notes on memetic aesthetics

i'm working towards a theory but hey?

created with and by the awareness of other producers; produced and shared as an elaboration on a common theme, incorporating the agendas and interests of the participants.

creates a space for community/collective creation, including the development of behavioral norms and a specialist lexicon.

creation of a small community of producers and creators; may grow large enough to accomodate a subculture and lifestylers.

combines visual, affective, and aural/sonic cues to identify itself as part of the group/theme/meme; this helps it form a distinct design semiotic.

it reflects or expresses a sentiment that is not echoed in other media. it is largely not created for “profit” but as an expression or creative output

it often comes from a peripheral or fringe part of the internet, but it does not have to.

it is emotionally resonant with those who engage with it. the emotional resonance is similar across a variety of fields.

because of the combination of visual, affective, and aural/sonic cues, a memetic aesthetic inherently holds the affordances for transmedia; i’d argue taco bell quarterly is vaporwave gone literary.

finally, it bleeds beyond the point where it started; it diffuses, changes, and mutates into new polyps, new aesthetics, new feelings.