What make a work of art Edgy?

[Sara Star]

What makes a work of art Edgy?

I am pretty sure this word has different meaning in every decade and to every person, but I would like to read what people think.

('He Made Me An Advocate', by Amanda Crooks)

[Christopher Sean Williams]

What makes a work of art edgy,
is what makes a joke funny:
its subject borders on [acceptable].

the function of both,
is to break barriors.

[Alex Birkett]

And to viciously fuck modernists...

[Sara Star]

I prefer the term "make love".

[Sara Star]

I think that the content of the art can make a piece edgy. I think it has to be thoughtful rather than just contrived to shock. Although, truly edgy art will shock, but it will be deeper than just the face value. The artist will be trying to get attention for an idea not only themselves.

Sometimes the idea is pushing how far art can be defined. Is a found object art? Is art the process or the final product?

Other times the idea is something political or cultural. Like the above drawing that is edgy because it is about rape, a violence that is perpetrated on one in four women, but is discussed behind closed doors, like it is rare, like it is the woman's fault or that it didn't happen--even in our enlightened times.

Art can be edgy if it is a new idea or something different.

[Alisha Hillary Judge]

I agree with Sara. Rape is frequent and devastating, but treated with frightening disregard in the world today. In Crook's case, it's edgy because something kept from general view is illustrated.

[Sabotage Productions]

making fun of a celebrity seems to work.

[Sara Star]

That is interesting, how would you define edgy in this context? Does it seem that celebrities are untouchable and so pointing fun at them is pushing the edge?

[Sabotage Productions]

depends on how far you take it, and how many people see your work.
for an example, the obama joker poster. shit blew up over night.

[Alex Birkett]

Little known fact: if your art contains a knife its still not edgy if its classical. Who knew! Ha ha ha

[Sara Star]

Cute,

Well, I think Edgy might locally have a different meaning than what I originally understood. It might not be primarily about the message or the content, but instead the style. I think that Edgy might refer to a variety of modern art styles including pop-art, multi-media art like collage, graffiti art, and abstract art.

So if that is the working definition of Edgy, than a classical piece regardless of how many edges it has in it or it's messages about revolution and uprising, might not fit the bill. I don't want to get mired in semantics, but instead I want to come to an understanding about a term. I was hoping to get more responses, so I could get a better feel for how others locally define the term.

[Mat Boes]

Edgy is all about perception, so, in that sense, anything can be "edgy." I think it's best to steer away from terms like that, because if that is all you are chasing, then you won't end up making anything that is passionate. You will end up the artistic equivalent of Lady GaGa or the Saw movies. They are pushing the boundries of what "edgy" means, but to no end.

I think it would suit an artist better to stick with what inspires them. Making things that are beautiful and personal will probably accomplish edgy, if need be, all on it's own.

[Stray Gallery]

Well in addition to being an artist, I am also someone who communicates with others verbally, and understanding what certain terms means is helpful for me. Therefore, figuring out what the term Edgy means would be helpful. I certainly don't sell my art out to be more edgy based on some superficial understanding of the term. There is nothing wrong with having goals for ones work, and although it is not my particular goal, I don't see what would be wrong with someone trying to push boundaries and make something edgy.

Saw is edgy in Alex's meaning of the word because it has a blade in it.
Lady Gaga does not seem particularly edgy to me, she seems like a pop star who makes pop music. But again, I am not clear on what the meaning of the word is. Like I said locally it seems to refer to things like pop art, so it might refer to a pop music artist too.