Publicity > Identity
The identity of an artist is defined by the experience their audience has when viewing their art. Conventional art mediums like painting, performance and sculpture rely heavily on their audience physically being there to view them, and their prestige and experience is even effected by the room in which they are shown. The internet has created a platform for countless more mediums, but its the context and environment that makes them different from more conventional art forms.
An artists paintings or photographs can be viewed in quick succession while in the comfort of your own room, listening to your favourite Triple J mix, eating peanut butter out of a tin in your underwear if you please. How then does this shape the identity of the artist who is presenting their work in this way?
Most artists know full well their works are being viewed this way. Apps like Instagram help to create an easily accessed online portfolio for artists and allows potential collaborators or employers to view their art all across the world without having to meet them in person. But, just as it was before, competition is intense with this process. The “trend” algorithms help steam-roll those who are popular to even higher popularity, and even if your work is seen it’s probably for a fraction of a second as someone scrolls past it at light speed.
This creates a culture where artists are sacrificing their art in order to fit to this fast evolving and highly competitive atmosphere. The “8 second rule”, suggested by a study in 2015 by Microsoft has compacted these art forms into bite sized, grabby chunks - a shadow of what art used to be. Perhaps the minimalist movement really did win over the public.
Identity for an artist is defined by their work, and if their work is being diminished to fit the platforms we use most - then our artists, too, are diminished.