Over and Over

This borrowed nostalgia for an unremembered past is the subject of a new book by leading music writer Simon Reynolds. He states that we are reaching a tipping point where music will have nothing left to revive. Many of the most popular selling records and concerts in recent years have been reissues and reformations. More recent bands and artists borrow heavily from the near past; The White Stripes, Ariel Pink and Joanna Newsome for example are very much in thrall to previous eras in music.

So does this chime a death knell for popular music or should music look to other art forms for inspiration? Do contemporary visual artists worry about borrowing from the past in the same way? How has fashion dealt with the notion of retro?

Join artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, artist and performer Cosey Fanni Tutti, Professor of Fashion History Caroline Evans, Simon Reynolds and chaired by music writer Rob Young to discuss what the future holds for music and perhaps for art more widely.

2June2011