind”. April, 2020. Accessed October 26, 2024. 00.00–0.16. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1lTJZVwlhLFvkWVzZHyzvG?si=2b0ab255d3b647da
(4) Father Bronques. Make Art Not Content. “Do…or Die”. April, 2020. Accessed October 26, 2024. March, 2023. 3.54–4.19. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1f56f4j9fxkvQRciRFD91D?si=0e8638b069d94e8f
(6) Beech, Dave. 2015. Art and Value: Art’s Economic Exceptionalism in Classical, Neoclassical and Marxist Economics. The Netherlands: Brill. Accessed October 26, 2024. 37.
Bibliography
Beech, Dave. 2015. Art and Value: Art’s Economic Exceptionalism in Classical, Neoclassical and Marxist Economics. The Netherlands: Brill. Accessed October 26, 2024. Pdf.
Dickie, George. 1997. The Art Circle: A Theory of Art. USA: Chicago Spectrum Press. Accessed October 27. Pdf.
Father Bronques. Make Art Not Content. April, 2020. Accessed 25 October, 2024. Podcast. https://open.spotify.com/show/2RYqdOdca8BinN0Jc9Zind?si=d6e8e03a50374e41
Thornton, Sarah. 2008. Seven Days in the Art World. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Accessed 2020. Epub.
