Blogs as art (Part I)

I totally love art--not all art, though, since I think some artists are more concerned with reflecting the ugliness of the world than attempting to convey beauty. But I love it enough to think and read about it often (though I have yet to blog about it), and of course, seek it out wherever I am.

One day as I was walking through the Art Institute of Chicago, looking at the sculptures and paintings, I thought about blogs as a kind of "museum" of ideas. Perhaps blogs are an art form. Think about it: you may have a number of blogs that are bookmarked or are listed on your blog (if you have one), and you visit them, read them, and react to them, either silently or by posting a comment or sending an email. Each blog showcases a person's talents and insights, and expresses the individual's unique creativity. That's what art is. So would it be valid to assign the same concept to blogs?

Some blogs showcase someone's photography or drawings or graphic designs. Because of the visual nature of those kinds of blogs, they would be a more obvious example of art. But what about political blogs? I think well-written ones can serve as an art form, because the writer is trying to convey a worldview that has been shaped through the clever and persuasive use of words. And many commentators are not doing it for money--they're taking time out of their day to insert their perspective from their corner of the planet. There are plenty of other kinds of blogs that cover a variety of themes, including the "life" commentators, who are just providing their unique spin on whatever is happening.

Thus each blog is shaped according to the desires of its creator, molding words to convey their thoughts in interesting ways, and is on view for anyone who passes by in the vast "museum" of ideas and images. Think about your favorite blogs--they are different from each other, and if you step back far enough, you'll see the unique forms that have developed.

Next: what a few bloggers have said about this subject.