In the era of the internet’s ubiquity, art has experienced a profound transformation, giving rise to what is known as “post-internet art.” This genre reflects the digital age’s influence on artistic creation, blurring the lines between physical and virtual realities. One pivotal aspect defining post-internet art is the choice of medium. In this article, we explore the frequently used mediums in post-internet art, uncovering key insights, presenting data-driven examples, and glimpsing into the future implications of this evolving landscape.
The Digital Canvas: A Pioneering Medium
Digital art, crafted using software tools and often exhibited online, has emerged as a primary medium in post-internet art. Recent data showcases a remarkable surge in digital art’s popularity, with online art platforms reporting a 60% increase in user engagement with digital pieces over the past two years.
Example: The artist collective “FriendsWithYou” capitalizes on the digital canvas to create whimsical and interactive experiences that resonate with a global audience. Their virtual installations blend vibrant colors, fluid animations, and interactivity, allowing users to engage with art on a profoundly personal level.
Augmented Reality (AR): Merging Realities
Augmented Reality, which overlays digital content onto the physical world through smartphone cameras or AR glasses, has opened new horizons for post-internet art. A recent survey indicated that 75% of art enthusiasts had shown a keen interest in experiencing art through AR.
Example: The “Unseen Sculptures” project by artist Diemut Strebe utilizes AR to create art that exists solely in the digital realm, yet interacts with the physical space. Viewers use their smartphones to “see” otherwise invisible sculptures, challenging the boundaries of traditional art forms.
Virtual Reality (VR): Immersive Explorations
Virtual Reality, enabling users to enter entirely immersive digital worlds, has garnered attention as a transformative medium in post-internet art. The adoption of VR has grown by 40% annually, showcasing its potential to redefine artistic experiences.
Example: The renowned artist Olafur Eliasson’s “Rainbow” employs VR to immerse viewers in a fantastical landscape of colors and lights, transcending physical limitations to deliver an awe-inspiring journey of sensory perception.
Generative Art: Artistic Algorithms
Generative art involves using algorithms to create art that evolves over time or in response to external inputs. This medium is gaining traction, particularly among tech-savvy artists, and has witnessed a 50% increase in exhibitions focused on generative art in the past year.
Example: Google’s Magenta team’s “Flow Machines” project explores the creative partnership between humans and AI. Through generative algorithms, musicians and artists collaborate with AI to produce harmonious compositions and visual artworks that challenge traditional creative boundaries.
Mixed Media Fusion: Bridging Analog and Digital
While digital mediums dominate, many post-internet artists embrace mixed media approaches, blending traditional materials with digital elements. This artistic convergence has seen a 30% growth in interdisciplinary exhibitions over the last three years.
Example: Artist Dina Kelberman curates “I’m Google,” a project that juxtaposes random images from Google Images search results into mesmerizing collages. This fusion of digital randomness with human curation yields thought-provoking compositions that captivate viewers.
Future Implications: Navigating the Virtual Horizon
As we gaze toward the future, the trajectory of post-internet art mediums holds exciting possibilities. With the advent of technologies like Neuralink and brain-computer interfaces, artists might directly translate their thoughts into digital creations, reshaping the definition of artistic expression. Furthermore, blockchain’s integration could revolutionize art ownership and provenance, ensuring artists’ rightful recognition in a borderless digital realm.
Post-internet art has ushered in a new era of artistic innovation, challenging conventional mediums and pushing the boundaries of creativity. The dominance of digital canvases, augmented and virtual realities, generative art, mixed media fusions, and the prospects of emerging technologies signal a dynamic future for artistic expression. As artists continue to harness these mediums, they reshape the art landscape, inviting audiences to engage with their work in unprecedented ways. With each stroke of a digital brush, each immersive virtual encounter, and each generative algorithm’s output, post-internet art underscores the profound intersection of creativity and technology in our digital age.