Art and context.

Regardless of the medium, it’s no astounding discovery that context plays a role in how we receive, interpret and react to life’s creative endeavours. Museums turn art cynics into critics while clubs have even the most dedicated musicheads clamouring for something ignorant blasting through the speakers. Most of these scenarios arise from behavioural expectations attributed to certain contexts. As much as we’d like to, at all times be a high brow connoisseur of the arts, there exists an innate desire to conform to the expected behaviour of our environment creating a dichotomy between one’s perceived and public self.

At no point do I have any desire to listen to (insert least favourite artist here), but if it comes on during a night out I’m not going to mount a public protest. In the club most aren’t looking for deeper meaning, which is why the majority of tracks play like a drunk person party manual. An instruction guide for the evening – where to look, what to drink and how to behave. Oh and don’t worry, if you’re partial to poppin mollies and currently have a wicked sweat going, Trinidad James will be there to comfort you. There will always be niche nightspots to satisfy your true musical preferences, but as your friendship circle increases the probability of your soundtrack for the evening being of the top 40 or kitsch variety is high. It’s understood and accepted, so you do like everyone else and adapt.

In more cultured arenas - museums, art galleries, theatres, a similar phenomenon exists. Rather than dumbing down our tastes, we artificially inflate them, but in both scenarios there is a tendency to overappreciate what we are receiving. I’m not an expert of the fine arts, but I recognise and appreciate the contribution they make to our society. In saying that you won’t see SUPERMEGATREND praising the ‘White Paintings’ of Robert Rauschenberg or John Cage’s 4’33” composition anytime soon. Reading about these works online, their merit seems questionable, but inside museums across the world I’m sure many of us have stood and contemplated similar pieces at length.

This inquisition doesn’t translate in the blogosphere; blank blog posts just aren’t setting the Internet alight. The Internet has a unique predicament – its context isn’t set, the viewer could be on the train, at work/avoiding work, watching TV, the possibilities are endless. It allows us to pursue our true personal preferences in varied settings, but as such is typically devoid of our full attention. We overappreciate when there’s a prescribed expectation to do so and underappreciate when there is not.

Perhaps SUPERMEGATREND could change that; maybe a few blank posts could take the site to the next level, capture the highbrow audience. Not because they’d be quicker to create, how dare you suggest that. But because they would in fact serve as a deeper social commentary on the oversaturation of the online world and the paradox that exists when an infinite amount of content fails to satisfy our insatiable appetite for information. Information, not knowledge. “Oh my god! That person I met in real life once can’t decide whether to eat ice cream or watch a movie tonight, talk about a #lolzdilemna, I’m so glad they shared.”

While real world encounters with art and creativity may at times be bolstered by their environment, there’s value in being present in that realisation. As for the Internet… fortunately it’s a tidy, well-organised place where quality, modesty and privacy are valued, so we’ll hold off on blank posts for now. Perceive that wherever and however you wish.