Who Gets To Call IT Art

One thing that most people agree on is that the best art of any era reflects exactly what is going on in society at that time. The best music, paintings, dance and film have a way of always being in the moment and synchronized with each other even when the individual artists are working independently of each other and do not know each other.

Looking back over history, it is easy to reconstruct this phenomonon, even though things do not happen in the exact order of our art history books. There is always overlap and things get a little messy but for the most part, art defines each era precisely right across all art forms. Could you imagine Philip Glass' music being created at any other time other than in the late 20th century? The repetitive nature of his music is just like the repetition in an Andy Warhol print.


I was thinking about where we are these days. Without the benefit of hindsight, it is more difficult to define. But if you look back since the Abstract Expressionists morphed into Pop Art (going from humorless and angst -ridden to downright amusing - think Jackson Pollock to Andy Warhol), what have we done?

TV, in- your- face billboards and neon signs have given us a different persepctive than, say Rembrandt had. Remember Barbara Kruger's biting images superimposed with type? Kind of like an advertisement, but not. Lots of people said, Oh, I could have done that. But the fact is, they didn't do it. She did. No one would deny that she is a great artist.



When the color copier was first introduced, some photographers started to use it to make art. It seemed like a natural progression for them, to use new technology. Now some of those prints can be found in most museums. Certainly, blogging is a way of expressing oneself. But could it be called art? Who gets to say, this is art, this is not? There was a panel discussion among IT users and artists in London. It is very interesting. It is a hot topic among curators and art editors now.

I think we all tend to think the artists of the past were more impressive, more talented, greater somehow than those living in our own times. But I bet there are young artists out there right now, on the cutting edge, who are making art on the internet with words and images and whatever else moves them to create. Art does not necessarily equal pretty. It is an expression of the moment in whatever medium the artist chooses.


Have you heard of Twittering? Well, there is going to be a Twestival on February 12 so you can take part, if you like. It is like blogging only faster, shorter and more immediate. Where the heck will this all lead? What is next? I can't wait to find out.