This chapter explores the contradictions of work and identity in postindustrial cities by constructing a constellation of dialectical concepts to cast light on the dialectic of art and economy and the conditions of work in the cultural and creative industries. It is argued that people working in the cultural and creative industries have to negotiate this contradictory terrain and construct artistic identities in order to engage with the dialectic of art and economy and its expressions in cultural work, identity, and urban spaces.
