Does the changing definitions of art change the way you think about art? Seth Godin recently outlined many changes in his recent blog post – Now it’s ruined.How many times have we heard this?
– Photography is a cheat, the death of painting
– Photoshop is a hack, the death of photography
– Instagram filters are crap, the death of Photoshop
– eBooks are for losers, stealing the magic and majesty of the printed book
– Blogging is impermanent, the end of thoughtful word processing
– Tweeting is stupid, the end of intelligent blogging
– Video is too easy, a cheap shortcut that destroys the essence of film
– YouTube has no curators, the end of quality video
– Selling by phone is for losers, closers show up in person…
Seth argues that “Technology almost always democratizes art, because it gives us better tools, better access and a quicker route to mediocrity.” So in our case, it’s exponentially easier to be a decent photographer given all the great tool on the market today, but, in our opinion, it’s just as difficult to be a great photographer as it ever was. To be great, just as always, takes hard work. As Ashton said, “Opportunity looks at lot like work.” Seems fair to me.
Seth sums it up well “… all this ending is leading to more and more beginnings, isn’t it? It’s not ruined, it’s merely different.”