i’m so thankful there are knowledgeable, critical folks out there like Mat Dryhurst.these are excerpts from his talk linked above.
If you are an artist whose practice speaks to a unique intersection, say based on genre, identity, or personal narrative, then you are an interesting proposition to advertisers, as you are prospectively establishing new territory to sell people stuff. Brands, as patrons, want you to establish new territory on their behalf, and be first to that party.
Mat Dryhurst
The algorithmic populism of Spotify or Youtube, who I have long regarded as being the natural inheritors to the major labels of yore in terms of their ability to put shitty culture in front of people, and create monopolies of attention around the artists who they elect to represent their interests.
Mat Dryhurst
Of course, what we see when these fragile romantic ideologies are taken to their logical conclusion, is that not everyone is equally independent at birth. It is no secret that many of the original indies were founded by the wealthy, or in many cases by middle class entrepreneurs who could afford to dedicate their 20s to a speculative cultural business. Similar today, I would argue that this kind of erosion of institutions has led to a stratification of culture that threatens ideological monopoly and conceptual stagnation. The risk takers who can afford to, say, reject brand money to fuel their artwork, are often upper/middle class artists who have a plan B, and C if things don’t work out. Who else has the flexibility to take risks, if no-one is willing to pay for artists to take them?
Mat Dryhurst
Platform logic, under the seductive narratives of equal access and ‘democratisation’, has gutted the institutions and habits (i.e PAYING FOR STUFF) that make artistic social mobility possible.
Mat Dryhurst