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There is something which I really appreciate about bad internet artwork. Not websites like deviantART or variants thereof, but rather myspace albums. Of crude pencil - or, at worst, oil pastel - drawings. Self portraits. Or darling sketches of musicians. You've really captured the proportions of that photograph, especially the pixels. And the shadows from the badly photographed sheet of lined A4. NME.com will get you for infringement of copyright. Or, rather, they would if what you produced bore any likeness to your intentions.

Art is defined by taste, obviously. Which is why I hate Matisse, Cezanne, the majority of Impressionism, David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Gilbert & George etc etc etc, but why the majority of people probably don't. Or at least don't hate in that particular combination. Or as strongly. Or as rationally, I irrationally state.

Yet moving on from this and back to the question of taste, I wonder why I can find pathetic examples of botched, paint-by-numbers indie tracings which are bombarded with positive comments. Is there something wrong with me? Can I, bitterly, not see the talent within? Or am I the voice of reason in all this chaos?

My problem is not with self expression through drawing; I am only a grammar Nazi, not a art fascist, despite evidence to the contrary (see above; re. the way I approach the art world in general; the dismissal of established and critically acclaimed artists; etc). Rather, my problem is with the lack of constructive criticism given by the reams of OL friends that comment pictures, accusing them of being "awesome", "stunning" and "favourite".

Maybe I am being harsh. But I know that I'm not. I believe that when anyone is willing to put their talent in the public sphere, they should prepare to be ripped to shreds. Yet it is now incredibly easy to put your work into the public sphere. Maybe this is where the problem arises; individuals are reluctant to comment truthfully on an obvious piece of garbage produced by an Internet Celebrity because they are not Anonymous; anyone can access their information by following a link. It's the Emperor's New (/Groove) Clothes, but digital. Whatever happened t constructive criticism? If the commenting exercise was based in anything except boosting someone's internet ego and minimally increasing the opportunity for friends, then derivative statements such as those previously mentioned would mean next to nothing.

And yet while Internet Celebrities, particularly adolescent ones, do not have the power to change the way a whole generation views the art world, I believe that compliments based on shared music taste and social cliques in terms of artwork should be discouraged. But when it boils down to it, it isn't these ones that I should be getting a chip on my shoulder about; it's the ones with talent.



Don't get me started on amateur photography. Don't get me fucking started.

(sorry if this is all drivel, I haven't been in essay mode for a while and should probably work on it before I am doing something that counts again)