The most important thing about art is how many people get to see it, which is why technology is so important. With technology, people can take pictures of art (like in the picture we can see) and also talk about the art they saw, which brings it even more publicity. It is talking about something that makes it famous, like Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, for example. It is just the portrait of a woman, well painted but no more than any other artist’s painting, but it is worth billions of dollars because of the publicity linked to it. So many people have made up stories about this painting; some say she is smiling, some say she is not, some say she is actually a man and some say her eyes follow you. A large number of people have used technological methods of communication to talk about the Mona Lisa, which is ultimately what has made it famous. I think it is incredible that something can become famous just because of this attention it gets, but this is also sad, because some good pieces of art get no merit at all. I have a friend who is really talented; she draws better than anyone I have ever seen before, but nobody outside of our school knows about her. She has a Facebook with something like seventeen likes, while some artists, just because they are ‘famous’ have millions of likes. This is just because they have the money to do exhibitions and projects which are publicized by technology. So, I think it is technology and publicity that make an artist famous, so technology plays an important role in art.
This graffiti artist in the picture probably wasn’t famous, but because this competition has taken a picture of his work (if he is actually real and the image is not just graphic design) he will have made money and his art work will become known. It is on the internet, which is part of technology, and people will think it is impressive and then look further into the artist’s work. I think that is one reason graffiti artists draw in big cities where everyone can see. They get attention this way and they know that if someone likes their art, they might take a photo of it and send it to their friends or people they know. Graffiti artists are, therefore, often people who need attention because they don’t get much of it in their personal life. Psychologically, they need this recognition and technology helps them get it. People who just draw in books or at home never really get noticed, because nobody has used to technology to make them famous. Technology actually plays a huge part in the life of an artist, because their career and their entire life depends on their art being shared with the world.
Art is also often technology; it is human technology. It is a way for people to express themselves without having to use machines or high technology. However, on the other hand, art can also be made entirely from technology. A large part of the art we see today is made completely from graphic designs and computer-based images, which have created a whole new generation of art. Art is no longer just composed of paintings, drawings and sculptures, but also of a very high level of graphic design. One of my best friends is doing a degree in graphic arts and says it is fascinating because it is like creating art without necessarily having the raw talent you used to need to have in order to be an artist. Technology is replacing art and making it easy, which I dislike, because now true artists just seem to be like everyone else. If anyone can do art, it isn’t anything special. It is as if everyone used computers to make generic sounds and become famous singers; this is starting to happen already, but not too much. Technology is taking over, which is a sad truth for true artists.
Art and technology are very closely linked, which is good for some but terrible for others.