The invention of camera and photography in the 19th century marked an enigma in the art and culture of human history. The innovative intervention sowed the seeds of an avid ‘newness’ that people were looking forward to, both amazed and alarmed with the technology. Cameras changed the way art was perceived, made or created. This meant that with the camera capturing real-time scenarios, paintings need not be realistic anymore. Camera and photography introduced videography, and videography to films and movies. Art was getting expanded into a plethora of mediums. This was just one instance of technology seeping into the society. The sphere of art has since then be influenced by new technological inventions.
In the most recent, the digital era of the internet and smartphones has grappled the sphere of art with numerous new alternatives both in the form of its creation and its experience as an art lover. The art form currently produced in the 21st century, and since the second half of the 20th century is termed as ‘Contemporary Art’. Quite self-explanatory, contemporary artists are producing pieces in a culturally diverse and technologically advanced society, and these factors have a significant influence on the creation of art. An iPad has also conveniently become a canvas for the artist, or the NFT for the sale of the same. To dwell into this further, we can peek into the various mediums through which art is created.
The History Of Digital Art And Technology
Mixed media art was an avant-garde movement of the early 20th century, which itself molded the idea of what ‘true art’ is. With the advent of technology, the expression of art has only extended the medium and given us a wider prospectus to blend visual art with other kinds of elements. Digital art can be traced back to the ’60s, when a group of New York artists along with a few scientists and engineers worked collaboratively to create new artistic performances and pieces using the then technological innovations.
In 1980, computer engineers introduced the paint application which was an alternative to the manual paintings that the society was familiar with. This was the time when pixel art or 2D digital art was taking momentum in the art world. Soon after, software art and internet art followed. Digital photography and digital printing enabled a creative collaboration.
When Technology Meets The Art World: The Indian Scene
In India, the trends followed soon, and artists incorporated these innovations in music, films, and paintings. The digitization of art has immersed itself in the diverse and unique art forms of India. Indian folk arts like the Madhubani art is very famous in the west. The authentic aesthetically pleasing designs of the Madhubani art has been an area of deep intrigue for the outside world. To preserve this artform, attempts have been made through computer aided designs (CAD) to speed up the process of creating the art work instead of the conventional manual way which was time consuming. Museums and exhibitions are displaying these indigenous and local art forms of India online through virtual reality. This way the connection between the people and the art is always kept taut.
In a similar scenario, the paintings and the damaged murals of the Ajanta Caves have been restored using art digitization. The AI technology modifies the erased pixels and reinstitutes the lost or faded designs. With Virtual Reality, entire exhibitions are now put up online, with a 360 degree, panoramic view. Art galleries could be experienced through the screens from the comforts of your home. The control of the experience of the space is completely in the hands of the viewer. This was especially significant during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.
In this discussion, it is also worth mentioning the blockchain technology – NFTs (Non-fungible Tokens). While NFTs are not used in any way to create art or aren’t necessarily art pieces all the time, they have had an influence over the art community. NFTs are unique digital assets that can be bought and sold online. They work as proof of ownership, no other person can have a copy of the same. Artists put up their artworks as NFTs, and sell it online.
Contemporary Indian Artists Who Are Mixing Art And Tech
As mentioned above, India has long since been leveraging the benefits of technological art. In India, the first computer art exhibit in India was held in Mumbai in 1991. In August 1997, Vadodara, The first Indian Digital Art Workshop for Young Artists was held. It was a 3-week workshop which introduced children to painting with computers. Multiple events and workshops like these were domineering in the early 2000s to embrace the new medium and technique of art.
Throughout the years, multiple Indian artists have come forth and contributed much to the new art sphere. Some of these names are Anita Dube, Vivan Sundaram, Sheba Chhahhi, Atul Bhaa, Gigi Scaria, Ranbir Kaleka, Tabrez Alam, Pinkoblue, etc. Artists like Ranbir Kaleka experiment and combine film and painting together to create video arts, or like artists such as Tabrez Alam who merge together stills from movies with paintings. The mixed media create another kind of artistic piece which delves deeper into the nuanced quality of how we perceive films and to what element do we associate it with.
While art and technology has widened our scope for not only deeply expressing through the mixed media art but has also increased the possibility of viewing these artforms on an online platform, readily accessible to us. However, one also cannot ignore the negatives of the digital media. It can be agreed that technology has made it easier to reproduce multiple copies of ‘authentic’ paintings which lessens its value. One well-known and experienced example is that of Mona Lisa. You can find her in keychains, t-shirts, posters, etc.
Therefore, one can agree that technology has definitely dug up more pathways to create and experience art, it has also, at the same time, devalued the existence of the same art.
