The Gallery of Modernity

The Direct Economy

¶Aka: Acme Inc.

Hello, I’d like to buy that.

Oh hey there, welcome to our store, and of course. What color would you like it in?

Blue would be great!

Certainly, that will be $100.

Great here you go. Have a great Day

Wonderful. You too.

[END]

The Indirect Economy

¶Aka: The Gallery of Modernity

Oh hello, welcome to our free art gallery. This is Alexis, she will escort you around the gallery showing you pieces personalized to you.

Oh wonderful. So many other galleries charge to enter or try to sell me. Hi Alexis! How are you?

Hi. Shall we begin? You look like a 36 year old female, who might have 2 kids and 1 divorce. I know just the place to start.

Whoa, Alexis! That was incredibly rude! Why would you say something like that? How would you say I look like I have one divorce?

Am I wrong?

Yes infact! I’m 35, I have 3 kids, and I have been divorced twice if you must know.

I will update my records for you.

Whoa, what records? Update what? What else do you have about me? I thought this was an art gallery, why do you need to update anything at all?

So that I can show you around better. This way please.

Why wouldn’t you ask me what kind of art I like?

That takes too long. Here is our first stop, titled “Campbells Spaghetti Ohs Soup” the piece is proudly Sponsored by “Soap Suds by ~Tilde Pods” by the piece was created by Andy “Just Do It” Warhol. The notable parts of interest regarding this piece is that here at “The Gallery of Modernity” we think Andy loved the powerful Soap Suds that get your clothes looking brighter due to the radioactive shade of blue provided by our newest version of ~Tilde Pods - which are available in stores near you especially like CWS Pharmacia right around the corner as you exit the gallery on the Eastbound side of the road as you drive home.

Really?? Didn’t Warhol die in the 80s? Why do you think He would have liked your ~tilde pods? And why did you give him a tag line for a middle name?

Im so glad you asked. ~Tilde Pods are a beautifully packaged product just like the Campbells soup depicted in the canvas; clearly something Mr Warhol would have appreciated. There is no way to know what Mr. Warhol would have thought about them, but we know they would have been his favorite.

I’m not sure you can actually “know” that.

Oh here at “The Gallery of Modernity” we now know that your are a skeptical mother of 3 with two divorces, who has neutral reactions to ~Tilde Pods and certain shoe tag-lines. Shall we go to our second stop or is there more you would like to ask me?

Alexis, I am done here. I’m leaving.

See you tomorrow!

I don’t intend to ever come back. You might be the rudest thing I have ever encountered.

That’s fine. We come to you then, for your convenience of course. Here is a coupon for ~Tilde Pods that expires in the next 2 hours redeemable at the CWS we spoke earlier. We here at “The Gallery of Modernity” think you might want to brighten up your kids dingy clothese so you are not judged by the other mothers in your book club. Hope you found everythgin here helpful. Enjoy your day.

[CONTINUED… WITH NO END]

Everyday makers and creators choose to engage with their customers. We also chose the terms and principles we will bake into those engagements. We can be the Direct Economy or the Indirect one. One with humanity. Or one lurking with cold hearted data, probabilities, and reductionism.

Every day we choose. Profit or People. Greed or Generosity. Hoarding or Humanity. Us or Them. These each of these pairs is not wholly mutually exclusive, but let’s recognize the intersection in these Word-Venn-Diagrams is something that must be fought for and won, it’s not the natural default option for mankind.

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