DEP guitarist Ben Weinman on the globalization of art
“The title Option Paralysis represents being in a situation where you have so many choices you can’t decide, and end up being frozen,” says founding member Weinman about the mindset permeating the band’s fifth full-length album. “Back in the early days when I started to discover music, go to shows and find out about new bands, there were ‘filters’ from various circumstances - geography, economic status, etc - which deeply affected how a band sounded and what they stood for. Now, everyone is going through the same filter-namely computers and the internet-and everyone has the same circumstances: Everybody’s seeing the same thing for the first time at the very same time, simultaneously all over the world. That very system is negatively affecting art and has created a situation where everything is influencing itself and art is not based on struggle, personal scarcity or unique and personal inspiration. This cultural revolutions is a big part of what determines our mission. We’re not listening to any of the bands around us for some kind of input as to what we should sound like. At this point, we’re using our own accomplishments as a measurement of what we need to do next.”
I disagree with him that the system is negatively affecting art, because the type of expression he's talking about - something lacking anything personal and something that's just an amalgamation of global trends - is not art to begin with.
There is a lot of "art" that is commercial product. That's fine. Nobody's making me consume it. It doesn't matter to me if there is more or less of it out there.
DEP might have a different perspective as they are competing for the same consumer dollars as those commercial "artists" are, but they shouldn't be too concerned unless this competition forces them to be unable to do what they love to do, which is to be artists.
I disagree with him that the system is negatively affecting art, because the type of expression he's talking about - something lacking anything personal and something that's just an amalgamation of global trends - is not art to begin with.
There is a lot of "art" that is commercial product. That's fine. Nobody's making me consume it. It doesn't matter to me if there is more or less of it out there.
DEP might have a different perspective as they are competing for the same consumer dollars as those commercial "artists" are, but they shouldn't be too concerned unless this competition forces them to be unable to do what they love to do, which is to be artists.