Get Your Bag, But Don’t Sell Out?

“I Am for an Art” by Claes Oldenburg and “First things First”, a designer Manifesto have somewhat bizarre and opposing views however, they were still interesting reads. “First things First” is a manifesto that states that selling out your skills to a brand is not a valid form of art and that you should be using your skills for more efficient art and latter revises to talk about how most designers are uncomfortable with that opinion so they light en their claim and propose that they use their art to design against world issues. which overall is not to absurd but is still not always a sustainable lifestyle. On the other hand we might read Claes Oldenburg’s Manifesto where he states that he is for all art because All Things Are Art once again not to bold of a concept but still feels like a wild though. With these however, we see the two opposing world views of art. “Don’t sell out…and if you do you aren’t an artist!” but possibly never make money or be known for anything, and “Everything is art… if you try hard enough!” still possibly never make money but at least you’ll be ridiculed less for designing. Oldenburg’s idea feels more hopeful and less problematic and is honestly something I believe in and in the end it is often how artists find jobs in arts; take anything you can being creative so you can still pay bills and be happy what you are doing. Or the limited and difficult option from “First things First” if you are a sellout you suck. No thanks but I’m sticking with Oldenburg (a household name) on this one I didn’t even recognize anyone who signed the other! I rather “get my bag” making money doing something creative hopefully, then only making art that might never sell and worry about some art snobs calling me a sellout.