The Theatre Times: In order to analyze the concepts “skill”, “artistry” and “virtuosity” within the performing arts, I need to unpack their meanings. If they imply spending a long time with a practice or task and formalizing it (and oneself) within a given institutional framework, then the work spent immediately becomes labor, recognized as part of an economic system to which the art world belongs. Moreover, the work gains a certain value. But the transition from “any work”, to a valuable skill isn’t that clear – the distinction between “work” and “labor” in the context of art is tricky.
1 comment:
I think that discussing how value is given to artwork needs to be more encouraged because it helps students understand what they should expect to come in their futures and the issues associated with the profession they are entering. Though this isn't as connected to the monetary side of this issue, I couldn't help but think about a couple of the freshman design classes at CMU when reading this article. Though there is a value of units assigned to the work we do, that amount doesn't account for half the work that is done when no one is watching and the other impacts that has on students psychologically, physically, and academically. Having this experience so early in my career has opened my eyes to the expectations of work in theater, and I think it will help me to find the line between work and labor later when I have to worry about assigning a value to the work I do. Making sure that artists are fairly compensated for the work they do is a huge issue for those who are just starting out and building a name for themselves, but I hope that we can start to solve this problem to make work in the arts more accessible.
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