Could Snapchat be considered ‘art’?

Snapchat? Snap art?

In an ever evolving world of technology, new media is crossing the barriers from frivolous fun into astounding art. In April, Ingrid Michaelson released the music video for her hit song “Hell No”, the first music to be filmed exclusively on Snapchat. With this in mind, we took to the Internet and to the streets to ask people if they considered Snapchat to be a legitimate way to create art in 2016.

In an Twitter poll, the topic of Snapart versus Snapfun was divisive, but most 2016-ers think that Snapchat could absolutely be a new platform for art-making.

To continue this Snapresearch, we spoke to students from different universities and asked them to answer the question “Do you think Snapchat is a legitimate way to create art in 2016?”

Here’s what they had to say:

Julianna Jarik, 21, University of Pennsylvania

“I think Snapchat is definitely a medium through which art can be created. Specifically through Snapchat stories, narratives can be created in a style somewhat similar to a comic book: An image you can manipulate with a caption of your choosing, strung together to create a story, a joke, etc.

“I think Snapchat over the past couple years, has added many features which allow for individuals to use their own creativity to make a variety of material. That being said, I do not think that the majority of Snapchat users of 2016 (myself included) really utilize these opportunities to create art. Instead it is more about showing what you are doing to your friends on a given day.

“However, we have seen many more memes on the Internet using the Snapchat format to create comedy, so I do think that there clearly are some people who do use Snapchat to make art.”

Andie Taft, 20, Emerson College 

“With Snapchat’s recent update, it’s definitely noticeable that they’re trying to encourage their users to become more and more creative with their snaps.

“Because of these tools, a user can show off their artistic side, and turn a simple picture or video into an intricate drawing or even short films. ”

Christina Giordano, 19, Maryland Institute College of Art 

“Yes I totally believe snap chat can be an art form in 2016! I go to Maryland Institute College of Art and I had to do an assignment using social media, so I used snap chat to create a zine full of illustrations that were created from the photos people would send me throughout the day.

“A zine is a small art magazine that are usually based on themes. Some people even use Snapchat to create stop motion shorts! Snapchat is definitely a new way to express yourself as an art form and I personally am excited about it!”

Ali Russo, 21, Lesley University 

“I think Snapchat is an avenue for art, because its limiting pallet of stickers and highly-saturated colors actually do not limit the artist at all: they propel their creativity forward.

“And it’s always amazing to see what someone can make on Snapchat alone.”

Elizabeth Martinez,19, University of Pennsylvania 

“Snapchat is definitely a legitimate way to create art in 2016. I consider storytelling to be a form of art, so those who use Snapchat to tell their own stories or those of others are creating art. I 100% do not think the majority of Snapchat users are setting out to make art, but if you wanted to, you absolutely could. It’s a relatively new medium, though, so I feel as if serious “artists” haven’t yet come around to it in terms of it being a method to share and complete their work.”

The consensus appears to be that people today think Snapchat very well could become a new art form, even if they themselves aren’t quite artists. Go forth, young artists, and snap your way into the MoMA!