Art for art's sake
 The Cultural Revolution brought about by the Internet has opened the
doors for de-commercialization of the Arts, to bring out the total
creative talents of man.
Artistic creations were controlled and or influenced by the ruling
classes, the rich and the powerful even in the deep past, but the
businessmen took control from about the 18th Century.
Today through blog posts, non-commercial websites, social networks
and wordpress sites, we have the opportunity once again to create what
we can, in the way we can, without any interference, any undue influence
and without any financial gain. We can write a poem or a story, or paint
a picture to satisfy our natural urge, to release the thoughts in our
minds, without worrying about any benefits, or threats.
 WordPress is web software, created and maintained by hundreds of
volunteers.
It can be used to create a beautiful website or blog. Which is
claimed to be both free and priceless at the same time.
One more site is www.writeclique.net, an online community of
established and hobbyist writers. Anyone can become a member at no cost,
post their poems, and essays and stories, to be read by the other
members.
Those who contribute have the kind of freedom that is not found
through commercial publishers, who would first look at any creative work
from the marketability of the product. A publisher would only want to
print a book that would sell enough copies to bring him a good profit.
For the aspiring Sinhala writer, there is www.pothpath.com, where
even an unpublished novel could be made available to the reader. There
are other sites, where one could display ones paintings or photography.
We have the opportunity today, once again, the way our ancestors
enjoyed artistic creations before all Art was commercialized. Those who
wrote the poems on the 'Katbitha' at Sigiriya had the freedom to write
what they felt, what they wanted to tell the world.
But the artists who created the paintings at Sigiriya may not have
had total freedom, because they could have been driven to create what
king Kassapa wanted.
The paintings at Ajanta and the carvings at Ellora would have been
created without any influence by anyone, or with the expectations of any
financial or other benefits, except the influence of their religious
faith.
All these new opportunities for free expression are not for anyone
who wants to make a living out of their creative works. They will still
have to depend on and have to bend down to the market demand, and give
what the publishers or art studios demand.
Commercialization means customer-focused creations, which can no
longer be considered as artistic creations. English film director Ken
Russel said, 'Art is its own reward, but it has always helped to have a
generous patron. Then the patron has the final say about the Art.'
Mallika Sarabhai, dancer, choreographer, activist and writer, had
said at Manfest 2011, "....art has traditionally always needed
patronage. There can be creative thoughts in starvation, but to bring
them to fruition, money is involved."
'Art for Art's sake' was a term which was coined and which had been
used to mean that Art should be "true", free from any didactic, moral or
utilitarian function, and that is probably why Chinua Achebe had said
"art for art's sake is just another piece of deodorised dog shit".
This term could also be abused to earn more money from Art, as when
MGM used it as a motto in its Latin version, Ars gratia artis. MGM
produced films, not for Art's sake, but for the sake of the profits.
Like the way in the 1980's, the rock band 10cc sang 'Art for art's
sake, Money for God's sake', and probably made money from the song too.
John Keats is one example of the fate that befell a great poet
because of commercialization of poetry.
Because his publishers and critics both deplored his writings, he
died believing he was a failure! Blackwood Magazine had said 'it was
better to be a starved apothecary than a starved poet', because Keats
had started as an apothecary.
If he did not have to make a living from his poetry, would things
have been different for John Keats? Henry Miller refused to do a steady
job, as he wanted to earn his living from writing. His writing would
have been influenced by the market demand.
What if he had just written his stories, because they were in him,
without any thought of finding a publisher or earning a living from it!
Would his writing have come out different if he had an opportunity to
post them on an electronic wall for free reading.
All he could do was post his unsold articles to people he knew, and
even to people he picked up from the telephone directory. Keats could
have won recognition if his poems had been freely available for reading,
if he had been living in the 21st century.
Today we have the opportunity and the freedom to share our thoughts,
our visions and our creative works, with everyone around the world,
almost at no cost to publish them or to read them.
Let us make the maximum use of it, for the good of our society, our
Mother Earth and our future generations.
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