Are Internet Memes Art?

Consider the following:

Is this "art"? The general consensus for this question isn't clear.

Everybody loves memes. However, they're not always given the honor of being considered art. For some, that distinction is reserved for more traditional forms of creative expression such as painting, sculpting, literature, cinema and the like. On the other hand, some are open to recognizing  more contemporary art forms like video games. It's entirely subjective.

I asked our staff to weigh in on the discussion. Here's what they had to say:

Should memes be considered art? Why or why not?

"Memes should be considered art because they convey meaning through the use of visual stimuli and they normally contain things that are universally relatable and human. Some art conveys sadness, some frustration, and some exists for the sake of existing, and I can find a meme to represent each of these concepts." – Katherine Kaczmarski

"Yes. Memes are a creative outlet for whoever makes them. Whilst they aren’t traditional in a modern art sense, they still follow the theme of art." – Hannah Skinner

"This is simple, art imitates life. Therefore, when we see memes that highlight humanity and therefore imitates life, it is 100% art. This can also be turned around in saying that memes are also life." – Madison Wakefield

"Memes should definitely be considered art. They're made to invoke emotion, which is pretty much the sole purpose of art." – Davis White

"Memes should be considered art! This topic has been on the art world radar and is discussed quite frequently. I believe that we are entering a new age of Dadaism/Surrealism through these memes.​" – Hannah Rivers

As you can see, the consensus among our staff is pretty clear: memes are absolutely art. And now that we've settled that, feel free to submit your best (original) memes to The Chronicle for a chance to be featured in our next magazine! I happily await them.
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XAVIER CHARLOT- BLOG EDITOR

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