The Internet for Luddite Artists

Excuse me while I get something off of my chest. It’s my blog, and I get to say what I want. Just stick with me for a bit, here.

“I’m not a computer person.”

A few weeks ago I was speaking at an Artist Trust event, and an older artist said this to me, in front of everyone. My first reaction was to think, “Dude, it’s 2012. That’s not a valid statement in business any more.” But I didn’t say that. I just nodded and continued with my presentation on how to use the Internet to sell art.

What does “I’m not a computer person” even mean? It means completely different things for different people. If I were to say that, I’d probably mean that I don’t know how to build them or write software. In my mind, computer people live and breathe hardware. Others might say that it means they don’t know how to make a computer work very well and don’t spend much time online.

“I’m not a computer person,” is a sort of abdication of ability to learn something new. It’s a refusal to be a part of contemporary society. I’m not even talking about conformity – I’m talking about simply understanding that the world you live in is largely shaped by computers and the Internet.

It seems to me that an artist who ignores the Internet at this point in time dooms their work and their self to irrelevance.

If an artist’s place is to see what others cannot see, and translate that into the physical, sensory world, then they must understand what drives contemporary culture and thought.

So, for those artists who don’t spend much time online, I’d like to introduce you, however briefly, to the Internet’s culture, also known as Cyberculture. To my friends who already know this stuff, bear with me – it would be impossible to explain all of this in a single blog post, so I’m going to hit the highlights.

What is Cyberculture?

In times past, people united around shared identity – think white male country club or the black barbershop. With the advent of mass media (newspapers and television), people often united around shared events – think I Love Lucy, the Challenger disaster, or 9/11. That still happens, but increasingly, people are uniting around shared affinity. Previously, people with narrow interests might be considered strange, and they might have felt isolated because they didn’t know anyone else who liked what they did.

Online communities are diverse. With a quick Google search, anyone can find a group with shared interests. There are places that everyone is aware of, like Facebook. There are also places for every sort of exotic interest. I love Dungeons and Dragons. There’s a place for that. You might love Webkinz, knitting, dirt bikes or even cyborg anthropology. There’s a place (and probably an app) for that.

Online communities have some special differences from physical world communities. Obviously you can’t touch the person you interact with – but you can certainly see them. You see their avatar – the picture or animation that they choose to use – or you see them through a webcam.

Each of these communities have their own culture – their own distinct slang and worldview. They might be anything from very loving and nurturing, to bordering on anarchy, held together by the weakest of ties.

Online communities are changing us

Cyborg Theory states that because of the way that machines and objects have become a part of our everyday life, we are all cyborgs (part human, part machine). We don’t think about this because it’s so natural. Every day you wake up, use a machine to brew coffee, blend juice, drive to work, and perhaps even create your art. We touch our machines. We name them, and perceive them as part of who we are.

The Internet and digital communication like texting or video chat are the same way. Many people, especially those under 30, wake up and check their Facebook page on their smartphone while drinking their morning coffee. They don’t watch the morning news or read the paper. They get their news from their friends who share links to important stories.

When something tragic happens, many people don’t pick up the phone. They share it on a blog or community page. The digital community rallies around us. Facebook has dozens of secret or private groups for people who have chronic illnesses – helping people learn to manage their condition and giving them a sense of support.

Politics is changed by digital technology as well. Slacktivists shame governments and large companies into change simply by typing and texting. Many credit Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential victory to his savvy embrace of social media.

Using Cyberculture as muse and medium

With so many profound changes happening in our lives, there is a dearth of art that truly explores this cultural shift. A few artists have delved into the meaning of cyber-bullying or other popular issues. The people truly exploring the Internet through art are often not traditionally trained artists, but meme generators – people with an artist’s talent for knowing what will resonate with large numbers of people. See some of the most popular memes, and tell me that some of these aren’t a form of art.

If more trained artists, steeped in technique and art history, were as intimately familiar with Internet memes and Cyberculture, I would love to see what came out of that.

The Cocktail Party analogy

Another concept to understand the importance of is “weak ties.” Imagine that you are at a cocktail party. You are in a pretty dress, or a nice suit. You’re talking to your spouse, laughing and having a good time. A man walks up and starts talking to your spouse. They know and like each other, and your spouse introduces the man to you. You chat pleasantly for a while, then he sees someone else that he knows and excuses himself.

At a very large cocktail party, this kind of activity might happen a few dozen times. There are perhaps a few hundred people, and you can’t meet all of them in one night.

The next day, your husband’s friend walks in front of your house on his way somewhere. He sees you on the front lawn and stops, says hello and mentions that he’s looking for a job. Turns out that you just happen to know someone who is looking for an employee. Your husband’s friend has the right skill set, and you make a match.

You barely know each other, but you have made a powerful impact on this person’s life. That is the power of weak ties.

The Internet amplifies the power of weak ties many times over. Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites are like an always-on cocktail party where everyone is invited. You are introduced to other people through various conversations. Some you like. Others you loathe. You help some. Others help you as the party continues.

So, all of that said – how could you use the Internet to grow your art business?

image credit: Tactical Media blog