I have not seen this commercial yet, but I am going to take a stab at it...
Usually, the sale of art to major corporations for use in sale techniques is
a sure sign for serious trouble within that art community. This is
different. Detroit has developed in a unique manner. Detroit has been able
to develop in such a way where the artists and all their art remain
functioning in its original purist form, no matter what. Commercialism,
mainstreamism, and all the various braches of capitalism has reached into
the inner circle of Detroit techno, this can not be denied. But the artists
have retained their firm stance of "our way only", the art has not, nor will
it, change in its form. Again, I will reiterate what I believe about the
mainstreaming of not only Detroit, but with all electronic art. With an art
so stripped down, so raw and ill-defined, so positionless, I believe that it
is near impossible to corrupt it through the "normal" channels in which art
usually becomes corrupted. Art is often ruined in the mainstream for it
often has a social or political stance which losses its meaning and
sincerity. Techno, however, has a social stance that is so broad in its
blanket that I feel the only way it ("it" being its stance) can falter and
die is through its social _success_. In other words, the only way techno
will fail in its purist views is if all of man suddenly became smug and
happy with life, and had no desire to pursue a fantasy or dream to escape
to...
Back to the commercial. Aside from my opinion above, I also feel that
Detroit has become so proud, so united, that even companies like Detroit
based Ford feel importance of artists like Juan Atkins, and indeed the
significance of Detroit as a whole upon the rest of the social world...
And if all the above still doesn't appeal, consider that the mainstream
integration is being fueled by the artists themselves, look at DEMF, The
Congress, Plus8, the Playstation Tour, the Jaguar, on and on...
I *think* that the artists realize that after 15+ years, it is nearly proven
that "techno" will never loose its original shine...
darw_n
"create, demonstrate, toneshift..."
http://www.mp3.com/stations/clevelandunderground
http://www.mp3.com/darw_n
http://www.sphereproductions.com/topic/Darwin.html
http://www.mannequinodd.com
