Are Memes art?

Based on the Harvard Crimson, memes can be considered art. It is not simply a message that is put on top of a picture, but a combination of image and text that conveys emotion. The ability to know how to properly combine the two so that the meme is effective, and gets the message across, is art.

In The Rise of Memes as an Art Form, it is stated that Puerto Rican artist Jesús “Bubu” Negrón compares the process of memes entering the art world to a video going viral on YouTube. The same comparison could be made with memes becoming popular in the first place, and how effective a person can make a meme.

As said in the Harvard Crimson, memes die as fast as they are created. A good meme will be effective at conveying its message, it will be able to be replicated, or re-interpreted, and will be able to come back after it dies.

Are Memes Good or Bad for Art?

Memes could only be good for art. Memes gives artist content to use instead of having to create ideas from nothing. Artist can take popular memes and reinvent it, whether by hand drawings, or through graphic design. Either way, by using memes, artist can broaden their skills. In addition, using memes in art will attract more of an audience to the artist because people will recognize what is being drawn, and may like the way the artist reinvented the meme.

Are Memes Good for Communication?

Memes are a form of communication, there is no way it could harm communication. If anything, memes enhance communication by making it more entertaining to do. Instead of just talking, or sending text, people now go and send memes that convey the emotion they are feeling, or that represents the response they want to give to the other person. As a result, this meme makes the recipient more engaged in the communication and maybe laugh at the response.

Are Memes Simply Just Forms of Self-Expression?

In no way are memes just forms of self-expression. Memes meant for self-expression usually involves pictures, or short clips, to help express the emotion trying to being communicated. However, as stated in the Harvard Crimson, a meme could involve a simple screenshot of a funny text message. At that point, the meme would not be for self-expression, but to show a funny moment that happened, which may be reposted because someone else found it funny.

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Some Memes I Created

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