The Artist & His Audience - We're only fooling ourselves

If a tree falls in the forest with no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?  Of course it does - but it doesn't make a splash.

Whither the artist without an audience?  Can he even be fairly called an artist?

Art, in whatever form it takes, is, in essence, a form of communication, and communication requires two parties.  It may be rewarding, satisfying, and - dare I say - fun! to write, paint, sing, sculpt, in the privacy of one's home/garage/cell for one's own amusement, but it's not, at the end of the day, the same as speaking to the wider world.  (And narcissism never draws an audience of more than one.)


Not that there isn't a certain romantic appeal to being an 'undiscovered genius'.  We've all heard stories of the writer that famous authors claim is the 'greatest living' - but nobody's read them.  Films that influenced the biggest directors - but you've never seen them.  (And they're not in Blockbuster, believe me.)  There is, however, an unfortunate synchronicity of unappreciated greatness and depression, and poverty, and bad hygiene.  Besides, there's a fine line (so fine it may be undetectable) between "great unknown" and "dilettante".

I could be (ok, hypothetically, but work with me here) writing something that would change people's lives, but who'd know?  I'm acutely aware, from past experience as a songwriter, that it's the reaction you get from people that makes it all worthwhile - the knowledge that someone, somewhere, in some small way appreciated what you created.  (Yes, yes, it'd be nice if they paid for it, but one thing at a time!)

There is at least an underlying financial dynamic in the commercial "art" world.  A play that doesn't fill the theater closes early.  A movie that can't draw the kids to the Cineplex is destined for a sudden appearance on DVD.  A book without an audience is quickly remaindered.  But in the cyberworld, it's a little different: if nobody's paying attention, does it even matter?

I can't help feeling that it does.  Having embarked on this venture, I have to wonder if anyone's reading - or will be.  And I don't want this to become a high-tech vanity project.

So: like me or loathe me.  Just keep reading.