Nica's Blog

When the 21st Century citizen reads about how upset people became when seeing the the works of the Pre-Raphaelites, or the early Impressionists, the reaction is dismay. Just what is so aggrevating about Monet, or Rosetti? Clearly something has changed about our attitude toward painting. These days few people actually say they like abstract art, but it has become the dominent art of our commerical world. Any fancy bank lobby, or waiting room will more than likely have a large abstract painting which acts a little more than what we expect from wallpaper, and easy way to break up the monotony of blank walls. Glass art is the favorite 3-D abstract art in the Seattle area. Most glass art is bulky, heavy, useless, and a bit gaudy, but it does great around here! Then again, much of art's purpose is to take up space without annoying anyone.

Bit-by-bit, and byte-by-byte the musical arts are going the same way. Nobody says, "I like background music. Yes, background music is my favorite kind of music." but that is exactly what the role of music is becoming. In this post-Walkman, age of free music and Ipods people can listen to music constantly. Listening to music that way can't help but make the music background music. The emotional neutrality of much Electronica is what makes it so appropriate to our age, not that fact that it's electronic. It used to be young people would ask one another "What sort of music are you into?" with a keen scrutiny now only reserved to polarizing political opinions. I am glad music leaving the world of controversy and intrigue, and now just fills the quiet when we feel lonely. I really hope the future of music has more to do with The Buddha Machine than anything that gets someboyd all riled up. Just relax.