Study: Selfie Taking In Front of Art Has Replaced Looking At Art

Selfie takers at MoMA, Image courtesy of The New York Times

NEW YORK, March, 2018

"Selfie With Art Week" (formerly Armory Week), is just around the corner in New York - let's think about the current state of looking. A study has shown that members of the public now prefer to see themselves in selfies with art and the art itself is no longer the focus. Paintings were once made by artists for the public to ponder and study, that function seems to be old-timey now. Now with the rise of smartphones people have a tendency to take more selfies with art than actually appreciate art at all. It could be due to the fact that Facebook is dead and Snapchat is dead - what can a person do for attention with art? Instagram is also a failing platform with only a handful of time left before it becomes the next MySpace.

Professionals in the art world such as artist, curators and critics are also breaching good taste by photographing themselves in front of art. "The emphasis is on the user's platforms and followers," says a source who has been working at the MoMA Bookstore while applying at law schools. "Probably the worst is that annoying Boomerang app that makes one look like a caged sea lion bobbing back and forth in front of a painting." WM