Are Memes Modern Art?

Art|Modern Art

The debate surrounding whether or not memes are a form of modern art has been around for a while, and it has been argued in both directions. On one hand, some people see the craftsmanship that goes into the creation of certain memes as an art form. On the other hand, many view them as nothing more than cheap jokes or simple gags.

In order to make a judgement on the validity of memes as artwork, it is important to consider what makes something art. Art is defined as “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination”, so to be considered true artwork there must be some sort of creativity involved.

It is clear that making a meme does require an element of creativity in order for it to be done effectively. Meme creators must think about how their words and images will be perceived by their audience in order to get the desired response. This requires skill and imagination, two things which are essential for any artwork.

Another key component of art is that it should invoke emotion from its audience. It could be argued that memes do this just as much as any other form of artwork; they can make people laugh, cry or even angry depending on the meme’s content and context. Furthermore, like with any other type of artwork, there are good memes and bad memes; ones which have been made with skill and thoughtfulness and ones which are just crudely thrown together with no real purpose or meaning behind them.

It could also be said that memes are a form of cultural expression. They often reflect current trends in society or draw attention to important topics; from politics to popular culture, memes can act as a way for individuals to express their opinions on various issues without having to say anything directly themselves. In this sense they can become part of a social dialogue which can then lead to change in the world if enough people take notice.

Are Memes Modern Art?

Ultimately, it seems that memes do have all the necessary components required for something to be considered art; they require creativity, evoke emotion from an audience and act as a reflection of our culture at large. So yes, it could be said that memes can indeed be considered modern art.