Introduction

The creation of sources of cultural newness is usually credited to the individuals who wrote, performed, or shaped the artworks. The newness is attributed to their rare “genius” – the painterly genius of Manet and Cézanne, of Pollock and Viola; the filmmaking genius of John Huston; or the musical genius of Jimi Hendrix. The relevance of the personal, mental, and physical contribution of artists is undisputed. This chapter tries to look beyond the personal contribution. Beyond the mental decision and its behavioral and material consequence, shifts in social circumstances take place, ranging from shifts in the immediate personal environment to shifts in the forces of society at large. These shifts change the constraints and the resources of those who are active in an artistic field. My focus will be on shifts in the availability of new resources and inputs, and on shifts in the relative prices of materials for artistic production.

At a first level, the argument uses a straightforward application of rational decision making: When the prices of goods that are relevant to artistic work change relative to the prices of other goods, the artists experience the change as a change in their financial constraints. Some options become affordable; others move out of reach. In either case, the artists, as well as those buying their works and performances, are faced with new choices.