Art At Work

As far back as one would imagine, work in a daily manner fills up the consciousness for a large majority of people . Whether it is preparing for work, performing work, recovering from work and in some cases dreaming of work, it has profoundly influenced the essence and nature of being human. No other activity has ever touched humanity in the way work has. Yet work, given its preeminent position within our culture has received a substantially disproportionate share of attention within the creative arts, media and other cultural industries.

Some have suggested that reasons for this lack of attention lay within the nature of work itself. That is, it generally does not provide much from an entertainment aspect. Basically the drudgery and monotony of the subject matter does not go over well at the box office. Others have stated that the reason lay within the political realm. That is, a sustained effort to prevent any sort of a working class consciousness has been finely controlled by those that drive the cultural mechanisms.

Regardless of the reason, there is indeed a cultural scarcity that exists. For the few within the arts community that have delved into the subject, it is apparent that they have been guided by the thoughts of liberation, emancipation and understanding the working person be it plight or exhilaration. From their work it can be realized that there are no escapist roads to pleasurdom within the subject matter. It has it's joy, it has its tragedies, it has its heart warming stories of triumph and the pitfalls of disaster. It has vices and the virtues, the good, the bad and the ugly. Above all, the subject has at the center, emotions. The emotions that we wear in our daily rituals and experiences at work.

Sadly it is quite a rare occasion that we witness these same emotions within the print, and on the airwaves and screens. Rarely do we get an opportunity to obtain a greater understanding of how work effects people, how it changes them, how it challenges them, and how it defines them.With this in mind, this section of Livingwork will attempt to provide a guide through the history and present of artistic endeavors that have attempted to shine a spotlight on the essence of work and humanity.

The buttons on the side will lead you to a compilation of poets, authors, musicians, and artists of various specialties who have forged into the subject matter and have successfully crafted a representation of the realities of work.

These listings are by no means a census, so if you have any suggestions for inclusion, please contact us and we'll be happy to include your source.