Whilst the title is debatable (as I of course back art for art's sake), much of what new media offers as art often falls flat on its proverbial when it is revealed as not really very purposeful at all. [See
deviantART for several years' worth of appalling content for your browsing displeasure, for example. Yes, there is a completely neglected
mediatree page.]
However, one extremely important project, of which I am an immense fan and have mentioned before is Frank Warren's
PostSecret project, an 'ongoing community art project, where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.' If you haven't come across it, you must stop reading this now and go browse for a while.
One thing that makes this particularly special is the apparent wonderous selflessness with which Frank administers the project; so it is with little surprise to discover that, upon being awarded $10,000 by Myspace, he's giving the whole lot to the anti-suicide charity
Hopeline, run by the Kristen Brooks Hope Center. PostSecret is a deeply moving and personal, yet obviously cathartic experience for thousands of people, and Frank can only be commended for having the foresight to set it up.
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