As a young aspiring artist how does one keep pace and stay relevant in a culture saturated in visual imagery? ­

­­­­With the impacts of social media only beginning to set in and be understood, how can an individual and their work rise above and have a lasting impact? ­

­­­­Does one take a nihilistic approach and simply drop out of the rat race entirely or do they double down with their already taxed efforts?

­­­­The dissemination of information continues to increase at a rate that is dizzying and threatens to alter the framework of which we analyze information. ­Is it possible that are very brains are being rewired to be able to focus for shorter and shorter time frames but yet take in more and more information on a more superficial level? ­What ramifications does this have for our ability to understand and conceptualize more complex ideas? ­

­­­­This is an interesting phenomenon to note since much of the current art world revolves around very lofty, conceptual pieces that require viewers to linger and sit with the art. ­This has also extended into most art schools, especially graduate programs. ­There is a heavy emphasis on content and much less on the visual than most people would assume. ­When the rest of the world seems to be speeding faster and faster in the opposite direction it’s a nice change of pace. ­One of the problems inherent here is that gallery space is such a limited commodity while the internet on the other hand and all its various outcroppings, offer a chance to show the world your work. ­

­­­­This is at the heart of the issue, do you as an artist do the work strictly for galleries which tend to want a certain, very specific kind of work or do you create art that is much more kitchey, eye candy. ­

­­­­After giving it much thought I’ve come to the conclusion that one of the ways that art has been successful in the past is to offer a succinct social commentary or analysis of the current technological landscape. ­So instead of whining about the current issue of staying relevant maybe simply making a piece of art addressing the very topic of relevance will take care of itself.