Maybe you’ve noticed the pop-up gallery with an inflatable dancing man on the corner at 644 Lorimer Street.
Three Brooklyn-based creative agencies (The BOSCO, Bobby Redd and AGW Group) have taken over the storefront to present #INSTANTARTIST, described as “a user-generated art experience that gives anyone an opportunity to showcase their photography, sourced from Instagram, in a gallery setting.”
Using The Bosco’s on-demand printing technology, the exhibition invites anyone to participate by tagging Instagram photos with the hashtag #INSTANTARTIST, at which time a 6”x6” print of the tagged photograph will be printed and hung at the gallery.
Upon writing this, #INSTANTARTIST already has over 8,400 posts, which begs the question I think this exhibition is asking: Of all these Instagram pictures, how many are gallery-quality, artful photographs? How many can make the leap from URL to IRL?
With over 400 million users on Instagram, how many are true photographers and how many are simply, perhaps compulsively, shooting and sharing and shooting and sharing? How many are taking a practiced, thoughtful approach to photography and how many are posting narcissistic selfies? In this instant-gratification age of digital photography and social networks, do we still have photography as art?
Maybe this exhibition can help answer that question, using white gallery walls as a litmus test. Are you an artist or are you just taking pictures?
I imagine someone should invite Richard Prince, yeah?
Check out the #INSTANTARTIST opening reception at 644 Lorimer St. on Saturday, March 26th from 6-9pm.