http://www.booooooom.com/
by Mahfuza Sabiha
Right off the bat, the eye-catching title grabs your attention and makes you wonder about the reason behind the blog name Booooooom! Turns out, it was chosen because “boom” with two o’s was taken.
Like the title, the contemporary and popular art blog has a fun and relaxed vibe— a platform that serves to share the artwork of relatively unknown artists. Based in Canada since 2008, the blog was created and is curated by Jeff Hamada, who strives to run a website that will welcome its viewers and spread the works of many artists internationally.
The blog rarely critiques and discusses, but mostly introduces the artists and their work with words of encouragement here and there. The posts encourage the viewer to check out more of the artist’s work. With little-to-no ads, the purpose of the blog is mainly to share artwork that many do not see because they are not well-known. There are few comments on the blog, but those who do comment mainly just express how great they think the artwork is. Largely visual, the art speaks for itself to the viewers on this art blog. The blog also features interviews that Hamada has held with various artists— including authors, directors, painters, illustrators, graphic artists, and others.
The content of Booooooom! varies— it includes art, film, photo, music, design pieces that are uploaded one to three times a day. Many of the pieces are simply beautiful to look at, and lack the powerful symbolism in artwork shared by more serious art blogs. The most recent post is one of my favorites on this site— a series of pieces by artist Maija Savolainen, whose works consist of pieces of paper assembled together and their edges resembling the horizon under a different light and time of year. Art like this suites my taste, and it’s mainly why I enjoy this blog so much. While art often serves as a source of power and symbolism for both the artist and the viewer, it is also enjoyable to kick back and simply appreciate the beauty in it.
The website seems very interactive with the viewers. It is shared on multiple social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. There are even a few Booooooom! items that can be bought in the ‘Shop!’ section, including a t-shirt, a backpack, etc. Viewers can also submit their own work.
Overall, the art blog appears to be very welcoming towards the viewers and offers a wealth of unknown art that is hard to find elsewhere. The simple layout of the blog, along with the beautiful pieces that are shown on the website contribute to Booooooom!’s massive popularity across the world.
