Tagged: Lucas Ihlein

To follow things as I encounter them: Blogging, Art, and Attention – Lucas Ihlein

As the tradition of “performance art” continues to expand, some artists have begun to use blogs as a way to record the ordinary social interactions which constitute their own creative practices. Since 2005, I’ve been creating blogs in an attempt to more intimately weave my art practice and everyday life, annotating the dozens of small events that accumulate each day. As a “blog artist,” I recognize the potential of this activity to bring to light some of the ephemeral interactions which specifically underpin my performative practice. Beyond its utility as a tool for documentation, blogging also helps hone my errant attention span, enabling me to make peace with seemingly insignificant or banal aspects of daily living.[1] These tiny annotated moments of ephemeral experience are what I want to focus on here. Via a brief exploration of two blog projects by Australian artists, I hope to demonstrate the mutually transformative relationship between the practices of blogging and the quality of our attention. Continue reading