Globalization

Globalization is a broad concept referring generally to a reduction in national and geographical boundaries as a result of technological advances and sociopolitical and economic shifts.  These sweeping changes in our sociological experience have, needless to say, impacted the arts in ways both discreet and blatantly apparent.  Like postmodern thought, Globalization is about transcending boundaries, appropriating new ideas and symbol systems, and embracing diverse points of view and solutions to creative problems.

In the last few decades especially, technology has made contact with virtually every corner of the globe possible.  It has enabled ideas and media to be shared with such fluency that it's impossible to deny the influence of other cultures on our lives.  We are unavoidably affected by multiple points of view, and furthermore, by the realization that there are many points of view to be considered.  This, of course, is simultaneously subtle and monumental in shaping the contemporary human experience, not to mention our philosophies on art and education.  (For instance, the relatively progressive idea that there may be more than one right answer to any given problem.)  Last, but not least, Globalization has opened up our world so that the visual vocabulary of the entire planet is now at our disposal.  It's a very exciting time to be an artist.