Can you find quality artwork online?
If you like art, the internet is a great resource. It has become much easier to see very high quality images of artworks without leaving home. This is a boon to all of us art lovers – exhibitions that are held overseas or in distant places suddenly become (in a lesser version) available.
Of course the experience of an artwork online can only ever be an attenuated version of the real thing. The actual bodily experience of a work is about the presence of an object not an image. But as the market has discovered, we are limited in time and space and still want to experience art. The online world is working hard to meet this desire.
Can you find quality artwork online and is it a safe place to purchase art? I am often asked this question, and the answer is yes, with caution. It will be no surprise to you that profiteers producing large volumes of formulaic works for quick return will take advantage of sites that connect them to buyers. Added to this, the online market is geared towards turnover, not quality. Sites are emerging based on the models of real estate and car sales. But with the right navigational tools, you can also connect with top quality art and artists and see work almost in the process of emerging from the studios. This opportunity to connect with the makers is unprecedented and one of the best things about the online space.
I have researched the players, the motives and the market and put together a guide to take you on your art journey online. I don’t sell my work online, but I am passionate about artists and their audiences connecting. I have written this ebook to help people find genuine artists and high quality artwork. It’s a mad world out there – click on with caution!
About Alexandra
Alexandra Sasse is a painter and writer based in Melbourne, Australia. She has a Masters in Fine Art from Monash University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Visual art from the Victorian College of the Arts, but she can still speak English. She does not sell art online.