Painting the Nation:Examining the Intersection Between Politics and the Visual Arts Market in Emerging Economies

Politics and art have throughout history, intersected in diverse and complex ways. Ideologies and political systems have used the arts to create a certain image and, depending on the form of government this has varied from clear-cut state propaganda, to patronage, to more indirect arms-length funding procedures. Therefore, artists working within the macro-level socio-political context cannot help but be influenced, inspired and sometimes restricted by these policies and political influences. This article examines the contemporary art markets of two emerging, Socialist economies to investigate the relationship between state pol-itics and the contemporary visual arts market. We argue that the respective governments and art worlds are trying to construct a brand narrative for their nations, but that these discourses are often at cross-purposes. In doing so, we illustrate that it is impos-sible to separate a consideration of the artwork from the macro-level context in which it is produced, distributed, and consumed

Industry in Motion: Using Smart Phones to Explore the Spatial Network of the Garment Industry in New York City

Industrial agglomerations have long been thought to offer economic and social benefits to firms and people that are only captured by location within their specified geographies. Using the case study of New York City’s garment industry along with data acquired from cell phones and social media, this study set out to understand the discrete activities underpinning the economic dynamics of an industrial agglomeration. Over a two week period, data was collected by employing the geo-locative capabilities of Foursquare, a social media application, to record every movement of fashion workers employed at fashion design firms located both inside and outside the geographical boundaries of New York City’s Garment District. This unique method of studying worker activity exposed the day-to-day dynamics of an industrial district with a precision thus far undocumented in literature. Our work suggests that having access to the cluster provides almost the same agglomeration economies as residing within its borders.Rockefeller Foundatio

Bohemia as Subculture; “Bohemia” as Industry

Artists have long been thought of as agents of revitalization, transforming warehouses and blighted neighborhoods into bohemian enclaves that become destinations for the well-heeled, simultaneously bringing redevelopment and reinvestment. Yet, the active cultivation of art as a central part of economic development is new. The increasing shift in economic development focused on attracting people not smokestacks has brought art and culture center-stage. This article considers the arts in economic development through several discrete but interrelated lenses: 1) As an amenity or consumption product 2) As a redevelopment and development tool 3) As a way to “brand” place 4) As generator of jobs and revenue. Finally, I consider current research that begins to unpack the social and economic processes necessary to cultural production. This line of research may enable a better understanding of the arts' function and potential in economic development. </jats:p

Inconspicuous consumption, a new form of social distinction?

Cultural capital plays a key role in defining and perpetuating class inequality in contemporary America. As demonstrated by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett in her work, the old leisure class has been replaced by a new elite, and conspicuous consumption is no longer the ultimate symbol of social distinction. Today, social distinction is achieved through immaterial investments in “small things”: discreet, inconspicuous consumption, requiring a high amount of knowledge and education. Sustainable consumption, notably through food and clothing, is part of this new social distinction of the “aspirational class”. To scale-up sustainable consumption, it is essential to make it more accessible to middle and lower-income groups

The Occupation—Industry Mismatch: New Trajectories for Regional Cluster Analysis and Economic Development

This article is a natural extension of the current discussion on occupational clustering and economic growth. It is argued that, while there has been increased interest in the role of occupations, little has been done from a methodological and empirical approach to discover how the study of occupations can illuminate the study of industry. Prior work in cluster analysis has generally taken an ‘either/or’ approach towards occupational and industrial analysis. Porter’s clustering model has illuminated the cross-fertilising linkages across industries, but this is only half the story. It is argued that what drives these clusters is not only the industry, but also the people and their occupational skills and, therefore, such analysis must be expanded. Using the case of the IT sector in Los Angeles, the industry approach is combined with an ‘occupational cluster analysis’. It is concluded that this approach leads to a better understanding of regional competitiveness and growth. </jats:p