Wrecked.

Big Kev’s Touring Falcon, wrecked on the side of some rally track in the early 2000s. An apt metaphor for where we are as a nation at this point in time.

Much angst and gritting of teeth over the fuel shortage, and the nations leadership has nowhere to hide. Nor should the climate-alarmists who pushed the politicians to destroy our oil refineries. You know who you are.

Inflation and shortages are expected to hit other parts of life such as food, and already today at lunch we just found out the price of a bowl of Vietnamese Beef Pho has gone up.

This is one of those moments in time where its impossible not to be political about what’s going on.

The four main needs of survival are food, heat, shelter and water. Technically if those are all paid for then you should be good. Then you have the things that motivate you like spiritual belief, purpose, dreams, goals, relationships, family, friends, allegiance to a group/community/ideology etc. I think without those, survival in and of itself becomes meaningless. They add the “why” to it all. Yes I think plants and animals have it too but in a much more neurologically primitive sense. The good news is we all have purpose even if we are unsure as to what it is. Every living thing has purpose in other words. Art helps us to express a sense of purpose. And I beleive that includes abstract art as well as representational art. Because the making of the craft can be the purpose. We humans are a fidgety lot.

Traditional Western Art, as discussed on 4chan.

As happens every now and again, a conversation popped up on 4chan about why we can’t paint like Europeans used to anymore. (those of the 1400-1900 era specifically) The chorus seems to settle on how its a different between the wants and needs then vs now. Ie: no one wants paintings anymore, no one wants to patron the arts that way anymore.

That old chestnut about photography killing painting came up. I don’t beleive thats true. I’m a case in point as I studied photography and became a painter.

I would add its a matter of what people consider entertaining to do, or to pass the time with sensory distraction. We don’t work all the time at work, we can’t spend the rest of our free time only stacking the weights in the gym (though some might). We need to find a way to fill the idle gaps.

But as I responded to the young anon, it’s ultimately up to you to make the culture you want to see. Whether you are making it yourself or using your time or money to promote it.

Some people want to be gymbros, or knit or chop wood or fix cars as their outlet though. And that’s fine too.

Some just want to play video games or complain online. It’s still a form of cultural expression… though not one you can expect to have much permanence. Now if you MADE the video games or were the object of the complaint (like I was two days ago on a business google-maps review care of some stupid little American woke bitch), that’s a different story. Thats much more permanent, whether we like it or not. As google have no working appeal mechanism so bad reviews, even if inaccurate, stay up forever.

…until the business close or the platform falls into disuse or google’s servers are bombed. But having a bit of fame that goes the distance is the idea.