The Value of the UK Culture - Essay Example

Value of UK Culture Value of UK Culture Introduction Art is an aesthetic manifestation of a culture that embodies thepeople’s ideals, concepts vision. It may be tangible or intangible, visual or aural. It is also a manifestation of the economic state of the community and their wealth. It has been said that art items shows the wealth of a nation. Art has also contributed to the economic upliftment of a nation. It is defined by Britannica Concise Encyclopedia as a “visual object or experience consciously created through an expression of skill or imagination” (“art” 2009, para. 4). The concept of art has evolved with time. The notion of art as people understand today is not the same as people in the past know it (What is Art 1998). In reality, the term art and artist are modern innovations (What is Art 1998). The aesthetic manifestations were appreciated by people at various times but not as an art form (What is Art 1998). Artists in the past were classified as craftsmen, along with shoemakers and weavers. They were later leveled with poets and musicians whose works are subject to imagination and inspiration (What is Art 1998). Art has not been given a suitable definition (What is Art 1998). Art is also an experience, a personal experience in that different persons may have different interpretations of an art. Therefore, an item of art can have different financial value according to different persons. The experience derived from art should be taken into consideration in appraising the worth of an art (Parker 2003). Current forms of art works include “painting, sculpture, printmaking, drawing, decorative arts, photography, and installation” (“art” 2009, para. 4). Perception and Appreciation of Art According to the Gestalt psychology, visual images are arranged by the nervous system to a form that conforms to dominant conditions (Funch 1997). Human perception is inclined towards “balance and symmetry” and any stimulus is arranged to achieve balance thereby producing a “good gestalt” (Funch 1997, p. 78). Since an art work is already a good gestalt, the audience becomes involved with the art work and “benefit from the new reality created by the artist (Funch 1997, p. 78). An artist externalises his world and draws the viewer to that world without the influence of other factors except those embodied in the art work (Koffka, 1940, cited in Funch 1997). The Gestalt psychology, according to Theodor Lipps, is the basis of the Empathy Theory (by Theodor Lipps) and Aesthetic Theory (by Charles Henry) (Funch 1997). Value of Art Works in the UK As in other civilizations of the past and countries at the present, United Kingdom values its art possessions as well as the artists that create them. An art work has economic and financial value. There are paintings that worth millions, such as those painted by renowned painters in past, that it would be a great loss should they be lost. For this reason, valuable paintings are insured with specialist paintings insurance or art collection insurance in UK (Paintings Insurance 2009). The UK government also places importance on lost and stolen art works. Thus, it passed the Holocaust (Stolen Art) Restitution Act sponsored by Labour MP Andrew Dismore to recover more than 20 art works taken by the Nazis (during World War II) from British museums and either return them to the Jewish owners or receive an equivalent payment at their option (Aderet 2009). The policy reviews conducted by the local bodies (Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, Northern Ireland Assembly) since 1996 gave priority to cultural issues that address concerns on “access, excellence, creativity, cultural diversity, the artist, new technologies and culture and education” (United Kingdom 2009, para. 2). The 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) set the priorities for government expenditure and expressed commitment to “modernisation and reform,” however, the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review placed culture in the last of the priorities (United Kingdom 2009, para. 3). The management and development of cultural products are intertwined with economic factors that laws and policies must take into account. The World Trade Organisation has also issued rules that would govern the cultural products that include films, radio and books (Voon 2009). A balance must be taken between liberalisation and objectives of cultural policy (Voon 2009). Cultural Products and Industries The four elements of a cultural product, according to Marcoux and Marcoux (2009), are the following: a) the product, b) derivative or adjunct products, c) associated services, and d) experience the consumer have of the product (that includes the value the consumer ascribes to the product). (Marcoux & Marcoux 2009). The artist, however, is still the central focus of a cultural product (Marcoux & Marcoux 2009). Comprising the cultural products industries are those that offer: a) service that concentrates on “entertainment, edification, and information” (ex. movies, music, print media, museums) and (2) created products through which the audience can generate specific “forms of individuality, self-affirmation, and social display (e.g., fashion clothing or jewelry)” (Scott 2004, p. 462). A broader cultural economy embodies the cultural products industries that manufacture goods and services bearing a “subjective meaning” or “sign-value” for the consumer which is higher than the “utilitarian purpose” (Scott 2004, p. 462). The role of cultural product industries in the economic system cannot be discounted (Scott 2004). In 1991, UK cultural product industries employ around 1 million workers that comprise 4.5 percent of the total workforce (Pratt 1997, cited in Scott 2004). London shared 26.9 percent in the pie (Pratt 1997, cited in Scott 2004). Although the overall income contribution of cultural industries might not be remarkable, the employment opportunity it provides to people is sizable (Scott 2004). Cultural product industries are composed of few large firms and numerous small ones (Scott 2004). The big companies are inclined to create en-masse that may result to the “diminution of symbolic function in final outputs” (Scott 2002b, cited in Scott 2004, para. 467). The cultural industries comprising the cultural economy are clamped together by common characteristics, to wit: a) creation of aesthetic content, b) the increase in excess income predisposes higher consumption of the products, and c) strong competition urges individual establishments to group into “dense specialized clusters or industrial districts” while the products easily disperse on the international markets (Scott 2004, p. 462). Marketing of cultural products are no longer confined by geographical locations due to globalisation (Du Gay 1997). Thus, cultural products can already be sold online through the internet. Of course, there are still the traditional printed adverts, radio and television promotion. The product is marketed by an organisation by requesting a person to view and experience it (Marcoux & Marcoux 2009). The artistic director considers the other three elements (besides the product) in the overall plan of activity (Marcoux & Marcoux 2009). In other companies, however, the marketing director is left to decide whether to include the other three elements when marketing the product (Marcoux & Marcoux 2009). Thus, the audience may go to the Montreal International Jazz Festival to view a particular show (e.g. artistic or central product) or savor the ambiance or environment (the experience) (Marcoux & Marcoux 2009). Related service refers to the parking space offered that the customer may consider in deciding which theatre to go (Marcoux & Marcoux 2009). Therefore, the consumer will decide based on the benefits that can be received from any of the four elements (Marcoux & Marcoux 2009). Earlier activities related to marketing were influenced by the economic-base theory and growth-pole theory that offer strong guidelines (Perroux 1961, cited in Scott 2004) but ignores the cultural industries, except that of tourism (Scott 2004). Promotion and marketing as well as economic development programmes shifted the focus on the local level with entrepreneurial municipal governments on the fore (Scott 2004). Succeeding programmes on the local level upgraded and developed the “local cultural resources, including historical and artistic attractions of all varieties” (Philo & Kearns 1993; Graham, Ashworth, & Tunbridge 2000, cited in Scott 2004, p. 464). Heightening the image and prominence of specific locations would invite investors (Scott 2004). Thus, old industrial cities or deteriorated properties are renovated and rehabilitated to serve as tourist sites (Bianchini 1993, cited in Scott 2004). Festivals, carnivals, sports events, etc. are promoted to augment local income (Gratton, Dobson & Shibli 2001; Ingerson 2001, cited in Scott 2004). Capitalism that allows accumulation of excess income encourages growth of the cultural economy and penetration of the sign-value into the production activity, thus, intensifying the “design content and styling” of the products that give competitive leverage (Lawrence and Phillips 2002, cited in Scott 2004, p. 463). These industries attain remarkable expansion and exert developmental influence on the economy on specific areas (Scott 2004, p. 462). For instance, old manufacturing towns situated in the Midlands and north of England have unexpectedly become areas of cultural production (Wynne 1992a, cited in Scott 2004). Such recognition attributed to manufacturing towns makes them a destination for tourists. The travel and tourism industry will level with the manufacturing sector (which subsided by 16 percent in 2002) in a few years (McRae 2004). The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reported that travel and tourism share in the global GDP is 10.6 percent while in the UK it is 10.2 percent (around £118 billion) (McRae 2004). With the demand projection pegged at £176 billion, the industry is booming than the rest of the sectors (McRae 2004). McRae (2004) suggested that the figures be made more specific so that business travel and tourism statistics are properly delineated. The internet has been utilised to the utmost in the promotion of cultural and historical sites. The website history-tourist.com showcases the architectural and historical accomplishments of UK by territory (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), historical period, and architectural structures, as well as corresponding information on travel, accommodation, and food and drinks (History-Tourist.com 2008). The homepage is minimalist but the icons beside its category are attractive. Moreover, each cultural site features exhaustive historical information and photographs that can really enthuse tourists on the lookout for destination. Museums play an important role in the preservation and marketing of cultural products. Some museums in UK include the following: British Museum, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Tate Modern (Alberge 2008). British museum had 6.04 million visitors in 2008 with one million surge from the 2007 figures (Alberge 2008). Blackpool had 5.5 million in 2007 while Tate Modern had 5.23 million visitors for the same year (Alberge 2008). One of its British museum’s main attraction is the First Emperor of China, accompanied by the human size terracotta warriors from the Qin Shihuangdi tomb that had an audience of 850,000 (two times than expected number) (Alberge 2008). Other objects found in the tomb were also displayed. The museum also featured Hadrian (the Roman Emperor), Shah Abbas (Iranian King). There is also the Great North Museum: Hancock (managed by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums for Newcastle University) which was officially opened by the Queen (The Queen 2009). Great North Museum houses items in archaeology, natural history, geology and world cultures from the North East, which comprise the old Hancock Museum, Shefton Museum, and Museum of Antiquities (by Newcastle University) (The Queen 2009). The renovated museum also showcases a planetarium, life-size replica skeleton of T-rex, Ancient Egypt mummies, Hadrian’s Wall (and treasures), and a vast array of ancient Greek art and archaeology. Conclusion The evolution and development in concepts and frameworks lent to the study and transformation of the concept of art and art forms. Ancient masterpieces were not considered as art works by their creators or by the community that they exist. Art forms as understood in the modern context were made with utilitarian purpose so that their makers were considered as craftsmen. This, however, does not include the fine arts such as music and poetry. With time, the creations of these craftsmen were categorised as art forms and the creators became artists. Many innovations in the modern world have provided more venues for artistic expression that the enumeration of art forms became varied (e.g. motion pictures, sketches, graphic arts, abstract paintings, etc.). These art forms have higher value than the ordinary utilitarian objects due to the subjective meaning and sign-value ascribed to it. However, many art forms today contain both aesthetic as well as utilitarian values that it is quite hard whether to categorise them as art forms or not. An earthen jar that is used in the kitchen may be so delicately embellished that an art expert would classify it as an art piece. Fashion and jewelry are already considered cultural products that creators endeavour to produce sophisticated designs and styles in order to penetrate the market. Old manufacturing sites became a cultural heritage worth to be classified as a cultural production. Theorists and scholars expanded the concept that classifies art forms into the broader term cultural products which is intertwined with cultural economy. The cultural industries, comprising the cultural economy, include the creators of art and the organisations that promote and market cultural products. A movie outfit producing feature films or the museum belongs to the cultural industries. These industries group together according to their specialisation in order to survive competition and have a competitive leverage in the market. One advantage modern society offers is that while these industries are geographically limited, the cultural products are widely spread around the globe. The current technology also allows for such wide dispersal of cultural products through the internet. Cultural products can be sold on-line or advetised through a website. Cultural products contain economic value that creators may produce them for economic gain. Consumption of cultural products surge up as wealth increases which is bolstered by capitalism. Cultural industries that still remain as huge contributor to economic vibrancy are the movie production, tourism and museums. Blockbuster films keep the economy moving where profit is allocated among the actors and actresses, producers, directors, crews, etc. and the government for the corresponding taxes. Museums that feature ancient artifacts and history attract visitors by millions. While museums market the cultural products, they also preserve and restore them. Museums house the cultural products whose economic value may reach billions of pounds. Thus, museum owners and operators, either private or government, spent much money in the renovation and development of museum infrastructure to further enhance the services offered. For instance, the Great North Museum: Hancock was renovated to house collections from three museums. Its expansion costs £27 million (The Queen 2009). The museums however, may be part of the itinerary of tourists who visit cultural sites. Consumption of cultural products may depend on the benefits the consumer perceives to get from them. They may consider the related services that come along the cultural product. Therefore, the marketer of cultural products needs to consider all the adjunct features and benefits in their promotional efforts. The tourism sector fares well as to income but shows a statistics imbalance with more British going abroad than foreign tourists coming in (McRae 2004). Corollary to the increase in tourism statistics is the degradation of the “natural and cultural environment upon which it depends” (Sustainable Tourism n.d., para. 3). Therefore, any promotional and advertising effort to expose a historical or architectural site should be accompanied by in-depth study and analysis that would preserve the site from human activities. The government should play an active role in the production, maintenance, preservation, and marketing of cultural products. It cannot be discounted that art works can save the country from financial collapse with potential earnings in billions. It can pass more laws that would provide more protection to art works, especially those promoted online which can be easily counterfeited. Laws must be responsive to the advancement in the current technology. Moreover, the government must provide assistance to the marketing efforts of private cultural industries by utilising its consulates and embassies in other countries to showcase what United Kingdom is. References Aderet O 2009. New British law lets museums return works stolen by Nazis. Haaretz.com. Available from: . [Accessed 20 November 2009]. Alberge D 2008 July 2. British Museum ‘is Britain’s most popular attraction’. The Times. Available from: . [Accessed 17 November 2009]. “art” 2009. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Answers.com. Available from: . [Accessed 18 November 2009]. Du Gay P. Production of Culture/Cultures of Production. Sage Publications Ltd: London. Google Books. Available from: . [Accessed 19 November 2009]. Funch BS 1997. The psychology of art appreciation. Museum Tusculanum Press. AKA Print. Available from: . [Accessed 18 November 2009]. History-Tourist.com 2008. Available from: . [Accessed 19 November 2009]. Marcoux C & Marcoux Rémi M 2009 November 11. Components of the Cultural Product. HEC Montreal. . McRae H 2004 August 26. How we can attract tourists to the UK (since they won’t come for the weather). The Independent. Available from: . [Accessed 20 November 2009]. Paintings Insurance and why UK Owners Should Invest 2009 October 28. . [Accessed 19November 2009]. Parker, Dewitt H. 2003 November. The Principles of Aesthetics. Available from: . [Accessed 17 November 2009]. Scott AJ 2004 March. Cultural-Products Industries and Urban Economic Development: Prospects for Growth and Market Contestation in Global Context. Urban Affairs Review, pp. 461-490. Available from: . Sustainable Tourism 2010 n.d. Wessex Institute of Technology. Available from: . [Accessed 17 November 2009]. The Queen at the Great North Museum 2009. Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums. Available from: . [Accessed 19 November 2009]. United Kingdom/4.Current issues in cultural policy development and debate. 2009. Compendium. Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe. Available from: . [Accessed 19 November 2009]. Voon T 2009. Cultural Products and the World Trade Organization. Cambridge. Available from: . [Accessed 19 November 2009]. What is Art .... ? .... What is an Artist ? 1998 February 8. Pannell Gallery. Available from: . [Accessed 17 November 2009]. Read More