GLOBAL. Reddit, the home of perves, nerds and the socially awkward? There is a reason why people think so. When Reddit started up in 2005 it focused on only two things: porn and programming. But since then, the social media site has evolved significantly. It is now one of the most influential social media sites on the Internet, with an impressive 2,849,839 users. “Most people think that we are fat, sweaty nerds,” says long time Redditor Sam Errington, “but we are a diverse subculture.”
Recently, PhD student Randy Olson, of Michigan State University, USA, detailed how Reddit has developed since 2005. Using colourful and complex graphs, Olson demonstrates important moments in Reddit’s history.
How Reddit developed into a diverse ecosystem | Randy Olson
The most significant moment in Reddit’s transformation occured in 2008, when the site allowed users to create their own subreddits -specialized sections of the site, usually designated by the “/r”. This feature drastically changed the site by allowing its users to dictate what they wanted to see, turning it into the Reddit used today.
Olson’s graphs above shows how when given the opportunity to create their own groups, Reddit’s users preferred sections such as “WTF”- a subreddit dedicated to gory pictures and images that generally make the viewer squirm. Or “TIL”- a subreddit dedicated to interesting facts users have come across online. Unsurprisingly, programming dropped right off the map.
What is particularly intriguing is the art subreddit; a beacon of undiscovered talent and artistic knowledge that has helped the art world to reach a new audience online. Here, you will find both amateur and professional artists sharing their work, links to upcoming shows, and discussions of creative ideas.
What is really striking about /r/art is the vast amount of unusual techniques and experimentation. An example is user ‘TheBalancEnt’, who creates various images using lego bricks, such as MC Escher’s rose and legendary actor Bill Murray’s face. Another example is Brett and Eric “two doods trapped in multiple fictional realities.” These quirky collaborators take self-portraiture to a new level, using photography, collage and gifs.
Shitty_Watercolour is a well-known Redditor who became an Internet sensation after posting his artwork on the site. He recreates famous paintings as crude watercolours for comedic value, such as the Girl with the Pearl Earring and the Mona Lisa. Sloths are a recurring theme in his work; his highest number of views was for his piece ‘Vincent Van Sloth’, hitting 294,000 in ten months.
In October 2012, Shitty_Watercolour took his work to a new level for charity. He streamed a 12-hour video painting session on Youtube to raise money for non-profit organisation Water, which aims to provide drinking water in developing countries. Fans of his work donated a minimum of $10 dollars for him to paint them a personal photograph on a 5cm by 5cm square of paper; he raised a total of $2,700.
Shitty_Watercolour is not the only artist to sell work through the site. Commissions are common through Reddit, as is fundraising, and the community are responsible for the world’s largest ever secret Santa program redditgifts.com. Every year Redditors send gifts to each other anonymously. In 2012, 130 countries were involved; by 2013, the number of nations has reached 160.
The /r/art is especially useful for emerging artists, and many recent graduates share images from their degree shows. It gives them a chance to introduce their art to a different kind of audience, not just their family, friends, tutors and the town locals.
However, the art on Reddit isn’t all unbridled brilliance. You still come across the generic landscapes and Gothic art paintings that often end up on a scrap heap or in a charity shop. But a community with so many members is going to feature a wide range of skills and abilities, and what is important is that they are still contributing in some way to the sharing of ideas. The only downside is that Reddit operates anonymously, with few of its members using or revealing their real names. This means that most of these brilliant artists will never get the recognition they deserve.
Perhaps Redditors should encourage artists they admire to also share their work on other platforms. Career development site Ideastap, for example, aims to get struggling young artists into creative careers. Or My Modern Metropolis, a unique website that collects intriguing ideas and art works from all over the world. When it comes to spreading the word about interesting art, Reddit still has quite a bit to learn.