Last time, I mentioned I've been spending time on deviantArt.com. Limited sales opportunities are available there -- whatever image you post there can be used to make prints, including (I think) on substrates other than paper.
These are some of the things I've learned about deviantArt:
- Lots of "manga & anime." I haven't gotten this genre figured out yet. Sort of cartoony/fantasy/warrior-like, all at the same time. And the characters have a thing for gloves w/o fingers.
- Lots of really cute females there. Many of the photos show models who, I'm sure, were chosen because they're attractive. But here, the artists post self-portraits, and the ARTISTS are unbelievably cute! I don't remember seen that much cuteness when I was younger. Where'd they all come from?
- Love and sex are common themes in deviantArt. I haven't made a count, but lesbian themes seem to be more common than gay men or hetero images.
- Otherworldly imagery is the overwhelming look.
- I love that the romantic images show people holding hands, fingers interlocked. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that's sexy!
DeviantArt features quite a wide range of quality, from very-well done (usually in photography) to sketches made on ruled paper used to practice handwriting in elementary school. I can't say to what degree the "Deviations" (members are "Deviants," and images are "Deviations!) represent what younger people, especially, enjoy in their art. But I have been wondering:
Who are the art collectors of the future? Will classical realism in painting attract younger buyers at all, or will painters like me become totally obsolete? Will these kids grow up able to buy the type of art I do, assuming they even want it? Or will they be happy to hang mass-produced posters of anime or comic-looking characters? Or might they be able to subscribe to a service that downloads images of their choosing to a large LCD flatscreen, eliminating the need for originals or even prints of an artist's work?
Don't know, don't know. Maybe that's part of what fascinates me so much about deviantArt.com. It could be showing us the look of the future...or it could all be a fad that will blow away in the winds of the coming years.
2 comments:
I think kids have always had that kind of art. When I was younger the Deviant Art of the day was Elfwood (I think it's still going) and it had exactly the samt type of art.
As a child/teenager most of us are drawn to the idea of love, romance and fantasy (some of us never grow up *giggle*)and tend towards the more comic looking art which is often bold, colourfull and whymsical. As we grow most people develop a love of more complexed beauty too.
As for the LCD screens on the wall instead of paintings. I would say there will always be people who prefure the real thing. Just like there are still people who go mad for records. I do think it is likely that a service that streams art to a screen on your wall will exist in the not too distant future but even if that does happen someone will still need to create the art :-)
Thanks for your comments, Amatheya. It'll be interesting to see where it all goes in the years ahead. It's just that whenever I look at deviantArt.com, it's a little scary when I don't see ANYthing that looks like the work I do. That's when I REALLY wonder what my future in art will be like. =|
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