What Technology Is Influencing Art Today?

The way art is made and viewed has been transforming in line with tech developments since primitive peoples etched images onto cave walls. 

Take the Flemish master Jan van Eyck of the 15th century for instance; he was the first artists to try using oil-based paints and ended up revolutionising the way art was created and how it looked during the Baroque period. 

But let’s fast-forward to the here and now to see how technology is influencing the art world and art prints of today. 

Blockchain, Authentication and Ownership

Blockchain might be best known for supporting Bitcoin transactions, but it’s a standalone technology which has other uses. In the art world, the blockchain can be used to authenticate legitimate art to its rightful owners and creators – and prevent crimes.  

Because the blockchain is a secure ledger which cannot be changed and is always publicly visible, it could be the perfect place to register artworks with their real artists and to track where paintings have been sold. Thus, stopping counterfeits and preventing artists from not receiving recognition for their hard work. 

You can read more about how blockchain secures art in our dedicated blog!

Augmented Reality and Interactive Art

Creating art has been enhanced with better equipment and materials, just like our old friend Jan Van Eyck discovered in the 15th century. But Augmented Reality (AR) could be taking the creation of art and how interactive it becomes to a new level.

Augmented Reality is when we use a device, typically a smartphone with an app, to look through our camera at the real world which has then been artificially altered. 

Artists are utilising the technology to make their creations come to life. And even making other people’s art more interactive. One great example is the Frenchising the Mona Lisa, which asks users to look at a real or replica of the Mona Lisa and then watch her wrap a French flag around her and put on an Islam hijab.

This shows how art can progress from the still and closed off to the very much open and alive.

3D Printing to Plan and Create Art

3D printing is not exactly the cornerstone technology of last week. It came into the mainstream at the turn of the century and have been used heavily in science, manufacturing and engineering over the last two decades.

It took a little time, but now 3D printing is being adopted by popular artists. Some creators like to make their final pieces by printing them with this technology, while others choose to utilise it as part of the design and planning of large-scale projects. 

Just like an architect may use 3D modelling to work out the aesthetics and structural integrity of a building, 3D technologies are chosen by artists who want to create huge pieces of art and sculptures but need a smaller model as a reference point first. 

Technology as the Subject

Technology doesn’t have always to influence art through what it can do or improve. Some artists use the growth of tech to make it the subject of their art, such as criticising the addiction to our smartphones or our reliance on the internet. 

More subtly, artists could choose to paint nature and landscapes as the antithesis of technology which is so prevalent and intrusive to our daily lives. This might be why so many people want to buy beautiful floral art prints for their home right now. 

The number of artists using technology as a point of criticism – or even celebration – within their art is growing, and because of this, they are creating some inspiring and thought-provoking pieces and art prints. 

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