The digital age is characterized by unrelenting technological progress. This is great in the working world as processes become streamlined and new platforms allow us to outsource functions outside our core business. But what will be the impact of technology on art?

For some people, art as we know it will cease to exist as a result of also being caught up in technology’s web. Others argue that technology is not doing away with art but that a radical transformation is taking place as the two meet and intermingle. We took a look and report our findings below.

Accessibility

Technology has made art more accessible to everyone. It is no longer necessary to travel to the world’s top art galleries when one can take a digital tour. It is also possible to bring this into the classroom.

Experience

Zurich, Switzerland opened the first digital art museum in Europe in 2005. The museum is committed to virtual space and digital art. As more museums utilize technology, additional venues have opened, such as the Digital Museum at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Younger audiences are finding their way into these venues and having the opportunity to interact directly with pieces of digital art. Their experiences are more intense and personal, as they can touch these works of art. Modern graphics and virtual reality are prominent themes being expressed through digital art.

The History of Art in Bygone Eras

Works of art were commissioned by the people who wanted to own them. They were designed for wealthy nobility, kings, and other figures of state, and the church. The purchaser dictated the subject of the artwork and chose where to display it, normally out of sight and for private viewing only. Hence, most paintings were never seen except by a very small minority.

Come the 1500s and the Renaissance, art acquired a universal value and virtually every culture around the globe experienced a surge in art. Painters were sponsored by patrons who paid them an allowance so that they could live and focus exclusively on their art. Nevertheless, these multiplicities of artwork did not find their way to art galleries and other places where they could be viewed, enjoyed, and pondered over by the masses. Art came to fetch ridiculous prices. Despite this, many artists died as paupers.

Art in the Digital Age

Nowadays, any artist can post their work on the internet across a variety of platforms. Thus, their art can reach millions of people in seconds. This has resulted in an increased interest in art among people who previously had only a passing awareness of the art world. At the end of the day, the digital age has increased the scope and breadth of creativity. Anyone can assume artistic license and become a creative power in the world or spread their message around the globe.

The Future of Digital Art

Artists are using multimedia to convey their communications through their art. Laptops and desktops already play an important role in providing tools for modern artists and new software continues to be developed. If you are an aspiring artist, you can click here to equip yourself with the necessary tools to start working digitally.

Technology shows no signs of slowing down and evermore choices are likely to become available to artists. What we are seeing now is digital art in its infancy.