Art, Art, Art

For all you Chicago folks, the phenomenally talented Lacey (and roommate Beth) will be having an art sale this Sunday the 27th. She'll have work available for $10, she claims—and how often can one get real art at that price? Not very often, I tell you. Oh, and there will apparently be lemonade.

Over at Greasy Skillet today, Dave speaks up in defense of independent media. "Independent media," he says, "be it in television, radio, print or web site form - offers a far more legitimate voice than its corporate, advertising subsidized counterpart."

While I agree with the general principle that independent (handcrafted, locally produced, non-corporate/state controlled, etc.) products are generally more satisfying than their mass-produced conterparts, I'm not sure if "legitimate" is the right word to use here. There's an irony in the indy vs. McProduct debate: the power of the establishment to enforce its own agenda is precisely the same power that grants legitimacy to the thing produced. It's the difference between a respectable, peer-reviewed journal and a haphazard internet publication. The latter may be far more exciting, but its the former that you're more likely to cite.

Cases in point -- CNN is no doubt biased in all sorts of ways, and let's not even speak about Fox News. Yet, if a CNN reporter says that she's seen newsworthy event X happen, one can be fairly sure that X did, in fact, happen. The same can't be said of Indymedia, for all their on-the-ground indy cred. A huge percentage of Indymedia content is either pure fabrication or wild distortion of events--and there is no way to tell what's true and what's not. If CNN (or, say, a reporter for the New York Times) fabricated a story, there would be consequences. A retraction would be published, an apology made. Not so for Indymedia. By giving up the stamp of establishment approval, they have also given up their built-in legitimacy as a news outlet. Likewise, if a brand-name baby stroller has a loose spring that could injure a child, the company will be quick to issue a recall. The fear of expensive lawsuits ensures that corporations are forced to take care. But what about that beatiful hand-crafted buggy you bought from the cooperative? It may be attractive, but you have no guarantees of its safety or its quality. Better keep a close eye on the kid.

This take-your-chances approach may very well be an acceptable sacrifice. Indymedia often gives access to news that no corporate juggernaut could, or would, present. And the beauty of finely handcrafted items may make it worth buying a few lemons here or there. But there's always a trade-off.

The voice of independent items is rich and complex. Every object, every narrative, displays its history on its surface. But the work of determining the worth of that item--and it is often enjoyable work--is ultimately left up to us.