The Collective Narrative and the Web

What is the collective narrative, and how is it utilized over the digital platforms of blogs, facebook, twitter, instagram and the like?

I have a blog. I have several blogs. I am also on Facebook and Twitter, and Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest among others, although I use those less often. At times it seems completely overwhelming trying to manage all these different sites, (I counted once and had almost 20). I often wonder why I do it. As an artist I use the blogs to share my process and work with the world. A deeper look into my art, with more personal details than offered on the gallery website. It is also a journal of sorts, documenting my progression through my career. But is it a true connection? Am I really reaching my audience? The lack of involvement from the audience is disheartening. The comments are few and far between, and rarely a stimulating interaction with true exchange of ideas. So how does one find this connection online?

Twitter would be the main venue for my digital communications, and in my opinion this site is the most responsive in a real human way. I have had some good, although brief, conversations with others in the art world. The interactions have a “real time” element, and an interaction can happen as an event is ongoing, there is a real dialogue. The connection is a superficial one at best, but with further efforts by the individuals communicating, it is possible to expand it to a greater collective narrative. This motivation must come from the participants and is counter to the normal operating procedure found on the web. The culture is one of brief “drive by’s”, following click after click, as we follow that which draws our attentions.

An example of an attempt to create a collective narrative is an installation and art happening I created in February of 2010. The project, “pinching the light fantastic”, involved video, recordings and projections, surveillance, mirrors and bounced light. The entire experimental work was streamed live via Ustream, with live tweeting, and the work was about the differences between active looking and passive seeing, watching and being seen. The audience was an integral part of the work, but their cognition of the collaboration was only recognized if they read the didactics and understood the project. Many realizing they were being surveiled quickly left the space, and were reluctant to engage.

Another example of a collective narrative that I created in a project was my installation “Public Practice”. The installation happened in the real world, and featured the blank gallery walls littered with bits of writing, and doodles from my journals, drawings, photos and other ephemera from my studio, as well as a looping abstract video collage. The space included a vintage typewriter where visitors were encouraged to add their thoughts to the walls. The conversations started with this historic object were hysterical and eye opening, with the younger Gen-X viewers completely unfamiliar with the machine, one viewer even asking “where was the return button”! The last detail in the space was a digital photo booth I had set up to gather portraits of people in my community for future project, “Public Portrait”. The laughter that came from the booth drifted across the space, mixing with the clack of the typewriter, and conversations, as the audience engaged and participated in the project. The engagement from the audience was by far the most of any project I have done. Being able to talk to the artist and others in the gallery space, to touch the objects, and even contribute to the ongoing project engaged the audience on such a deeper level, that the impact was tremendous. I still receive comments from folks who remember this project.

So can a true collective narrative happen online? Only if those involved make a concerted effort to have a timely engagement. This MoMA Catalyst class is a great example of active participants trying to change this online disconnection, and I encourage you to follow those other blogs I follow to continue the conversation. And please, leave your comments below. I will respond! Thanks, Laura