At the Creators Series, a “multidisciplinary salon-style conference” held in New York last weekend, which will travel to Los Angeles this weekend, an audience member asked a panel of artists whether the interactive filmmaking techniques they were discussing had any commercial potential.

In terms of individual artists’ work, the answer may vary. But as for the overall field of new media art, the sponsor of the conference, Tomorrow Unlimited, is betting it’s a resounding yes. Tomorrow Unlimited was launched earlier this year by Tribeca Enterprises, an umbrella company that also includes the Tribeca Film Festival and Tribeca Cinemas. Tomorrow Unlimited aims to foster “emerging creativity,” particularly in the areas of new technology and multimedia. The clothing manufacturer Diesel is already a sponsor of the Creators Series, and Tribeca Enterprises expects that other companies wanting to attract a young, empowered consumer will soon be eager to attach themselves to Tomorrow Unlimited’s maverick image and network of emerging talent.

Read full article (The New York Sun, June 13, 2007)

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Hockney’s claim is that the young generation’s involvement with auditory stimulae - as represented by the iPod - results in a decline in their understanding and appreciation of visual art. “We are not in a very visual age,” he said. “I think it’s all about sound. People plug in their ears and don’t look much, whereas for me my eyes are the biggest pleasure. You notice that on buses. People don’t look out of the window, they are plugged in and listening to something.”

Read full article (The Guardian, June 13, 2007)