Visual Art…Going Forward, Not looking Back

February 20, 2012

Visual Art…Going Forward, Not looking Back

There’s a new face of art on the horizon…it’s bold, fun, experimental, and is at the tip of a revolution. I’m not saying that the traditional arts are not in my world of artistic expression. They are the foundation. The creation of art is as old as humans, it tells our story. Our story has expanded to include many new and wonderful forms.

This topic has expanded and flourished with me…ever since I read about ‘camera obscura’. Which is a forerunner of the modern camera that folks like Leonardo da Vinci and Giambattista della Porta used as a tool of drawing. Every age has its own expression, posture, gestures, and influences. Today, technology has caused a major shift in the way that artists in general produce art. There has been a change of visible creativity in the last 30 or so years that I’ve been paying attention to. No doubt in my mind that technology has changed the face of art.

The raw materials alone have made huge leaps. The choice of mediums, the ability to shift around, and layer works has also changed the definition of traditional art forms. Technology has changed paint, paper, glass, even the way we carve, sculpt, and produce modern artifacts.

The internet changed how buyers connect with the artist. The digital camera has changed the face of art. I keep on saying this and many artists still view me as nuts BUT look at the trends in photography and the way artists sell their work.

My original mixed water media...

After...a photo of the original work processed though several iPhone apps...

How an artist promotes and sells their work has changed because of the internet. Websites, blogs, and other various forums are a mainstay for anyone in business. Sites like ETSY, DeviantArt, Cafepress, RedBubble, and the list goes on and on and on and on; changed how an artist promotes their work. Oh the social media sites, yep, everyone has heard of Facebook but there is huge number of those sites as well. Pinterest is one of the fastest growing sites out there. I love it.

My original mixed water media...