As far back through the documented times of our society that we look, people have always argued the definition of art. Is the existence and quality of art determined by the creator? The viewer? Is there such a set definition? Thousands of years have passed without an agreeable concrete answer to that question. George Berkeley (1685 – 1753), a philosophical idealist, once said, “…how can any determinate, material objects be properly represented or painted forth by several distinct things each of which is so different from and unlike

While one can endlessly debate philosophically how one should understand the term ‘art’ and accordingly what are the various disciplines which can be included under that umbrella, I think that it is a near certitude that anyone who tries to unravel the question what is art would venture writing as one of its manifestations. Art, in the most basic of senses, is imitation, imitation ultimately of nature. Regardless of the writer’s style, be it naturalistic, surrealistic, absurd, symbolic, etc., a writer, whether hack or luminary, strives to portray to some degree how things are not by means of imitation through the medium of language. (Pehme, p1)

Although many people feel that digitally created art does not have the same value as traditional art (Plagens, p 1), there is a vast growing market of buyers interested in investing in digital art. Laura Lypka, a local computer sales professional, has been collecting and purchasing art for nearly fifteen years. Currently she owns eighteen traditional pieces and twenty digitally created pieces. Most often people purchase prints of original art work, which are in essence digitally produced, but the original was still created without any technical assistance. If a buyer is mislead to believe that the print they are purchasing was originally created by hand, they often feel cheated when finding out the truth. When asked her opinion on digital art she says:

Computers, along with the Internet, have provided an entirely new medium for artists to share their work with colleagues, purchasers and potential employers. In years past it was difficult for a traditional artist to compile all their best works into a ‘book’ and physically carry it around to show to others. Now, computers provide a means for a database of an artists work to be easily stored and emailed with ease. Art galleries and dealers often request slides from artists of their work. Using imaging software, such as ImageAXS, color thumbnails of scanned images are easily and cheaply produced, replacing the sheet of slides. As well as keeping a database of the artists work, this software also allows the user to keep track of work they’ve sent to others. (Cantrell, p 2)

Some artists love being able to modify their work via their computer. It is a convenience that provides ways for them to improve their existing work or to merge several of their pieces together, creating something brand new. However, this opens up the door to a whole new level of copy right infringement, especially with the availability of millions of images via the Internet. There are communal web sites across the globe where artists are able to post their work for others to see. One example is http://www.dumbodirect.com . A community of artists in Brooklyn, New York uses this site not only to post their work, but also as a community directory of artists and related services offered. Although typically used as a place for people to see a representation of the artists work, it is possible for anyone to save images from the site and represent them as their own, either by modifying it or using only a portion. Unless someone chooses to steal a well known image, the odds of the general public realizing the work is not original are slim to none. Imagine how cheated you would feel to find out you had been had after investing a significant, or even small amount, into a piece of artwork.

Some topics in this essay:
Pehme Personally, Laura Lypka, George Berkeley, Computers Internet, Portland Oregon, Brooklyn York, Software Quicken, , Queens NY, Brooklyn NY, endless possibilities, letter writing, digitally created, digitally produced, art world, portland oregon, digital photography, feels digital photography, 2 artists, cantrell 2, computers actual, artist portland oregon, digitally produced art, digitally created art,