The World at Your Fingertips

student number: g07h0599

“The world at your fingertips” takes on a completely different, and literal, meaning when considering the boundless possibilities available to us on the internet. The vast amount of information is suited to everybody’s needs and interests; if you are looking for something, you will find it in this virtual space. The world of blogs, particularly in the art scene, has revolutionized the way one can integrate and interact with what is happening in the art world. Not only does the internet, and blogs alike, benefit the viewers, but also the artists themselves. Blogs allow artists to establish and expose themselves, locally and internationally, while at the same time they allow those that are already established to further develop their career. Mbongeni Buthelezi is a perfect example of an artist that has utilised the internet to his advantage.

Mbongeni Richman Buthelezi is a South African artist who melts various coloured plastics, an innovative substitute for the expensive oil painting medium, originally motivated by a time of economic struggle. Buthelezi has an interesting biography, while not being a particularly well known South African artist, he has exhibited in various galleries in South Africa including the Seippel gallery in Johannesburg, as well as at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. Buthelezi has exhibited in the Cairo Biennale in 2006 as well as in a range of international countries; Amsterdam, Germany and Spain to mention a few over the most recent years.

Considering South Africa plays a small role in the global art scene, South African artists, like Buthelezi, have quite an obstacle when trying to gain international exposure. However, the web 2.0 and blogging are tools that they can use to overcome this. Buthelezi is mentioned in a few international blogs, but one that particularly grabbed my attention was titled Almost Ninja. What I found particularly fascinating is that, taking into account that this blog is Mexican, there is some interest, even if it is miniscule, in an artist like Buthelezi on the opposite side of the world. Creating opportunities for him to expose and promote his work to a market that otherwise one may not even have considered. Buthelezi is mentioned in relation to the Mercedez-Benz Award for South African Art and Culture, presented by the Daimler Art Collection in Berlin. In this Berlin based exhibition they annually “[honour] South African artists working in different disciplines, giving them an opportunity to present their work to an international audience.” The article does not mention the work of each individual, but rather provides an overall description of the award and South Africa in general. There is clearly an international interest in South Africa and an attempt to promote its art and culture is evident- perhaps stemming from the notion of “authentic Africa”. In the blog article, Buthelezi is mentioned alongside some of South Africa’s most well known artists, such as Jane Alexander.

Almost Ninja is accessible from a social networking perspective. You can become a fan of it on Facebook allowing one to receive feeds and updates whenever one logs onto Facebook, whether their profile is set up for personal or career based uses. Twitter, similar to Facebook, is a way of networking and connecting to the people around the world that share similar interests. Almost Ninja not only has a Facebook option, but a Twitter option too, keeping the followers of Almost Ninja up to scratch with the most recent blog articles by following the “tweets” posted. By utilizing these networking tools, blogs such as Almost Ninja expose artists like Buthelezi to the people that are likely to take a keen interest in such artists. Without these networking possibilities it would be impossible to promote and expose the information in these articles to the small, yet desired, market available to artists like Buthelezi. Without realising, blogs are a carefully thought out marketing strategy, designed to draw in people, often a small target market. Almost Ninja, like many blogs, has various links, pictures and random “tit bits” on the side to draw in the attention of the viewer.

Many blogs have a personal touch, and are written by an individual from their own point of view and about their interests. What is amazing about blogs and the use of the internet is that no matter how personal your blog may seem, there will always be a group of people that have the same interests as yourself and will follow and interact with your blog, posts and comments. Brandie is one such person, she developed her blog Out and About Africa for the purpose of sharing and expressing the beauty of Africa from an art, fashion, design and photographic perspective. Out and About Africa is layered with many different facets of art; and Buthelezi features in one of her daily blurbs. The way that Brandie has composed and designed her blog proves to be an accessible manner to the public. Even though her blurb is limited in terms of biographical information, she has a link that takes you directly to a page that further informs you about Buthelezi in terms of his exhibitions, works and a short description of the kind of artist he is. It is these links that are integral to professionals such as Buthelezi. A simple yet eye catching post about Buthelezi on Brandie’s blog can lead one on a virtual trip through the click of a mouse, to a more detailed biography of the artist where you may, in this particular case, find the opportunity to contact Buthelezi himself. Links and networking like this are beneficial for everyone involved; whether one simply takes an interest in Buthelezi, or if one is in it for career orientated reasons. The exposure that Buthelezi is gaining though sites and blogs like Out and About Africa is hugely profitable from his professional perspective, including the message he may be sending through his work about South Africa, not only to local viewers but, to viewers of the world that wouldn’t necessarily have seen his work..

Blogs like Brandie’s allow anyone in the public who may share an interest in art to participate and be a part of the experience, a new approach somewhat different to the heavy academic scholarly material of the past. On the same note, the culture of blog commenting is another way of creating a space for accessible interaction for the regular viewer. Out and About Africa has the possibility to comment on every individual blurb, whether anonymously or not, it is up to the individual to decide. The advantage of having the anonymous option is it encourages the viewers to participate in discussions around the relevant discourse that they may otherwise not have been brave enough to say. Brandie allows for numerous possibilities in the interests of her visiting bloggers. She has set up her blog allowing for the viewers to sift through anything that they will find of particular interest, such as her favourite blogs, as well as links to what the viewer may find interesting in relation to specific blurbs. Similar to Almost Ninja, Brandie uses Twitter as a way of keeping anyone who shares the same interests and passions about Africa up to date with her latest posts.

It comes as no surprise that the South African blog, Post High Def’, covers Buthelezi in most detail, and is most beneficial to those reading the blog and, of course, Buthelezi himself. This blog is set up very much like a news paper reporting on different aspects and stories in South Africa. There are “recent posts” and “top posts” options on the home page, to make viewing and choosing the significant and most up-to-date stories on the site easier for the regular viewer. Buthelezi and his peculiar but novel art making process is covered in a detailed and descriptive post, very much like a journal article titled Blowing Life into Plastic. In the post the reader gets a very good sense of the kind of artist Buthelezi is, through a vivid and thorough description of the work he showcases. The post not only covers Buthelezi as an artist, but also speaks of the concepts behind his work; the racial issues so inherent in the South African history. Although it is a heavy and loaded academic topic, it is spoken about in an accessible manner for the everyday reader, a common benefit of blogging. The comments however, unlike Out and About Africa and Almost Ninja are all located in one separate space, titled in order to associate with their applicable topics. Although there may be some reasons that this may be beneficial, it seems as though the blogs that have their comment spaces attached to their relevant posts contributes to the interactive nature that is associated with blogs. Post High Def’ does give its viewers the Twitter option, just like both Out and About Africa and Almost Ninja do. Similar to Out and About Africa, at the end of specific posts there are links to related topics that may interest the reader. The Blowing Life into Plastic post promotes Buthelezi by discussing his upcoming solo exhibition, creating awareness for anybody who may take an interest in his work.

Blogging and the utilizing of social networking, such as Facebook and Twitter, has created a new space in which anybody that takes an interest in art can participate in discussions without feeling out of the loop, or derided. Art and the art circles have become accessible to anyone who wishes to participate, whether it is actively or passively. Art blogs play an important role from numerous perspectives. From the artist’s perspective, they are being exposed and promoted through all sorts of techniques used on the blogs, particularly through the use of links. As a viewer, you are learning and experiencing about the artist through a virtual space without having to travel to view the exhibitions. This aspect is very beneficial for those that are stuck in small towns, such as Grahamstown, and wish to experience the world of art. The interaction that is created through the commenting on blogs creates an “art clique”, pardon the pun, and opens up infinite possibilities and views that otherwise may not have been recognised. Blogging is part of a new era of art; the opportunities that are presented by the internet, but more specifically web 2.0, are endless and just like anything in life, what you put in is what you get out!