Reading Response #6: The Art of the Selfie Take 2

The reading by Sylvia Martin reiterated an idea that we discussed in the beginning of the semester: that video art is the most dependent upon modern technology discoveries than any other art form.  Painting, drawing, sculpting, and even dance can certainly change over time, but at a much slower pace than the current morphing of video art.  Since its popularization in the 1970s we have seen video art transform from public protest political propoganda to survalence surealism.  There have been many diversions to other forms of videos such as tv advertisements, soap operas, self made you tubes and movies.  However, now more than ever, video art and just plain videos are becoming one in the same.
   
If video art is known for its frequent transendence with technology, then is it possible that ALL forms of videos can be art?  As seen from that Coke commercial Jorges showed us, there were certainly elements of early video art in their advertizement.  Similarly, websites like Vines and Snapchat features 10 second videos in which people film whatever inspires them whenever they want.  Are these types of videos not a casual form of art?  The Moving Art Fair in London had an art exhibit based on this concept of the selfie in which 22 six second Vine videos were exhibited together in a piece called "Shortest Video Art Ever Sold".  Below is a link to an article written about this and other artists' insight as to whether this is self obsession or artistic self expression.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/17/the-national-selfie-portrait-gallery-at-london-s-moving-image-art-fair.html

After spending almost a full semester immersed in video art, I am inclined to think that these are ALL forms of art work.  After all, if video art is moving where technology goes, then the lastest app has the potential to become the newest form of art.