Contemporary Creativity Online: An Examination of the Interplay between Art and Vernacular Creativity on the Internet

Abstract

In light of the proliferation of creative activity in online spaces, the boundaries between art and user-generated content on the Internet are increasingly porous and the interrelations between them are becoming ever more complex. Within this context, this article argues that the rise of the Internet as a locus and medium for widespread creative participation offers unprecedented opportunities (and challenges) in terms of reassessing the relationship between art and vernacular creativity online. In order to facilitate a better understanding of this complex interplay, I examine the key cultural dynamics by which we designate creative activity as art, and discuss the ways in which the idiosyncrasies of the online context challenge - or conversely, reinforce - these dynamics. The article concludes by surveying key implications for culture and creativity - particularly in regards to the changing nature of cultural development and authorship in the Internet age - and reflects on the ethics of these practices and the implications they might have for reassessing the meaning and evolution of contemporary criteria for artistic evaluation.