City Research Online

Abstract

Consecration is the process by which producers in creative fields become canonized as “greats”. However, is this the end of the story? Research on consecration focuses on the drivers of consecration, but pays little attention to the post-consecration period. Furthermore, the research ignores the dynamics of consecration. To address these gaps, we examine the changing fortunes of a consecrated artist – the musician Phil Collins. We identify the ways in which three actors (fans, critics, and peers) assemble for consecration, disassemble for deconsecration, and reassemble for reconsecration. Examining the changing public image and commercial fortunes of Collins as a solo artist between 1980-2020, we identify a N-shaped process of rise-fall-rise that we call the Phil Collins Effect (PCE). This effect offers a new way of thinking about how cultural producers gain, lose and regain status in their fields.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This author accepted manuscript is deposited under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC) licence. This means that anyone may distribute, adapt, and build upon the work for non-commercial purposes, subject to full attribution. If you wish to use this manuscript for commercial purposes, please contact permissions@emerald.com.
Publisher Keywords:	consecration, reconsecration, career revival, artistic reputation, popular culture, Phil Collins
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
Departments:	Bayes Business School > Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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