Many of you may be avid bloggers yourselves, however for the not so social-media-minded of you, we have compiled a very brief summary of what the art blog is and why you should join this new community.
Art blogs are a relatively new arena that take the form of a direct commentary on art and are a type of interactive criticism that often aims to provoke a debate or reaction. More emotive and personal than so-called formal arts journalism, they reveal much about the character of the author. Blogs have been around since the late 90s, but it is not until 2003/4 that they became a popular or mainstream social tool. Yet despite being on the scene for many years now, the art blog has only recently come to be perceived as a valid or legitimate form of journalism (although the debate still holds strong in some quarters). Indeed this may be a result of more high-profile figures creating their own blogs, from celebrities including Paul Smith, to established art critics like Matthew Collings, thus solidifying the form, and for us at Artsinform, this change can only be perceived as a positive one. Now anyone can have a voice, an opinion or judgement on art which opens up the platform for news and communication, which is exciting for the arts and journalism as well as for us!
The blogs we've recently included in our directory vary greatly from being updated daily, to the less frequent blogs that are only updated once or twice a month. What they all have in common no matter how frequent they are, is that they allow the author the freedom to blog about anything, from their own thoughts to the latest news, reviews or recommendations, to gossip and insider information. By subscribing to a blog you can not only stay in the loop about an opening or exhibition, but you can post your own comments, events and sometimes even your own artwork.
Paul Smith's blog for Vogue.co.uk is updated between every two days and every two weeks and gives the reader a peek into the behind-the-scenes world of such an influential designer. His 'Not To Miss' and 'Must See' categories feature exhibitions from UK artists that he's visited or sometimes even those he intends to visit that very evening. Often the artists showcased on the blog have a connection to Paul Smith in some way. He may have bought their art or discovered them earlier in their career. Nowhere else can one find this sort of detailed and personal information on the web.
Differing in both content and style is the artist and critic Matthew Collings' blog for the Saatchi Gallery Online, which is an insightful and entertaining read. Entitled Put Downs and Suck Ups, the blog acts as his “weekly ventings on the artworld” in general and features critical writings and reviews. The blog is less interested in telling you what's on and more directed towards stimulating an intellectual and critical debate. The views expressed are very much his own, and he is in no way afraid to speak out against mainstream opinion. Definitely recommended!
Similar in critical outlook is Artopia, an ArtsJournal blog, and the arts diary of John Perreault, respected arts writer and poet. It features evaluations of the art he sees in galleries, museums, public spaces, and sometimes in artists' studios. His focus is mainly on hidden away corners of Manhattan and Brooklyn, although with the occasional visits abroad. His interest is new art of all kinds: from Minimalism and earth art to realist painting; from pattern painting to performance art; from street works to ceramics and design. Perreault's aim is to be as direct as possible and he writes that he “will not hide behind the slippery and authoritarian third person, so be prepared for a lot of first-person pronouns. This is a rhetorical device and a metaphor. I will think aloud, so to speak. I will argue with myself.” This quote sums up exactly what the art blog represents, and this in particular is definitely one to watch!
For highbrow, intellectual arts commentary check out the blog from the Bedeutung quarterly magazine. It is radical and thought-provoking, written by prominent members of the intelligentsia from all over the world. The articles are published daily on any subject from Philosophy and Current Affairs, to Art, Literature and Design. The blog is geared towards the “circulation of analysis, comment and contemplation”, and encourages a two-way debate. Anyone can respond, and many of the articles published on the Bedeutung Blog receive comments in the hundreds – inspiration to us all to get involved in daily art debates.
With its finger on the pulse of the established international art scene, Brooklyn-based BOMB Magazine has formed its own BOMBlog, a weekly art news digest. The blog features in a typical week exhibitions from New York, London, Venice and Munich to name but a few countries. Like Bedeutung, their aim is to provoke and inspire a conversation between the editors and readers. Sign in to read comments and to reply along with thousands of others. It also has a Bombalerts section which highlights the best events on that day, so you never miss a beat.
Other new additions to our UK arts blogs include exciting new writer Katherine Woodfine's award-winning blog, Follow the Yellow Brick Road. Featuring art and culture news from London and Manchester the blog is a charming and intimate commentary on whatever exciting new artist or gallery comes her way. Updated two or three times a week, she focuses on hard to find or completely obscure galleries. She receives many comments from people wanting their work or event mentioned or reviewed on the blog. There is a real community feel to this blog, and we believe the success she's had so far will only increase over time.
Similar in style is the blog by the artist Eleanor Jane Cardwell, entitled A Good Idea on Paper. It showcases her own work and that of other emerging artists mainly in the London area. As the title suggests, Cardwell's main focus is on art where the medium is paper itself. Artists featured on the site vary from making large and imposing installations, to small, intricate and detailed pieces. The overriding atmosphere is delicate and fragile, and the accompanying essays are very informative.
This list is by no means exhaustive, so expect to see many more emerge in our directory over the coming months, as more are found every day. There are thousands out there and we are doing our best to source the best ones for you. We are also aware that there are far more international or American blogs out there than British, but they are increasing in number... so watch this space. In the meantime, feel free to contact us about any blogs you wish to see featured, wherever in the world they are written.
Best Wishes,
Bobbie Winter-Burke
A list of the webpages referenced in this article:
Bedeutung – Highbrow and intellectual worldwide arts debate.
http://bedeutung.wordpress.com/
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BOMBlog** - Brooklyn-based magazine encouraging a conversation about the arts.
Eleanor Jane Cardwell: A Good Idea On Paper - London artist, features work using paper as the medium.
http://agoodideaonpaper.blogspot.com/
Matthew Collings for Saatchi Gallery Online: Put Downs and Suck Ups - Weekly ventings on the artworld from art critic Collings.
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/blogon/
John Perreault: Artopia for ArtsJournal - Arts diary from Perreault on galleries in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
http://www.artsjournal.com/artopia
Paul Smith at Vogue - Insider information and news from the artworld.
http://www.vogue.co.uk/blogs/paul-smith
Katherine Woodfine: Follow The Yellow Brick Road - London and Manchester-based blog, intimate commentary of hard-to-find galleries.
