Tue, May 16, 2006
"Scene"—4:40 PM
Chris Ware on Chicago:
It’s also a good place to be an artist — unpretentious, without any real “scene” or certain civic identity to restrict oneself, allowing one to do anything without any ridiculous fear of fitting into any fashionable theory or trend.
Obvioously, I can't say that I specifically perceived this in my brief visit to Chicago a couple of years ago, but I did prefer it markedly to New York, and I think this underlying distinction is partly why. The "scene" mentality is something I've always detested about New York (along with the constant crowds). New Yorkers seems to have a distinct ownership of their city, their borough, and sometimes their block – an ownership which seems exclusive and semi-hostile. (BOCTAOE.)
That's something I liked about Los Angeles, but didn't realize it until I heard Ware put it this way. It was a town that was aware of its reputation for apathy and disconnectedness, and at times it specifically nurtured that reputation. This had its drawbacks, but it also kept me from feeling excluded in the way NYC does. Sure, I was excluded, but it seemed like it was part of the general disconnectedness – nothing personal.
