Key Points Of Interactive Art Communities
Posted on January 31, 2009
Filed Under arts and entertainment |
In the days before the communications revolution we were told what beauty in art was, and what was not. Great hordes of experts, art critics and, of course, the art galleries, decided for us what was worth considering as art. As if we are not able to decide for ourselves.
The saying is that art ought to be discussed as well as seen, but if you had no access to these all powerful people, it would not have even been seen. Except of course by your family and friends perhaps. Tragically this meant that a vast number of fantastic artists were never discovered.
There is no question about it - this is clearly unacceptable! Art ought to be seen by anyone, and what is more, it ought to be discussed, commented upon, and what is more, artists should have the opportunity to display their art in places where it will be seen by fellow artist and art enthusiasts alike.
Thanks to the “Web 2.0″ concept people are now able to create and join online communities and networks. This has enabled artists to display their art in new ways, and at the same time, receive comments and feedback from their online followers.
This means that individuals are no longer relegated to being simple consumers of whatever information is out there, but that they can generate information and content, including art, themselves.
This is human kind expressing its most basic need. Every individual loves to communicate, it is bred deeply into our genes. That is why old fashioned forms of entertainment such as commercial TV and newspapers, who are both monolithic forms of entertainment, are struggling. The trend is simply for more interactive forms of entertainment such as online social communities and user generated content. I find myself watching TV less and less as it has simply become boring to me. And do not even get me started on all those darn commercial breaks they have.
And can you then imagine the massive boom that contemporary artists have received from this technology explosion? For those amongst us with a creative spirit in our souls it means that we no longer have to simply rely upon the old fashioned ways of being “discovered”. Now we can truly rely upon the fact that normal, everyday individuals get to view our art. And it is now the public that decide what is art and what is not. Viva la revolucion!…
This does not guarantee fame and fortune, but it provides what many artists desire most: getting feedback from peers and enthusiasts and to be able to make their art potentially available to millions, no matter where on the planet they may live.
There are any number of ways in which artists can take advantage of the web. They can use one of the major social networks, they can join special art communities and forums, or they can even create their own interactive online art galleries to display anything from landscape painting to portraits, sketches, abstract art or anything else they may specialize in.
No more middlemen as visitors are able to purchase art direct from the artist!… All communication lines are wide open as visitors are able to talk to the artist directly via chat, forums and discussion boards. The amount of information available from the artist is great as they are able to exchange their thoughts with their peers and art enthusiasts via video interviews, polls and even online workshops. And how much easier is it then to commission a piece of art directly from the artist online? The sky is the limit.
No more time consuming searches for galleries that are willing to exhibit the artists work. Thanks to the internet artists are now able to put themselves and their work right in front of art connoisseurs and potential buyers. No longer will they have to wait to be “discovered” by someone as web lets you discover them directly.
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