The Death of the Artist

How Creators Are Struggling to Survive in the Age of Billionaires and Big Tech

By: William Deresiewicz

Narrated by: Sean Patrick Hopkins

A deeply researched warning about how the digital economy threatens artists' lives and work—the music, writing, and visual art that sustain our souls and societies—from an award-winning essayist and critic

There are two stories you hear about earning a living as an artist in the digital age. One comes from Silicon Valley. There's never been a better time to be an artist, it goes. If you've got a laptop, you've got a recording studio. If you've got an iPhone, you've got a movie camera. And if production is cheap, distribution is free: it's called the Internet. Everyone's an artist; just tap your creativity and put your stuff out there.

The other comes from artists themselves. Sure, it goes, you can put your stuff out there, but who's going to pay you for it? Everyone is not an artist. Making art takes years of dedication, and that requires a means of support. If things don't change, a lot of art will cease to be sustainable.

So which account is true? Since people are still making a living as artists today, how are they managing to do it? William Deresiewicz, a leading critic of the arts and of contemporary culture, set out to answer those questions. Based on interviews with artists of all kinds, The Death of the Artist argues that we are in the midst of an epochal transformation. If artists were artisans in the Renaissance, bohemians in the nineteenth century, and professionals in the twentieth, a new paradigm is emerging in the digital age, one that is changing our fundamental ideas about the nature of art and the role of the artist in society.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company

A groundbreaking survey of industrial collapse

Bill Deresiewicz weaves together a devastating story of the wide variety of different artistic professions that have been systematically targeted for destruction, and are then eaten alive by Big Tech, during this internet age. Anyone who has ever been or known an aspiring artist of any kind will probably find this book as cathartic a read as I did.

Finally someone said it

This is the first indispensable tome on being a creative who’s just trying to work amidst the bizarre, personal brand driven, tech choked, “wantrepreneur” hypnosis that is our current audience environment. This book is so good, and so repeatedly on point, that I’m getting copy for my mom so she finally gets the struggle of the ever shifting modern art market.

Bravo.

Artist Rise Up…

As an artist who did things, the “right” way, went to school to perfect my craft and took out loans while trying to fall in the trap of the starving artist, it’s as if this book uncovered my deepest fears and gave them a platform. I know we’re all going through it but it’s also us who need to come together and link arms against the foolery. I absolutely loved, LOVED everything about this book!! It should be a must read for all artists and those in academia. Period!

A must read/listen for anyone involved in the arts

This is a must-read/listen for anyone who is even semi-seriously attempting to make a living as a musician / artist, who cares about anyone who is trying to do so, or who is even tangentially interested in the landscape or economic issues relating to such. This book, though both data analysis and testimonials, confirms many of the trends I've suspected, experienced, blogged about, podcasted about, and thought about constantly. It also contextualizes them in the broader landscape of the economy.

Additionally, this was written pre-covid, obviously, so if you think the title is hyperbolic, odds are that it's not hyperbolic enough. Makes a great suggestion for the next person who asks you to do something "for exposure"!

Expands opinions and feelings years in the making

A great read for any artist looking to learn more about where things are for all creative fields in the big tech era. Would also recommend to consumers who are looking to be informed and ethical in supporting and funding the arts in an impactful and efficient way. Demonetizing art is a huge issue and Deresiewicz does a great job of giving a broad view of how difficult it can be to be a professional artist in a time when the internet claims how easy it is to become an artist.