the.world.is.flat-第66章
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From the late 1970s until right around 2000； the way Bill did his job and served his
clients was pretty much the same。
〃Clients； like The New York Times； would want a finished piece of artwork；〃 Bill
explained to me。 So if he was doing an illustration for a newspaper or a magazine；
or proposing a new logo for a product； he would actually create a piece of art…sketch
it； color it； mount it on an illustration board； cover it with tissue； put it in a
package that was opened with two flaps； and have it delivered by messenger or FedEx。
He called it 〃flap art。〃 In the industry it was known as 〃camera…ready art；〃 because
it neededto be shot； printed on four different layers of color film； or 〃separations；〃
and prepared for publication。 〃It was a finished product； and it had a certain
preciousness to it；〃 said Bill。 〃It was a real piece of art； and sometimes people
would hang them on their walls。 In fact； The New York Times would have shows of works
that were created by illustrators for its publications。〃
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But in the last few years 〃that started to change；〃 Bill told me； as publications
and ad agencies moved to digital preparation； relying on the new software…namely；
Quark； Photoshop； and Illustrator； which graphic artists refer to as 〃the
trinity〃…which made digital computer design so much easier。 Everyone who went through
art school got trained on these programs。 Indeed； Bill explained； graphic design got
so much easier that it became a commodity。 It got turned into vanilla ice cream。 〃In
terms of design；〃 he said； 〃the technology gave everyone the same tools； so everyone
could do straight lines and everyone could do work that was halfway decent。 You used
to need an eye to see if something was in balance and had the right typeface； but
all of a sudden anyone could hammer out something that was acceptable。〃
So Greer pushed himself up the knowledge ladder。 As publications demanded that all
final products be presented as digital files that could be uploaded； and there was
no longer any more demand for that precious flap art； he transformed himself into
an ideas consultant。 〃Ideation〃 was what his clients； including McDonald's and
Unilever； wanted。 He stopped using pens and ink and would just do pencil sketches；
scan them into his computer； color them by using the computer's mouse； and then e…mail
them to the client； which would have some less skilled artists finish them。
〃It was unconscious；〃 said Greer。 〃I had to look for work that not everyone else could
do； and that young artists couldn't do with technology for a fraction of what I was
being paid。 So I started getting offers where people would say to me； 'Can you do
this and just give us the big idea？' They would give me a concept； and they would
just want sketches； ideas； and not a finished piece of art。 I still use the basic
skill of drawing； but just to convey an idea…quick sketches； not finished artwork。
And for these ideas they will still pay pretty good money。 It has actually taken me
to a different level。 It is more like being a consultant rather than a JAFA （Just
Another Fucking Artist）。 There are a lot of JAFAs out there。 So now I am an idea man；
and I have played off that。 My clients just buy concepts。〃 The JAFAs then do the art
in…house or it gets outsourced。 〃They can take my raw sketches and finish them and
illustrate them using com242
puter programs； and it is not like I would do it； but it is good enough；〃 Greer said。
But then another thing happened。 While the evolving technology turned the lower end
of Greer's business into a commodity； it opened up a whole new market at the upper
end： Greer's magazine clients。 One day； one of his regular clients approached him
and asked if he could do morphs。 Morphs are cartoon strips in which one character
evolves into another。 So Martha Stewart is in the opening frame and morphs into
Courtney Love by the closing frame。 Drew Barrymore morphs into Drew Carey。 Mariah
Carey morphs into Jim Carrey。 Cher morphs into Britney Spears。 When he was first
approached to do these； Greer had no idea where to begin。 So he went onto Amazon。com
and located some specialized software； bought it； tried it out for a few days； and
produced his first morph。 Since then he has developed a specialty in the process；
and the market for them has expanded to include Maxim magazine； More； and
Nickelodeon…one a men's magazine； one a middle…aged women's magazine； and one a kids'
magazine。
In other words； someone invented a whole new kind of sauce to go on the vanilla； and
Greer jumped on it。 This is exactly what happens in the global economy as a whole。
〃I was experienced enough to pick these ＇morphs＇ up pretty quickly；〃 said Greer。 〃Now
I do them on my Mac laptop； anywhere I am； from Santa Barbara to Minneapolis to my
apartment in New York。 Sometimes clients give me a subject； and sometimes I just come
up with them。 Morphing used to be one of those really high…end things you saw on TV；
and then they came out with this consumer ＇software＇ program and people could do it
themselves； and I shaped them so magazines could use them。 I just upload them as a
series of JPEG files。 。 。 Morphs have been a good business for different magazines。
I even get fan mail from kids！〃
Greer had never done morphs until the technology evolved and created a new；
specialized niche； just when a changing market for his work made him eager to learn
new skills。 〃I wish I could say it was all intentional；〃 he confessed。 〃I was just
available for work and just lucky they gave me a chance to do these things。 I know
so many artists who got
washed out。 One guy who was an illustrator has become a package designer； some have
gotten out of the field altogether； one of the best designers I know became a landscape
architect。 She is still a designer but changed her medium altogether。 Visual people
can adapt； but I am still nervous about the future。〃
I told Greer his story fit well into some of the terms I was using in this book。 He
began as a chocolate sauce （a classic illustrator）； was turned into a vanilla
commodity （a classic illustrator in the computer age）； upgraded his skills to become
a special chocolate sauce again （a design consultant）； then learned how to become
a cherry on top （a morphs artist） by fulfilling a new demand created by an increasingly
specialized market。
Greer contemplated my compliment for a moment and then said； 〃And here all I was trying
to do was survive…and I still am。〃 As he got up to leave； though； he told me that
he was going out to meet a friend 〃to juggle together。〃 They have been juggling
partners for years； just a little side business they sometimes do on a street corner
or for private parties。 Greer has very good hand…eye coordination。 〃But even juggling
is being commoditized；〃 he complained。 〃It used to be if you could juggle five balls；
you were really special。 Now juggling five balls is like just anteing up。 My partner
and I used to perform together； and he was the seven…ball champ when I met him。 Now
fourteen…year…old kids can juggle seven balls； no problem。 Now they have these books；
like Juggling for Dummies； and kits that will teach you how to juggle。 So they've
just upped the standard。〃
As goes juggling； so goes the world。
These are our real choices： to try to put up walls of protection or to keep marching
forward with the confidence that American society still has the right stuff； even
in a flatter world。 I say march forward。 As long as we keep tending to the secrets
of our sauce； we will do fine。 There are so many things about the American system
that are ideally suited for nurturing individuals who can compete and thrive in a
flat world。
How so？ It starts with America's research universities； which spin off
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a steady stream of competitive experiments； innovations； and scientific
breakthroughs …from mathematics to biology to physics to chemistry。 It is a truism；
but the more educated you are； the more options you will have in a flat world。 〃Our
university system is the best；〃 said Bill Gates。 〃We fund our universities to do a
lot of r
