Mark Petrovic [07.19.06 01:08 PM]

As for the list of things we still do for ourselves (at times), don't forget open source. Benkler considers it a form of folk art

http://dream.sims.berkeley.edu/~jhall/Yochai_Benkler_Boalt_27Apr2006.mp3

  Tracy Rolling [07.19.06 02:46 PM]

One obvious exception to this is photography and video. With cheap digital cameras, people are out there creating pictures and movies who never would have done it before.

  PeterMHoward [07.19.06 08:55 PM]

I'm not sure about this quote:

"Cellphone cameras are handy, but they're also the equivalent of fast-food meals. Their ubiquity has multiplied our distance from drawing as a measure of self-worth and a practical tool."

2 reasons:

1. as Tracy said, "people are out there creating pictures and movies who never would have done it before."
2. smacks of Drawing is Art, photography isn't... I think the ubiquity of cameras (even just the basic camera phones, which are improving in quality all the time) allows people to experiment with creative 'art', and some basic form of self-expression

Somehow I find it hard to believe that people now just consume culture, whereas somehow everyone then was creating it...? I don't see an ubiquity of drawing correlating with widespread creation of culture; similarly with music: people might have learnt to play an instrument, but most of those simply played music written by someone else...

And finally: sites like flickr and deviantart still demonstrate the 'desirability of amateurism' -- these are largely amateur artists, but there's some amazing creative art on there

-p

  PeterMHoward [07.20.06 01:12 AM]

"that drawing was a skill that was expected of any educated person, not just enthusiasts" -- very true Tim; but I think the change is a result of widespread education (ie, to people who don't have/can't afford the leisure time) more than anything else... so I don't think those educated people were the same as today's "ordinary people"

you are onto something though: that today's education tends to neglect the arts... there really isn't a good reason for school education *not* to include a love of creative art... I do see technology (eg, digital cameras) going someways to correct that, at least

-p

  Frank Shaw [07.21.06 06:07 AM]

I think one of the drivers of this is the expectation of perfection and expertise. Itprevents people from even trying -- if the goal is only to be good, and society rewards expertise above all else, why invest the time?

There is a value to the journey, and I think we've lost sight of that.

  Morgan [07.24.06 06:29 AM]

I do think that the point of the article was that drawing was a skill that was expected of any educated person, not just enthusiasts.

  csven [07.24.06 07:13 AM]

I often wonder how much of all of this - from drawing to video - is viewed from the perspective of merely being a consumable and nothing more. For me that's a huge issue in a society that arguably needs to cut back on consumption in general.

  Search Engine Web [07.26.06 01:50 PM]

Even with Popular music, training has been replaced by sampling, synthesizers and digital editing to filter out any imperfections, including vocal imperfections.

And Illustrator has become embraced by those whose professions would require hand drawing just a couple of decades ago.

Even with professional photography and videography, the ease of which Photo and video editing tools have been embraced, has had an effect on style and technique. The decades of mastering complex mood lighting and subtle shadings just can not be reproduced with photoshop and the bunch.

  Marvin Bartel [08.24.07 06:45 AM]

Drawing as a basic ability is NOT being taught well in most US schools. There are effective practice and learning methods that can help one become much better at good obersvation and rendering, at becoming more imaginative, inventive, and to illustrate explanations to self and others. With appropriate modifications, these methods of learning and right brain development and visual thinking work with preschoolers, in kindergarten, and the early grades; but these proven methods are hardly ever taught until college drawing classes for art students.

I have found many mistakes and many new ideas by drawing before acting. It is not unusual to spend five hours drawing to prepare for five minutes of action. These rough drafts in the form of drawings can save days of wasted efforts on dead ends and mistakes.