Art in Social Media

Many people feel that social media is the demise of contemporary art. Through my research I have found that social media actually develops art in ways that are not possible otherwise. Art online has become an increasingly popular activity; for buyer, seller, or anyone who appreciates art. The use of social networking alone has exploded in recent years. It’s not often you meet someone who doesn’t have a facebook. Technology and social interaction have banded together to create a new world of peer to peer conversation, content exchange, and influence in the realm of art. The reality is, if you are not utilizing social networking sites, you are falling behind.

In today’s society, an artist no longer has to physically go to a gallery or make flyers to post on the street corner; they can simply join a gallery online. The ways to promote art work on the internet have expanded and are more effective than ever before. There are significantly better ways for an artist to advertise and elevate work with the use of social media and networking, allowing the circulation and appreciation of art to develop further. Social media and networking allows anyone searching or studying art to have easy and vast access, expanding the circulation and appreciation of art all across the world.

The way the art work is viewed and searched for has completely changed. It is cheaper and more convenient for today’s entrepreneur or student. It has also changed the way people are educated about art and how they can study art. Anyone can view the art work in the comfort of their own home; with the click of a button. The product is available to anyone who has internet access, and the user can search according to what they are specifically looking for. I have experienced in my art education class, the main way we study and respond about art is online. Our teacher emails us a link with directions. This is the future of studying art. An artist can promote their product through a variety of social networking sites, like blogging sites, forums, online portfolios and galleries, photo sharing sites and newsletters. There are easy ways to further chances of success when selling, with the variety of sites that are available to help. An artist can go deeper into social networking by blogging or using forums such as deviantART or ArtNewsBlog. Using these tools and others like them, sharing work is simple and effective.

Before the surge of the use of social media, an artist may have been confined to flyers, ads, physical galleries, and word of mouth to promote their work. And the customer was also confined to the same aspects when buying or studying artwork. Now, with social networking so widely used, there are significantly more ways to promote, advertise, view and share work. There are over 500 million users on Facebook today. More than 30 billion pieces of content (including web links, news stories, blog posts, notes and photo albums) are shared each month. Statistics show that Facebook is a great place for a beginning artist to start promoting their work. On Facebook, an artist can create groups, events, and blogs. Endless photographs of work can be uploaded for the world to see.

Using different social media sites are very helpful to me when I create artwork. I often need inspiration and ideas. I can view a vast amount of work on the internet, which inspires me and helps me to be creative. I also use social media sites to learn about famous artists. It is so much more convenient because I don’t have to go the library to look at books or articles. I can work in the comfort of my home.

Art has vastly changed because of social media and networking. The expansion of art appreciation has occurred due to the use of online tools. The aspects that make art in social media so efficient are the availability, convenience, and variety of new ways to communicate. The way people interact may be what really makes the difference. Communication is most important in all aspects of human life. Humans thrive on social interactions and the relationships they have with others. I am not to say that traditional forms of art display are over, because we all like to see things in person and feel them, but social media and networking allows artists and students alike to communicate and share with each other in ways they never could before.