The political aspect of art has always interested me. Not all art is political, but I find it fascinating how often we see works of art comment on the current political climate. I am not sure what about art makes it a medium through which people express their political beliefs, but I do have some ideas. One of which is the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Yes, you can express your opinions through writing or speech, but perhaps a picture can say all of that too. Also, art as a medium tends to be subjective. While different art pieces might be more overt than others regarding their message, I think one cannot truly see the message of said art piece without understanding the message at least somewhat. If the audience is unaware that such an opinion exists, how can they see it in a piece of art, which can be much more abstract than say a news article or social media post. Granted, I know very little about the world of art so what I am saying is just conjecture.
Another thing that struck me was the anonymity of internet art. Again, not all internet artists are anonymous, but hard to trace web links and urls make it much easier than with physical pieces. Anonymity is very prevalent on the internet. Take for example, Twitter. On Twitter you don’t need to use your real name, address (physical or email), or picture. As a result, people can voice their opinions without fear of backlash. The very same is true with Reddit, an online forum. I believe that art and anonymity work well together. People can create what they want, expressing what they want, without fear of backlash. I think internet art does do this as the article gave examples of unpopular or anti-political opinions which could be dangerous in certain places where freedom of speech might not be as lenient.