I don’t remember where I first read about the idea that Kim Kardashian could be considered art. But I do remember that it closely followed the release of her book, Selfish, and that the original author discussed the idea that her plethora of selfies could be considered an important installment in the modern art world. I also recall reading the article with a high state of incredulity—the idea that a glorified reality star could take a bunch of pictures of herself and have some author declare that they may deserve a place in the MoMA seemed ludicrous to me. And yet, the impression certainly stuck.
The idea that Kim Kardashian’s selfies might be art is complemented by the idea that her husband might now be a fashion designer. During this year’s New York Fashion Week, Kanye West launched an unannounced show of his own, one that interfered with two already scheduled presentations. The Yeezy show took place on an epic scale but also perverted a week that those in the fashion industry hold as sacred. Although the clothes worn by the models were expensive, it was undeniable that the show was about its creator, not about its content. Kanye had interrupted one of the biggest events in fashion just so that we would pay attention to him (an act he is obviously familiar with––just ask Taylor Swift).
What we do and do not consider art in today’s modern world is certainly a fluid concept. The whole idea behind modern art is that it's experimental. You don’t need to be the best at something to be remembered; you just need to be the first one to do it. Anyone can splatter paint on a piece of canvas, but Jackson Pollock did it first. Everyone takes selfies, but Kim was the first to publish hers—who’s to say that this doesn’t at least qualify her as an artist? Likewise, just because Kanye’s Yeezy show didn’t fit the mold of what we expect from New York Fashion Week, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have a place of its own. Kanye’s collection may not be on par with what we consider high fashion or attention–worthy, but what newcomer to the industry isn’t criticized from all angles? Just look at Hedi Slimane—someone who was once slammed for his changes to the Saint Laurent brand is now heralded for his innovation to the industry. Let’s not inflate Kanye’s ego further by comparing him to one of the greats, but who’s to say he doesn’t have a place at the table?
Regardless, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have undeniably changed how we think of art. You may not like Kanye’s clothing line (I don’t), and you may think 90% of Kim’s selfies are ugly (I do), but you can't ignore their existence. The number of people who like it is not what makes something art. Instead, it's the subject’s ability to change the way we look at the world around us and force our attention to its subject, and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are experts at doing just that.
