There is no denying that social platform has had a huge impact worldwide ever since more and more people were drawn towards it and started using it. And now it has become as common as breathing.
While there are millions of people who earn their livelihood with the help of social networking sites, it has its own set of pros and cons. As it is further divided into different categories of use, it has brought a major change in different industries as well.
To put it simply, social media is slowly becoming a new wave of art. It has opened the doors for many unseen artists and offers new opportunities in a way that no one ever thought about.
Now that I have your attention, let’s dive into how social sites are changing our art experience and see the different ways of interacting with art explained in this article.
The Artist is Accessible
If we talk about art, some of the many things that come to our mind are exhibitions and art galleries. But why does it sound like I am talking about something from 20 years ago? Well, if you think it’s a stretch, let’s not forget that there is almost nothing that can’t be found on social media.
In the past, art was really only experienced via exhibitions, galleries, museums, or art fairs. But as we now have social media as a medium, one word can be spread globally in a minute. And art is no exception.
Social networking has not only increased the democratization of art but has also made it easier for various artists and institutions to give access to their work easily. With this, art lovers can not only view their favorite artists but also discover new styles and unique backgrounds.
Many artists use social media to sell their work and establish their brand with reach and engagement from their followers. For instance, one of them is the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who is popular for her psychedelic paintings, mesmeric illustrations, and sculptures. With an experience in having exhibited in galleries worldwide, she shares her work on social media regularly with her 300k followers.
The Growth of Art Community
If we have to talk about the growth of the art community along with social media, let’s be honest – it has been pretty tremendous. With artists now being able to freely share their art on social sites, followed by users liking, sharing, and posting comments on artworks, social media has been a blessing for more interaction.
The good part is that the concept of art on social platforms is not limited to just sharing but also engaging in discussions about art. This helps the artists to increase their engagement and reach among their followers and use different social media algorithms to their advantage.
Apart from gaining more visibility, social networking site is also full of users who are interested in different art challenges. With the rise in platforms like Instagram and TikTok, new challenges get trending on them every day, and that includes art as well. The users surely enjoy these very much, and a few of them are ‘Draw this in your style’ and ‘Paint your pet.’
Additionally, there are simple tutorials as well, like one step-by-step guide on cow drawing by BIOWARS that motivates the users to create their own artwork for sharing on social media. This encourages the users of the art community to get involved in exploring and discovering new art creatively.
A hashtag on Instagram that goes by the name #artistsofinstagram is a great example of a fine art community. There are other online groups and communities on Facebook as well, like Fine Art America Sellers United that lets artists ask questions, sell their artwork and get feedback as well.
The Commercialization of Art
Coming to, the development of art on social media – it has surely made it easier for artists to get their artworks marketed. However, it can be a bane and a boon as well.
Even though social media has made art easier to access, interact with or even sell and buy, there is its own set of challenges that have to be faced by artists and art lovers too. The social platform has given a big platform of opportunities for artists to showcase their work to their followers and connect with them, thus, allowing them to earn a livelihood.
On the contrary, there are different algorithms of social media that have their own set of preferences for displaying content. For instance, if an artist has an artwork, everyone would have their own opinions on them. In case a section of people don’t like it, they can report it. This can majorly affect the impact of the post.
In addition, social networking website algorithms work in such a way that it prioritizes showing trending content over other unique styles or artists. So if we have to talk about the comparison between a well-known artist and an aspiring artist on social media, their reach, and followers may vary depending on what their audience likes.
Thus, there is a different sphere for artists to compete and stand out with their artwork in the social world. Therefore, the play is mostly about its presence and how one carries their art display game.
Conclusion
In any case, social media has changed the world upside down with a huge impact and continues to do so; evidently, no stopping it. With this change, social platforms will most likely become an even more essential part of the art world in the coming years.
After all, it provides easier access to all sorts of artwork and makes a homogenized and fragmented experience. However, it is important to be noted that there are always two sides to one coin. Hence, it is up to the artists how they make use of social media for their art.
