The Coming Braver, Newer, More "To The Point" World

C.P. posted a comment on a thread the other day (I think it was posted on the wrong thread, but nevermind) that resonated with me and confirmed something I suspected years ago. I noted in the Art in America November 2007 blogger's round table (see here for more info) a while back that I had no idea where blogs would be in 5 years, but I suspected they had a shorter lifespan than was apparent at that time. C.P. wrote

i thought whether to post this or not but...
with all due respect i do think blogs have had their day. what comes next, well, anyone's guess. probably something more to the point, or less -- less to do with hierarchy.

The irony to this observation is that you see signs everywhere that the blog phenomenon is much better understood by the population at large (references to how bloggers influence opinions are now strewn throughout the plot lines of popular TV shows, journalists cite blog posts as commonly as they do other sources these days, and the condescending pot shots we saw regularly just a few years ago in some quarters have been more or less muffled). But I see the truth in C.P.'s statement and have to agree with that prediction of what's coming next.

On a personal note, I see this as entirely too bad. I love this format, but then that's probably because it suits my own temperament. Having said that, I should note that the "more to the point" prediction stung a bit (especially when coupled with the fact that Art and Perception singled out this blog as an example of how wordy many art blogs are :-(

We cannot so easily invest the effort to be concise. Long-windedness is thus a typical feature of blogging. Just look at Ed’s blog.

But my personal preferences aside, other art bloggers have already begun incorporating the more-to-the-point technology that is leading the way toward a leaner, meaner communication machine on the Internet. Tyler Green was the first arts blogger I've seen to incorporate his Twitter feed into his blog (for anyone not already on Twitter, this New York Times piece on its potential is a great primer); and Paddy Johnson is, as usual, way ahead of the curve in cutting through the hype and kindly explaining how this technology is, you know, useful to real people:

The larger point to take home here is that online tools that make sharing easier tend to be most effective. And Anyone who’s used the Internet for any length of time will come to that conclusion too.

But the most intriguing, "to the point" use of technology, in terms of a dialog about art, that I've seen recently is being led by an unlikely writer. "Unlikely" only, perhaps, because he doesn't even have a blog (then again, perhaps that helps here), but he's set the conversation speed on hyperfast and instinctively tweaked the medium to truly phenomenal effect. I speak, of course (for those who've already seen this), of art critic Jerry Saltz and his staggering ability to generate dozens and dozens of comments on Facebook's "status" feature with a single, to-the-point, often brilliantly poignant observation.

A recent "status" Jerry posted, for example, generated 91 comments from the following 2 sentences (not sure how to link to this actually...anyone?):

Jerry spoke to a room of people last night that think the art world is MORE unethical than the Stock Market. Love lift me back to the art world where I belong.

Of course, contributing to this mass response is the fact that Jerry has nearly 3,000 Facebook friends and that as perhaps the most high-profile of what I'd call the truly pro-artist writers around, his opinions (and favor) are highly sought after. But none of that can take away from his ability to concentrate so much to talk about into so few words. Another few examples of recent statuses include:

Jerry Saltz is against “The New Seriousness.” Art will do what it does. Irony is a form of laughter; no one should wish any form of laughter to die. Go away Purity Poli.

and

Jerry is disgusted by self-appointed Savonarolas demonizing the art world as if it were one thing; demanding that artists get SECOND jobs (and work in hospitals).

and

Jerry thinks now is not just an end but also a big beginning; that now anyone can do anything they want (provided each of us find ways to be poor in style).

Back in my first post of the year, where I wrote about my predictions for the art world, I had noted:

I suspect publications with only one art critic will benefit greatly from those critics also voicing their opinions via other, perhaps less-formal channels, to permit these (non-edited) critiques to balance out their formal contributions. Blogs are one such channel, but other (less time-consuming channels) are being used effectively by writers for this as well.

It was Jerry I was thinking of then and he's only getting stronger in the medium, in my opinion. I'm not sure whether this has, as C.P. predicted, "less to do with hierarchy," but it certainly feels fresh and exciting.