Reviving Fine Art Movements Online

art movement, art critics, digital age, online forums, artists, fine art online, internet

 

 

Reviving Fine Art Movements Online

 

 

Living post-Internet in a digital age, it’s perhaps easy to think each new art movement births itself spontaneously in an art forum online. Instantaneous communication has made connecting with other artists simpler ever before. Hosting digital art galleries (often for free) is now a legitimate means of showing one’s work not only to local gallery viewers, but art enthusiasts all over the world. Despite these advances in technology, however, we must remember that each new art movement that surfaces does not exist in a vacuum online, devoid of human contact, but rather that artists continue to rely on historical influences from around the world when creating new art.  Buying fine art online, selling fine art online, and browsing fine art online, are becoming increasingly popular.  According to Larry Ellison, founder and CEO of Oracle, “The Internet changes everything, I really mean everything.” This is no different for art.  Progressive artists, galleries and museums are embracing the power of the internet to increase their influence and reputation.

 

 

 

How does one make the case for past influences? When fine art critics examine new pieces, they take into account all of the works minor details: color palette, brushstroke shape and tendency, type of paint used (or types of paint deliberately avoided), etc. There is an enormous body of visual creative work and some art critics have a greater working command of that knowledge than many practicing artists. Whereas the artist is typically more concerned with the work at hand and consumes other art for a kind of creative fuel to aid in his / her process, art critics use other art (as well as their biographical knowledge of the artists themselves) to produce hypotheses about new art movements.

 

 

 

One might be curious about the critical profession altogether, dismissing its findings as unnecessary snobbery that limits creativity and ultimately divides artists that might otherwise have more common ground. Yet we must remember that art critics are tasked with a difficult job: isolating the elements of an artistic work and comparing it to others. Sometimes this produces friction between artists and critics, as those producing art (depending on their experience) may feel their piece is entirely original, or will otherwise reject its critical assessment altogether. The dialogue between artists and art critics depends on that open exchange of ideas (and arguments).

 

 

The digital age has also produced new online forums for just such discussion. Art critics, artists, and the public at large are now free to hash out their differences on a stage with (relatively) equal footing: the Internet. Several art forums have surfaced to put local artists in touch with potential art buyers, as well as to help art critics with their assessments by having an incredible variety of art content in one place. Many of these sites allow free hosting of images and free browsing of individual biographies, allowing artists to upload information regarding their techniques and individual works.

 

 

 

Artist.com celebrates the power of the internet.  The ability for 6 billion people to instantly communicate with each other is, for the most part, a good thing.  The world has become a smaller place, a bigger place, a better place, and much good can come from this.  

 

 

 

Keywords: art movement, art critics, digital age, online forums, artists, fine art online, internet