Economic trends ebb & flow
ranging from boom timers to recessions and depressions. In this era of extreme
urban density development marked by gentrification, it would be curious to
consider how these urban areas will look like when and during the next economic
tsunami hits. During the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, municipalities
were bankrupt, urban areas were hollowed out as the upper and middle class fled
leaving the poor (mainly of color), and crime was rampant, particularly violent
crime.
Nonetheless the art & culture
scene blossomed, driven by those pioneers who either couldn’t afford to leave
or decided to stay, thrived amongst the rubble, sometimes literally, of the
vacated city. And that’s why we marvel at the artistic, cinematic and musical
genius creations of the 1970s and 1980s and mourn their demise during the 21st
century. Even the structures that housed these groups have been bulldozed and
with wrecking balls to make way for luxury glass towers, the permanent physical
removal of any and all remnants of that period with no visible traces or even
markers left. The artists of that period are now middle to late middle age,
still struggling starving artists living on the fringes of the city instead of
the once vacated core - fringe artists living on the fringe creating their
fringe art.
In a karmic sense “what goes around
comes around.” Because whenever the next economic collapse occurs – perhaps sooner
than you think – it will probably be long lasting and force the evacuation of
the newest residents of the newest buildings because of rising unemployment in
upper-strata jobs. The glass towers will become the next generation of artists’
newest abode possibly taking advantage of squatters’ rights as the corporate
real-estate owners are financially dissolved and unable to challenge the new
informal residents. Or perhaps to stay financially solvent, these corporations
may even rent spaces to them at affordable rates.
Cool, cutting edge art created from
former garnish looking glass luxury towers doesn’t seem as gritty as those created
from the newly repurposed former industrial buildings of Soho or Tribeca. But
like a phoenix, the cultural spirit from bygone years will resurrect itself
with the younger generation using 21st century social media tools
for their artistic work. The only questions is whether this generation’s art
will have that unfiltered, raw, independent grit as their 1970s forbearers to
recreate that 1970s environment.
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Indo-Brazilian Associates LLC 2016. All
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