A reader has criticised the growing emphasis on marketing, administration and economics in Sydney’s arts sector, arguing that cultural expression should focus on meaningful work rather than commercial priorities.
Neville Williams, of Darlinghurst, said the arts had become an “industry of sorts” in which management and promotion could matter more than the work itself. His comments followed an article about Michael Rodrigues, NSW’s first 24-hour economy commissioner, and his international travel promoting Sydney.
“Are artists of whatever persuasion saying anything any more or are we just another barnacle on the lumbering whale of the body politic?” Williams wrote.
He questioned why creativity had been reduced to a “business model”, saying art was too often treated as disposable decoration rather than a medium capable of communicating with and moving audiences.
Williams also argued that artists were not immune to the appeal of material rewards and distractions, which he said could take them away from producing work that connected with people.
“Rodrigues can take as many high-flying trips as he likes,” he wrote. “But what we want to see and feel is the art that is meaningful and speaks to us on the ground.”
