Death of the "creative class?"

[klothos]

A recent Oxford study projects that 50% of all current jobs will be gone in the next 15+ years. Pffft! Gone. Replaced with what? Low-wage service jobs, judging by current trends. I suspect this country will be unrecognizable in ten years, and I don't see a guaranteed annual income bill making it through Congress.

At first glance, this sounds like it could be detrimental (and it is, Im not downplaying it) but this kind of innovation will also create some jobs and areas of employ that dont exist already (such as the maintenence of automated systems or other field-related demands, etc)....Granted, it is reasonable to assume that not enough jobs will be created to make-up for the deficit, but it does take a little of the sting out. However, even if I argued an improbable hypothesis that other new "careers" would fill the void completely, businesses on auto-mated systems would be cutting out insurance/health-care costs, benefits, workmans comp, etc to make the auto-evolution profitable in comparison -- and all these new careers will be sub-contracted work and, therefore, reinforcing the rest of your point

[Plasmatopia]

I think we might be able to reverse some of the trends in the workplace if we could get more companies to move toward employee-owned models and community-minded models. No idea how we'd get there on a larger scale than we have today without those in control having more altruistic motives than they'd traditionally had.

I work for an associate-owned company. A big part of our bread and butter comes from manufacturing work, a lot of which is mind-numbingly boring and tedious. Even with great benefits these jobs experience a fair amount of turnover. We've begun to automate some of these tasks. Plus the reality is that we need to lower our costs to be able to compete and keep manufacturing jobs here in the U.S. (somewhat counterintuitively I suppose).

Definitely troubling for the unskilled worker...


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[Rune Blackwings]

Did Michaelangelo have an agent, finding commissions for him and telling him when his artwork was ready to release?

If I recall, the Medicis were pretty much find of his work and commissioned him regularly, especially for sculptures. Italy was actually rather sophisticated in terms of things, even in the dark ages. Michaelangelo, if I recall, had a workshop where he had apprentices (students) working on sculptures either with him or that he designed. I would not be surprised if artists had "agents" or "managers" who went out to get work for them.

[ronmac]

At first glance, this sounds like it could be detrimental (and it is, Im not downplaying it) but this kind of innovation will also create some jobs and areas of employ that dont exist already (such as the maintenence of automated systems or other field-related demands, etc)....

They'll be outsourced Asia, for one-tenth the cost.

[klothos]

They'll be outsourced Asia, for one-tenth the cost.

lol...i knew somebody would say that: im talking about physical 'hands-on' maintenence; software maintenence is already outsourced to places like Pakistan and India (Thats one of the reasons why Im back in school for RN after graduating - with honors - with an IT degree, code-monkey skillz, and no jobs)

[klothos]

Michaelangelo, if I recall, had a workshop where he had apprentices (students) working on sculptures either with him or that he designed.

Wow! Really? I know for sure Rodin did that but had no idea Michaelangelo did too

[rcarlberg]

In some ways I guess you could consider the jobs of "the creative class" as having been outsourced to the lowest bidder, the amateurs who will write & record (and often release) music for free.

[Plasmatopia]

lol...i knew somebody would say that: im talking about physical 'hands-on' maintenence; software maintenence is already outsourced to places like Pakistan and India (Thats one of the reasons why Im back in school for RN after graduating - with honors - with an IT degree, code-monkey skillz, and no jobs)

Interesting - the company I work for can't seem to find good programmers (or at least, no one willing to move to the Northeast). In the last few years we've acquired two software companies, one in the U.S., one in Canada. I can assure you they'd never get outsourced.


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[NogbadTheBad]

We moved all our Customer Service to India a few years ago but then they moved it all back as people were spending too much of their work day trying to get Customer Service to fix things, it was a massive efficiency loss.

[mogrooves]

Definitely troubling for the unskilled worker...

...and the skilled worker. Business leaders promote the notion of a "skills gap," i.e. American workers lack the skills for the jobs they're producing, and therefore business has to in-source "skilled" labor from abroad on H1-B visas. Studies show that foreign workers aren't generally better qualified for those jobs than are Americans, but they will work for less money. Hence, a concocted "skills gap!" Any way you shake it, there's a rush to the bottom for cheap labor and cheap brain power, both of which are plentiful.

[ronmac]

lol...i knew somebody would say that: im talking about physical 'hands-on' maintenence; software maintenence is already outsourced to places like Pakistan and India (Thats one of the reasons why Im back in school for RN after graduating - with honors - with an IT degree, code-monkey skillz, and no jobs)

That's where the contractors come in.

In some ways I guess you could consider the jobs of "the creative class" as having been outsourced to the lowest bidder, the amateurs who will write & record (and often release) music for free.

AMEN TO THAT! I refuse to compete with the $99.00 logo companies. Creating a good logo takes 20-30 hours. You do get what you pay for. The problem is that many people are settling for what they consider "good enough," which goes back to the link I posted. The commoditization of my industry has brought in the era of saminess. The need to distinguish their businesses seems to get lost in their cheapness. BUt, I have found that there are enough business owners who get it and are serious enough to do things the right way. The challenge is in finding them.

[Rune Blackwings]

Wow! Really? I know for sure Rodin did that but had no idea Michaelangelo did too

I know he had students. I could be wrong, but I believe that was common place for sculptors to have apprentices aiding them in their work, especially considering some of the magnitude of the projects...

[klothos]

I know he had students. I could be wrong, but I believe that was common place for sculptors to have apprentices aiding them in their work, especially considering some of the magnitude of the projects...

and to think: All this time i always thought cheap labor via outsourcing and "knock-off sweatshops" were modern concepts

[rcarlberg]

and to think: All this time i always thought cheap labor via outsourcing and "knock-off sweatshops" were modern concepts

Not at all. The majority of paintings attributed to the Masters (Rembrandt, Reubens, Van Euyk, Vermeer, Hals, etc.) were at least worked on, and probably completed by trusted shop assistants / understudies / students from designs and studies and outlines by the master. Even the Sistine Chapel was painted with the assistance of assistants.

[klothos]

........ assistance of assistants.

*saved* for possible future album title

[Rune Blackwings]

Not at all. The majority of paintings attributed to the Masters (Rembrandt, Reubens, Van Euyk, Vermeer, Hals, etc.) were at least worked on, and probably completed by trusted shop assistants / understudies / students from designs and studies and outlines by the master. Even the Sistine Chapel was painted with the assistance of assistants.

I consider it a time management solution more than "cheap labor". You have a huge ass project commissioned by the wealthiest of wealthy families in your realm (Italy, France, Germany and others were not exactly nations as we see them today) and you have students and apprentices, some of which are really really good. Why wouldn't you employ their skills to help you finish this piece within twenty years? Besides, having them work on projects with the master made them masters down the road. It was probably a good reference point when establishing one's self as an artist in their own right.

[liam fennell]

I consider it a time management solution more than "cheap labor". You have a huge ass project commissioned by the wealthiest of wealthy families in your realm (Italy, France, Germany and others were not exactly nations as we see them today) and you have students and apprentices, some of which are really really good. Why wouldn't you employ their skills to help you finish this piece within twenty years? Besides, having them work on projects with the master made them masters down the road. It was probably a good reference point when establishing one's self as an artist in their own right.

In the Renaissance all the major guys had workshops. And they were all trained in other workshops from adolescence on. I don't think agents were invented at that point but everyone had reputations and they were all based in the city Florence so everybody knew everybody else's work. People were reluctant to hire Leonardo because he never actually finished anything and he always went way over budget but they did anyway because even then everyone could see how good he really was!

And the use of apprentices was certainly for time reasons. These places CRANKED OUT art -- sculptures mostly but also portraits and frescoes. It was a genuine industry. The master oversaw everything, particularly the composition. The apprentices did the easy/lesser work (underpainting, clothes, landscape, minor figures) and the master worked on the major figures and also generally touched up the fine details. I think the workshops usually employed and housed 10-20 people.

Verrochio's Baptism of Christ is a good painting to take a long look at -- Verrochio was Leonardo's master. Leonardo is in his early 20s. Verrochio composed the image and painted the main figures. Another assistant handled the landscape... and Leonardo did the angel in the corner and some of the landscape directly surrounding them and it is astonishing how he is so far above them as an artist. The legend (not true) is that Verrochio put down his brush for good after seeing the very very young Leonardo's work here!!! I looked at this painting (I have a book with detail closeups) on acid for a while once and just about died laughing comparing the different parts of this unusually uneven painting, ha. This version of the painting isn't too clear but:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...rt_Project.jpg

IMO the artist vs artisan argument is valid but ultimately silly. The work and what it says is all that matters. Norman Rockwell seems pretty major to me!

[ronmac]

IMO the artist vs artisan argument is valid but ultimately silly.

Especially these days, when the label of "artisan" is so over-used that it's been rendered meaningless. Artisan potato chips? Really? At the risk of appearing self-promotional (I'm not; this is not really my audience for such things), I actually covered this scenario in another post not too long ago.

http://step2branding.com/get-real/

[Rune Blackwings]

Especially these days, when the label of "artisan" is so over-used that it's been rendered meaningless. Artisan potato chips? Really? At the risk of appearing self-promotional (I'm not; this is not really my audience for such things), I actually covered this scenario in another post not too long ago.

http://step2branding.com/get-real/

"Artisan"-"Homemade food combinations no one would ever really eat unless you slap 'artisan' on it and stick in Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, in which case hipsters will buy it in droves despite being a totally Unilever product"
"Rustic"-"I was too lazy to peel and chop this correctly"
"Deconstructed"-"I totally fucked this dish up, but will sound like I meant for it to look like a drunk's gut pile"
"Elevated"-"I am going to make this thing overly complicated by adding a bunch of stuff and techniques that have no business in this dish"
adding bacon, cheese, srihacha to a dish not requiring them-"I never made this dish before and I need a crutch to cover this up"

[NogbadTheBad]

Every dish is improved by bacon.

[trurl]

AMEN TO THAT! I refuse to compete with the $99.00 logo companies. Creating a good logo takes 20-30 hours. You do get what you pay for. The problem is that many people are settling for what they consider "good enough," which goes back to the link I posted. The commoditization of my industry has brought in the era of saminess. The need to distinguish their businesses seems to get lost in their cheapness. BUt, I have found that there are enough business owners who get it and are serious enough to do things the right way. The challenge is in finding them.

It's like everything else. A dipshit local company probably really doesn't need to throw $$ at anything more than a dipshit local looking logo. A big multinational will spend millions on a trademark/logo- because it's worth that to them. Everyone kind of winds up in the pond they belong in, or they probably undergo business Darwinism and go away.