Art and Technology - Part 1

The irony of using a computer and the internet to capture my thoughts on technology and its impact on the arts is not lost on me. I think that it is a very important relationship in these times and it is a relationship whose dynamic every artist has to create for themselves. There are plenty of books, websites, career coaches and artist reps out there who claim that they can do this heavy lifting for an artist, but I really think that we, as artists, have to do this work for ourselves.

A story that is demonstrative concerns the Scottish artist Paul Emsley, who recently unveiled his portrait of Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, which now hangs in Britain’s National Portrait Gallery. To make a short story shorter: the Duchess loves the portrait (at least in public) and the British art establishment and Kate’s fans hate it. Mr. Emsley, who has a significant body of work that can be seen by anyone, is a portraitist who creates non-idealized paintings of his subjects. He didn’t give us the airbrushed, “Fashion Magazine X” version of the Duchess, he gave us the truth of her beauty. Or is it the beauty of her truth? Machts nichts. More power to him I say. I don’t particularly buy into the notion of idealizing the subjects of my portraits either. I prefer to tell real stories with my art. Unless I am creating a fantasy painting, of course.

I recently read that, because of the uproar and hatred of the painting, the artist has been in seclusion at his home and he lives in fear that the painting will be defaced, if not destroyed, by one of Kate’s rabid fans. Apparently, he has received a lot of hateful and threatening e-mail about the portrait. For me, this story has inspired a lot of thinking and internal debate about art and how we use technology to present it to the world. Perhaps the artist should launch a major and very public counter-offensive and vehemently defend his creative decisions. Maybe he should say nothing. Should he paint a new version of the portrait that makes Kate look like a Barbie doll? I honestly don’t know what he should do, and I have no idea what I might do in his place. I do know this, the majority of people who are so vicious and quick to vilify the artist have not seen the painting in person, and only know it from the photos available on the internet. No photograph, poster or plate in a book or on the internet has EVER done the original work of art true justice. If there is a painting that you love, and you have only ever seen it in a book or on the internet, then you owe yourself the privilege of going to see it in person. A photo of a work of art is a very small thing when compared to the work itself. I’m willing to bet that the experience of seeing the Duchess’ portrait in person is revelatory. Wouldn’t it be silly to judge the taste of the Mac & Cheese by the flavor of the photo on the box? 

Now, I accept that this travesty is not completely relevant to me, except that I, too, have sometimes received negative criticism of my work. But I take Mr. Emsley’s story as a cautionary tale. Should it ever come to pass that my art is sought after on such a scale, wherein I am painting portraits of the rich and famous and am known beyond the region in which I live and work, then I will endeavor to control my own press. As artists, we can do that up front through the form and content of the web presence that we maintain. I am currently building a new website and online portfolio for my art, and, as you can see, I am trying to be more active in my blog writing. It is a contemporary necessity to control your digital avatar, which in these modern times is almost as real as the flesh and blood person that you stare at in the mirror. Be careful with yours.

PS - I just had a thought about Picasso. Can you imagine how many paintings he might have sold with the internet at his fingertips? Can you imagine the power of his reputation with such global reach at his disposal? It’s a staggering thought, and possibly an inspiration for artists who actively seek fame. I merely seek to create good art. If my work finds a wide audience, great, but I’m not going to sell myself out (Thomas Kinkade) to achieve that.

Now go make some art!
Chris Ingram