Seems like the face of art is always changing.
The other day, I was running some errands in our downtown area and noticed that one of our longtime art galleries was no longer there and had been replaced by a so-called ”Outfitters” store that sells everything from camping gear two outdoor clothing and backpacks and so forth.
"The Tiniest Threads"
Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoy camping and being outside… however, it was also sad to see another casualty happen in our local art scene. It has been a tough decade for art, here in our town.
Perhaps I wouldn't have noticed at all if it weren't for the fact that we used to have an art gallery, and because I happen to be an artist myself.
Perhaps the change would not have led me to pause for thought except for the fact that our small seaside city builds itself as an ”Arts Community...” and yet it seems like the arts are becoming less and less visible and I'm not entirely sure what resources are being put towards maintaining a "thriving arts community."
Darth Vader... or a rock in a stream?
I'll be the first to admit that art isn't exactly a ”necessity,” and that during difficult economic times — as we are currently experiencing in much of the world — the retail landscape often swaps out luxuries with necessities.
But to what degree is the closure of many brick and mortar art galleries also a reflection of the fact that art is becoming increasingly digital?
Let's face it, you don't need to go to an art gallery to purchase an NFT, and if your interest in, and desire for, art is satisfied by pixels on your screen rather than a physical object... well, then it seems like the physical art gallery is increasingly going to go the way of the horse and carriage.
For me, the question remains — and I have raised this point before — whether the NFT’s of the year 2022 have the capacity to become the Rembrandts of 2400? And given the current swift changes to how view view art, what will art even be, in the year 2400?
It's an interesting question, and for me an interesting proposition to speculate on... but sadly I won't be around to find out!
Thanks for stopping by, and do please leave a comment if you feel inspired to do so!
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