The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World by Lewis Hyde

The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World, by Lewis Hyde is an exploration of the vital importance of creative gifts in modern society. He examines the concept of the artist - their motivations, their relationship with the public, and their role in our lives. Hyde looks at the centuries-old tradition of gift exchange, and argues that our modern understanding of creativity should be rooted in this concept.

Hyde starts by exploring the experience of the artistic genius, who is seen as someone ‘able to make something new out of the materials of their culture’. He acknowledges the difficulties such an ideal brings, saying that even though modern contemporary life threatens to eradicate true creativity, there will always be individuals who rise up against this pressure and ‘kindle their own strange lights’. Hyde then shifts his focus to the gift, and defines it as something freely given in a spirit of ‘unnecessary generosity’. He ties this into the modern economy, saying how the processes of production and exchange have increasingly become focussed on efficiency and standardization, which in turn have come to dominate the lives of modern people.

Hyde then looks more closely at the artist and their work. He draws a distinction between the artist and the free-giver, saying that while the free-giver offers up a gift of tastelessness and unknowability, the artist can offer up a true creative work by producing something with warmth, colour, and excitement. He looks at the unique power wielded by the artist in modern society, the special place their gifts hold in people’s daily lives, and the role they can play in bridging the gap between us and the unknown.

Hyde then moves on to consider how our modern conceptions of copyright and intellectual property have changed the way we view the gift. He argues against the idea that every creative work is owned and has capital value, saying instead that art should be seen as a communal resource, drawing on and contributing to the pool of ideas shared by the many. Finally, he looks at how the gift should be passed on, exploring the idea of what he calls ‘the metaphysics of cultural transmission’, and the need for us to nurture our creativity and share our gifts with those around us.

In The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World, Lewis Hyde provides an insightful and thought-provoking exploration of the importance of creativity in modern society. He examines the many facets of the artist’s work, the changing nature of our conceptions of copyright, and the need for us to pass on the gift of creativity. Through these lyrical yet challenging insights into the nature of creativity, Hyde invites us to consider the role of the artist in our present world and the wisdom they can bring us.