Thursday 10 May 2012

Digital Art, is it Art?

  The first touchy topic I cover... Is digital art, Art? To answer this question, we must first ask ourselves, what constitutes as Art?

  I haven't said it yet, but I would like to make myself clear on this subject. I feel (and this is an opinion, feel free to disagree with me, but I do have the rights to have an opinion.) that Abstract Art, if you can call it that, is not Art at all. And before you flame me, hear my argument out first.

  Abstract Artist totally disregard the rules set by the old Masters. Yes, we can bend the rules that the old Masters have set out, but we cannot disregard them completely. It is because of those time-tested rules that their Art works.

  A painting does not have to be beautiful, but it must have substance, and be able to stand for itself. Meaning, if you put the painting into a white room, and let people view it, they should be able to say something nice about the painting. There shouldn't be a need to say who the Artist was, or what the painting is about. Let the Art speak for itself. Our job as Artist is to convey something to the viewers. However, sometimes, the message that viewers get isn't what we were trying to say, but that's okay, because when people view Art, their past experiences, culture, feelings, and emotions tint the Art work. We need to, as Artists, send a message, any message.

  Abtract Artist say, "Art should mirror the world. That is why Art should now be ugly, because the world is now ugly." But as the late Hundertwasser said, "There is enough ugly things in the world. We as artist should add beauty to the world." There is nothing wrong with just a pretty picture.

  Digital art, like all Art, has its good works and bad works, just like anything else in the world. The difference between Digital art and traditional Art is that we use different mediums. Digital Artists use stylus pens and a computer, we use paper, pencils, Acylic, Oil, canvas. etc.

  The arguement that some people put forth is that, just because we use different mediums, Digital art is NOT Art. That is utter ribbish. Just because Watercolorist use paper and not a canvas as a surport, are they less of an Artist? Just because Colored Pencil Artists use colored pencils and not brushes, are they less of an Artist? No. A medium is something that aids an Artist in his/her quest to give viewers a message.

  Writers use words to convey their message. Dancers use dance and movements. Singers use their voices. Musicians make music. Artists use various mediums on various surports to convey this message. We are all Artists. Just because we are vastly different from one another, does not make us less of an Artist when comparred to another individual.

  We are vastly different, but what makes us the same is our passion for the Art that we do.

  That is why, yes, I believe Digital art is an Art, and thus should be respected as such. (I purposely made the "art" behind Digital in small.) It isn't "Digital art", but is "Digital Art", if you get what I'm trying to put across here.

  Just like dying trades, like fashion illustration, or mural advertisment Artists, Digital Art is an Art just like any other trade. It's just that they use different mediums to express their creativity. That is why you will be seeing Digital Art, along Fashion Illustrations and Designs on this blog, along side what we consider traditional Art.


  What do you think about Digital Art? Should it be considered as Fine Art or not, and why? Leave your comments in the section below.

1 comment:

  1. In my opinion, art is something where a person, which can play with such delicate circumstances, does that without doubts, because of years of practise and dedication. The play, its weight and risks which are bounded with it, because of possible mistakes for example with watercolour, shows its unique momentum because of those years the artist put in.
    When you look at digital art, everything is the same BUT, the artist has the possibility to lay down all the weight a artist with traditional or analogue working material (however yo call it) has to carry while painting or drawing. No pressure at all, no biological reaction because of that in the brain which reacts to the pressure, to the natural flow of the color ect.
    So is it art? In my opinion, digital art shows exactly what its tools (software, graphictabletpen) show, its just an copy of real art :)

    Kind regards
    Martin J.

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