Artist Statement / Manifesto of Matt Searles, a rough draft
I’m trying to work on communicating what I’m up to.. so I thought I’d try and fill in the artist statement section of my website. This is kind of a rough draft I guess, so I’m looking for feed back.
Matt’s Manifesto
The arts, as I see it, are key to the health of culture and society. Big media influence on the collective consciousness of our times is at the root of what’s wrong with the world today. The solution to this is to develop new models for the business of art, media, and culture. There is a digital revolution, often referred to as “new media” or “social media” which to one extent or another addresses this problem. My podcast, The Asymmetric Biz Cult, talks about this and the deep systemic forces at play… along with how artist and media folks might engage with these forces, and how this could lead us collectively.. as well as the issues of our individual careers, to a new kind of world worth creating.
My arts project is one that tries to utilize this new existential relationship to the markets in order to facilitate a deeper more radical art. In my art and thought I am wrestling with the foundations of modernity and our collective shadow sides, and I try and throw light on where there might be cause for hope.
Central to my work is a exploration of consciousness and the depths of the human soul.. This journey takes us through Jungian psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, the world’s various religious traditions, history, politics, and business: We see everything in a radical new light, for so much of our understanding of all these things fails to appreciate the influence of what is often thought of as the irrational mind, and both our individual and collective unconscious.
Principle to to my art and thought is the idea that we must get beyond our inherited ideas on the nature of reality, to see what reality really is, and then build from there.
It is ultimately a journey towards wholeness and human potential.
So what do you think? Does it work, or not or I don’t what.. any thoughts?
May 27th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
You may use references I don’t understand, quote people I’ve never read, and talk about programs I’ll never hope to learn, but I really would love a ticket on your roller coaster. Course I’m biased - I think you’re brilliant.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I gotta tell you man, this really does succinctly sum up your vision, goals, ideals, etc. Plus, how many other manifestos can say that they used the word “neuroscience”? That right there is brilliant. As Flavor Flav would say…”you know what time it is!!”