Nate and I talk about a lot of things in this conversation, which is one of the ones that has stuck with me the most. One sentiment in particular has been with me since we talked, Nate said “I don’t like any traditions that exclude any other traditions.” This sentiment is so powerful, and applicable to many of the issues that are plaguing art in the West, from the era’s bizarre obsession with authenticity and cultural appropriation policing, to the conservative orthodoxy that has made the arts sluggish and numb.

Speaking to Nate, and listening to this again I feel a renewed commitment to our responsibility as artist to audiences. Too often I am part of conversations where artists’ priorities seem to be pleasing other artists, critics, and pundits, while the audiences are thought of as merely bystanders. This prioritization is what I believe has steered the arts into a cultural decline. Decline, contrary to what many people will tell you, is a choice. People like Nate have refused this choice, and are instead carving a different path. I hope this conversation will help illuminate how he and his cohort are navigating this path, which adds to the Western canon, while pushing it forward, which is ultimately the only direction it can move.

Read more about Nate here