Soap Boxes and African punters.

In today’s technologically advanced world, putting one’s art and opinions up onto the World Wide Web seems to be a very simple endeavour. If, however, you are one of those unfortunates who are challenged in the area of technology, it is a bit daunting. ‘Blogging’ may be a tool used for many of years now, but to some, it’s as foreign as another country. I fall into the latter category and to be honest, I have paid more or less no attention to the world of blogs. I have never been a fan of technology and would rather have a discussion with some-one face-to-face, than sit in front of a computer for hours- getting a headache. This essay will therefore be my exploration into the ‘blogging’ sphere, using three different blogs as my test-subjects. The South African example is ‘Kelly Berold Photography’, the African one is ‘African Painters’ and the international blog is ‘New Art’. All three blogs deal with art within the countries they originate from. Only the South African one is familiar to me. The other two, I literally had to Google. That’s going to show how little I know about blogging. Incidentally, I’ve decided to write this essay in a more informal and, mostly, in the first person. As a blog ‘newbie’, I personally definitely relate better when the author appears to be speaking to me, not at me. I am going with the general blog aesthetic.

Kelly Berold is actually a friend of mine. This is partly why I chose to explore her blog. She is a UCT film and media graduate and has started her own blog as a platform for her work as well as to advertise her services in the photography and media industry. She has posted quite a few of her photos onto the blog and has given a brief and personalised statement about each different ‘project’. The tone of her blog is informal and colloquial, which is refreshing as a few other blogs that I have perused, have left me bewildered and lost at times with the amount of pretentious art ‘lingo’ being slung around a small and insignificant corner of the cyber world. Berold is not one of the contemporary art heavy-weights (yet), which probably contributes to her unassuming approach to her blog. Her site has colourful text and her photos incorporate lots of colour. It is fun and quirky- reminiscent of Cape Town’s hidden secrets. The talented little jewels-in-the-making, the students that will take on the world. Kelly’s blog is relatively new so she has not made many posts, however, she has still managed to showcase her vast range of talents as well as a professional veneer.
The ‘African Painters’ blog is big. When I say big, I mean there are a lot of posts. There is also a big variety of topics. They all stick to one central theme- Africa. There are mini-biographies on various artists such as Ingrid Mwangi and Eria Sane Nsubuga; ‘New Talent’ biographies on Kossi Ankude, Krisito Assangni and Anagossi Gratien; and quite a few posts reserved for synopses for a host of Alex La Guma’s books: “A Walk in the Night”, “Time of the Butcherbird”, and “In the Fog of the Season's End’. The range of topics is glorious. From Diaspora to African fashion design, it is all pretty much covered. No-one can leave out the subject of politics when it comes to a previously colonised country, and this blog does not disprove that opinion. Representations of ‘blackness’ and ‘Islam’s black slaves’ are just two examples. This blog is definitely more formal and there is a lot of descriptions and art analysis. It is a huge African blog that deals with the age old question, ‘But what does it MEAN?’. To some, that is perfectly acceptable. They have no problem being told what to think. I personally feel that one should make one’s mind up for oneself.

The ‘African Painters’ blog in no way shares the light-hearted feeling that one experiences when looking at the ‘Kelly Berold Photography’ blog. It is all very serious and not really about the promotion of people’s art. ‘African Painters’ is more about promoting other people’s opinions on artworks that they themselves did not make. There is almost a ‘hero-worship’ feeling to it- the bloggers sitting behind their PCs, firing word-bullets with their witty and intensely intellectual statements. There are quotations and articles attached to the posts on the ‘African Painters’ blog, whereas ‘Kelly Berold Photography’ does not have either. The former deals with a whole host of artists and issues, whilst the latter deals with only one person. Kelly’s blog was written by herself as were all the posts. The ‘African Painters’ blog has posts from various and different people.
Both blogs deal with art in different ways and have shown me what is out there in terms of locally as well as in the greater part of Africa. My exploration so far has enhanced my respect for blogs and people who go through the time and effort to set them up. It really is a great way to promote yourself (as in the case of ‘Kelly Berold Photography’) or to learn about new artists (‘African Painters’), as well as expressing your opinion to people other than your long-suffering friends, who have undoubtedly heard it all before.

The international blog, entitled ‘New Art’ is (as far as I can tell) a blog started by a Polish blogger called ‘vvoi’. It deals with mostly Polish art, as well as architecture, exhibitions, music and politics. It is written in the first person and is quite informal. There is an impressive post about Maurizio Cattelan versus Francesca Woodman. A mini expose about copying or ‘referencing’ other people’s artworks for your own. Beautifully clear and interesting photos have been put up to accompany various texts as well as to show the reader a bit about art that we might not know already. Mostly, the blog is focussed on ‘vvoi’s’ opinions and rants. The blog has been running since the year 2000 and is definitely the ‘oldest’ blog I have looked at. There are plenty of posts and comments- mainly from friends or acquaintances of the blogger.
This is an excellent example of what blogging can do. It can not only be a forum for discussion of contentious issues, but it can be used for social networking as well. One’s work or totally random thoughts can be read by others. The result of which is endlessly exciting: job opportunities, etc. It shows how an individual amongst billions of other people, can be heard- can be given a platform. An anonymous and become known.

‘New Art’ offers exactly what it says: art. Any form of creative thinking. In this way, it is the same as the other two blogs discussed previously. It differs in that it is not formal and ‘stiff’ like the ‘African Painters’ blog. It is, in the term of the colloquial, ‘chilled’. It does, however, discuss work that (to my mind) is not focussed on that much- Eastern European and African. Both sectors are really upping the ante as far as exposure and talent is concerned, and blogs like these certainly help with this regard. It also differs from ‘Kelly Berold Photography’ as it is not focussed on a certain individual- nor is it the author’s intention to promote his own work. It’s more a discussion board, which Kelly’s blog is not. It is a well-organised blog and quite easy to access- which, let’s face it, is the most intimidating part of joining the cyber-world. There is nothing worse than sitting in front of a blog and thinking, ‘what is going on here?!’.

My exploration into the scary world of blogs has come to an end. I have read and researched three different blogs- one South African, one African and one international- thus satisfying my essay instructions as well as attempting to conquer my fears of technology. All three these blogs are different in their own ways, but the most prominent difference is the tone used in them, respectively. Going from personal and colloquial, to almost militant in the promotion of African art and the ‘de-colonising issue’, to the laid-back atmosphere of Eastern Europe (who have just cause to lament the fate of their countries, but do not do so).
I do not know if this experiment of mine has changed the way I feel about blogs. On the one hand, it is an amazing tool that can and should be utilized to the fullest extent by those of us who are too poor to hold exhibitions or do not have the connections. And then there are those of us who are studying in the middle of nowhere in the Eastern Cape. On the other, it opens you up to, at times, quite nasty and unnecessary criticism from people you do not know. Also, if you are just too lazy, blogging will not make your life any easier.
To me, blogging is the cyber-age’s answer to standing on a soapbox in Hyde Park, straining to be heard over the jeers of the people whose brains you are trying to infiltrate with your own propaganda.

Liesl Brenzel AHV3
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