The Power of Successful Blogging

Essay: You are the Power: The Impact of Web 2.0

The Power of Successful Blogging

The phenomenon of the ‘World Wide Web’, perhaps more commonly known as the ‘Internet,’ was developed by Tim Berners-Lee. His vision for the World Wide Web was that it would be a device for gathering and creating access to a mass of information through virtual human interaction and collaboration. Web 2.0 is a stage of development towards Berners-Lee’s ultimate gaol. There are various ‘systems’ that have developed simultaneously with Web 2.0 one of which is Rich Site Summary (RSS). RSS is a format designed to help regular internet users to narrow down information intake to sites that specifically interest them. You will find RSS feeds on more and more sites nowadays, as people are becoming more aware of its benefits. The development of Folksonomy, also known as collaborative tagging, social indexing or social tagging, is a kind-of bookmarking of sites which has become a collaborative way of annotating and categorizing information. Blogging is another system that stems from Web 2.0. It involves the notion of the production of self-published information. The benefits of blogging are broadening and increasing numbers of people are becoming aware its capacities. It can be accessed by millions of people all over the world at virtually no cost. My essay focuses on the blogging with particular reference to four different blogs created by visual artists as a mechanism of self-promotion. Wikis, another interesting system of the internet, is similar to Blogging, in the sense that anyone can create a hub of information and, like blogging, it can be updated and changed so that it doesn't become outmoded in its design, content and style. See http://www.charlesleadbeater.net/cms/xstandard/Web2.0_OVerview.pdf for further information with regards to the power of Web 2.0

Now that all the banal, predictable information has been covered and condensed into one boring introductory paragraph, let’s have a look at what this essay is really about: artists that blog and why? Blogs have become the newsstands of the internet world. In the ‘blogosphere,’ one can find just about anything from up-to-date news coverage, the latest celebrity gossip, sports commentary, fashion/styling tips, political propaganda to ‘how to tie your shoelaces in thirty-seven different ways!!. Different blogs will be analysed and looked at according to their content and style with relation to how they have made use of blogging for networking to benefit themselves. I am also interested in the context of the g with regards to ‘origins’, whether it is South African, African or International. Here, the international ‘blog-artist’ of concern is the infamous Damien Hirst, who is also a part of the well established Young British Artists, (The YBA’s with the other parts including, Sarah Lucas and Tracey Emin). Hirst is an example of someone who has used blogging to his advantage. A South African example of a successful blog space, is that of Avant Car Guard, a trio of young men from Johannesburg who work collaboratively towards one goal. Concerning an African blog, i will navigate two examples. Jepchumba, a Nigerian artist living overseas is a digital wiz and is also responsible for the creation of the site called African Digital Art Network. This network is where one will find a link to both her own blog as well as that of Kenneth Shofela Coker.

Avant Car Guard, which started as a group show called At Dirt Contemporary, is made up of Zander Blom, Michael McGarry and Jan-Henri Booyens. Together they encapsulate an aura of silliness which aids the nature of their very different and often very quirky work. In an interview with Robert Sloon, which is posted on Art Heat’s blog – http://artheat.net/?2009/09/avant-car-guard.html- Zander Blom explains what it means to be a part of Avant Car Guard: “It’s a thing of hanging out, getting drunk and coming up with ideas. It’s not sitting down and this is our fucking manifesto, this is what we work with, this is our brand.” Avant Car Guard has their own blog at http://avantcarguard.blogspot.com/. The design of the site is simple but effective comprising a mainly a white background. Their signature mark is a simple logo comprising a triangle, square and circle in primary colours and juxtaposed on top of the three shapes, a hand yielding a sword and a pirate-skull flag. The blog comprises solely of photographs taken at their latest exhibitions/shows. The most recent post is of photos taken at their exhibition at the Johburg Art Fair in April this year, titled ‘WHATIFTHEWORLD.’ The photos show them riding around the gallery space in a golf cart that is covered in A4 pieces of paper, with AVANT CAR GUARD printed in bold letters. It looks like they’re having a pretty fun time, drinks in hand and so on. In fact most of the photos, show them having a couple of drinks and smoking in pretty much whatever they are doing. They have a kind of a ‘rock star’ element about them, although in the interview with Sloon, Blom explains that their ‘look’ is more about a “punk sensibility than a rock band sensibility.” On the Avant Car Guard blog, there are no write-ups or blurbs about their work, it is an endless stream of photos, showing the boys doing their thing, whether it be drinking, working or playing. To them it’s all one thing. It’s what they do. It is Avant Car Guard.

Avant Car Guard, at their exhibition during the Johburg Art Fair, April 2009.

Damien Hirst is said to be the richest living artist of our time. If it has anything to do with his blog it would be understandable as his blog truly fantastic. It is the most virtually interactive blog that will be discussed in this essay. Here one can fill in a poll based on what you think of the artists work. When viewing the statistics, it was interesting to note that the majority of people who answered the question, “What do you think about my art?” chose the option, “I’ll answer you if you pay me.” If one is in the mood for a bit of online shopping, this is also a possibility on Hirst’s blog. There is the option of purchasing ‘the cheapest art in the world!’ which are postcards titled, “For the Love of Paris Forever,” (a photoshopped version of his famous Diamond Skull that was worth 50 million pounds) and “For the Love Of Paris,” an altered iconic image, with the letters ‘You got to love art!’ placed diagonally across the whole image. This is a play on the whole notion of copyrighting images, except it is ironic in Hirst’s context, as the slogan, which he uses often, is placed there on purpose. Hirst’s sense of humour never fails, which is evident here in his little online shop, as he has provided art to buy for ‘the rich,’ and ‘the poor.’ The exact same postcards are shown below each title. While the cheap art only costs 1, 5 euro, the expensive art which is exactly the same as the cheap art, costs 1, 000 000 Euros!! Then for the real Hirst fans, one can purchase an item of “You Got Love Art!” clothing. The clothes come in various styles of t-shirts, hoodies and even boxers and thongs. Like any other blog, one can decide to follow Hirst’s blog, and therefore will receive news on his latest updates. Hirst’s most recent posts, are titled photographs, with rather bizarre descriptions below them. The photographs are part of a series titled, “White Plastic Windowsill."

'For the Love of Paris Forever'

‘For the Love of Paris’

The classic thong, for only 6, 50 pounds.

The two African blogs were found on a site called Global Voices Online, which provided a link to the site called African Digital Art Network. This site, created an artist of the diaspora, Nigerian Jepchumba, is where one will find a link to her own blog as well Kenneth Sofela Coker. Jepchumba’s blog is actually called Afrodigi Studio, which a space where she posts all her work for her fans to view. She works with digital and new media, graphic design, audio/video production, 3D/2D animation. With this range of skills under her belt, it seems only right that Jepchumba would choose the Internet as a platform for self promotion and an ideal place to receive recognition. On Afrodigi Studio, you are offered the option of looking at all of Jepchumba’s artwork, under the genres of videos, web design, artwork and graphic design. There is also the option of contacting the artist, whether it is simply just to communicate with or if want to hire her as she offers a whole range of web services such as; print and web design, audio/visual production and digital media consultation.

An example of Jepchumba's work.

Kenneth Coker’s blog is also an artist of the diaspora. He is 22 years old and from Lagos, Nigeria, although he currently lives in Memphis, Tennesse. He is an animator/illustrator who has successfully created a blog where one can easily view his work and get insight into his artistic endeavours. The purpose of his blog, as he explains in an interview on African Digital Art, is because he is trying to start up a career in the animation industry. He also uses the Internet for inspiration, as it allows him to access sites such as Drawn.ca and Notcot.org, which are also sites that focus on animation. On Coker’s blog one can view his full multimedia portfolio, which is obviously advantageous to someone trying to start up a career.

Example of Kenneth Shofela Coker's animation skills.

The four artists mentioned above have all successfully illustrated the capacity of blogging as a useful instrument and expressive tool of global accessibility. It is also important to note the professionalism and the skill involved in each artists blog, skills which create an available and continual link to their interests as artists. This is because they are able to add and update information that is relevant to the blogs general content, interesting and fresh, all the components needed for a successful blog. From here they can launch their own careers as successful artists in both the virtual and tangible sense.