Are museums, galleries, and auction houses a thing of the past? Combining aspects of each, artsy.net seeks to make the world’s art collections accessible to anyone with a computer. Artsy.net was created in a Princeton University dorm room by Carter Cleveland with the goal to expose users to new artists and art collections from around the globe. Over three hundred galleries and one hundred art institutions are partnered with artsy.net in order to show examples of their works and previews of upcoming exhibits. Some featured pieces even given visitors the option to see the pieces virtually in a museum-like setting. This option places the image on a blank virtual wall with a bench situated in front of the wall to further recreate a museum-like viewing situation. Can’t make it to Vienna to see Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss”? No worries, you can now view it in artsy.net’s virtual museum.
Artsy.net, however, is not simply about viewing works of art that are just as accessible on Google Images. Upon visiting Cleveland’s site for the first time, you are instructed to create an art interest portfolio which compiles your favorite art historical periods, mediums, subjects, and artists. These interests are then used to suggest similar artists and works you might also enjoy. In this way, artsy.net succeeds in introducing you to art you might have never gained access to. You can also “follow” artists, galleries, museums, or historical periods featured in order to receive updates about new art additions. Not only can you “follow” artists, but every art image image comes with a “like” button so that you can further refine your interest settings and create a portfolio of all of your favorite works. This page of favorite works can then be shared with friends, as if you are sharing your own curated art exhibit. If you fall in love with a specific piece, artsy.net offers information about where you either can view this piece in person or gives you the opportunity to purchase the piece online.
While this website indeed succeeds in introducing you to new artists and galleries from around the world, it also completely changes your relationship with the works. Gone is the intimate connection you have when viewing a piece first hand. In a museum, you can truly appreciate the scale and the details of a piece. There is a reason Rothko built a chapel to host his paintings in Texas and why visitors flock to the Louvre just to catch a glimpse of “The Mona Lisa” or of “Venus de Milo”. Viewing a piece in the context the artist intended causes the piece to be both physically and visually imposing. The art takes over the senses and focuses your attention, demanding reflection and evaluation. Art also possesses a certain aura, an essence that is compromised when viewed online. In a museum, you are exposed to the true work of the artist. You can see the brush strokes, feel the energy, and experience what it means to be near a masterpiece. However, viewing a piece online only exposes you to an image, a copy. You are not really looking at an artist’s work; rather, you are looking at a small facsimile that cannot do justice to the real piece.
The notion of “following” and “liking” specific artists or pieces of work also serves to alter your relationship with the art. Since every piece you like is added to your Favorites Gallery, it is as if you are online shopping for pieces to add to this gallery. No longer are you looking at the art for viewing pleasure; instead, you are evaluating each piece based on simply the value of whether you like it enough to add to your gallery. Evaluations of skill, technique, unique subject matter, and influences are tossed aside and replaced by the naïve “is this pretty?” or “is this cool?” judgement. The organization of art on this site only adds to this online shopping feel. Art works are arranged in a grid pattern similar to how clothes are arranged on most shopping sites. This organization overwhelms you with visual stimulation, forcing your eyes to move quickly from one image to the next without ever fully taking one in. In this way, the art is never able to have a profound effect on you. It is unable to cause any deeper reflections other than “I like this. I want this.”
So, are museums, galleries, and auction houses a thing of the past? While artsy.net hosts an impressive online art collection as well as provides visitors with the opportunity to purchase specific works, the website is unable to accomplish what a museum or gallery is able to accomplish. The art featured is not art. The art is instead simply images that can never affect the viewer as much as the real thing. It is one thing to see a piece of art, and it is quite another to truly experience it.