What is art?

I contend that the following screenshots are complete digital artworks in their own right. The work is published within the constraints of the Instagram format. But published nevertheless. Images floated in the digital ether.

So who benefits? Is it a mutual arrangement or a one-sided deal? As the artist*, there is no apparent financial return only the intellectual challenge of feeding the IG beast or posting images of your analogue work with the hope of selling or expanding your audience.

I am a mix of both-being long in the tooth, I have gathered many loose ends, all dangling, waiting to be tied off or mindfully forgotten. And so this blog, my thinking aloud sounding board, my avoidance worksheet sorting the frayed string ends. I wander between this blog, my studio and the social media platforms. And wandering right a this moment, so back to the question of “what is art?”.

Is making art an activity using your intellect and motor skills, probing the emotional depths of your psyche, releasing unfettered feelings, stroking the ego and keeping the id in check, or just making pictures for relaxation and enjoyment, or making money ? Or is it an activity intrinsic to our humanity with the only variable being the influences of the society we live in at any point in time. The cultural sea that we each swim in, past and present.

The images on my IG timeline are not randomly selected nor part of a continuous stream reflecting my privileged daily activities, my work in progress, or mundane interests-maybe they should be. No, each image is purposely selected or especially made to create my aesthetic and visual narrative within the IG grid and timeline for all those reasons.

I enjoy the decision making involved in creating my timeline using my work made in both the analogue and digital domains. Is this not another art form in this digital age?

Some curator probably is beavering away to capitalise on such a notion, capturing exquisite insights into the current state of our world.

Discuss.

My timeline is in its autumn hiatus using iPhone photos from the garden. The colours are a knockout…I couldn’t compete and the images are a perfect match with the previous posts of our resident birds.

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The beginning of the feed.

Note *: I use the word “artist” as a cover all, as “drawer” has too many meanings and draftsperson is too restrictive and not truly reflective my drawings. I do paint but do not consider myself a painter. But I do paint with my finger on the devices. Calling myself a creative is too pompous and as such demands a 6-figure salary. Ooh it is all too confusing.