Art Galleries – Going Virtual – Hopes and Fears

Art Galleries – Going Virtual – Hopes and Fears

An online art gallery can be just as good as its off-line alternatives, especially in this day and age of technological advancements.

To begin with, the online art gallery is sure to have a larger collection of items when compared to its brick and mortar counterparts. This gives the prospective client the capacity to look into previous exhibitions that may have been held at their favorite art gallery. Another benefit is that there is no rush to go through exhibitions before closing time, making it both convenient and worthwhile for the patron and the artist. Thirdly, online art galleries give the consumer the time to look carefully at pieces they might wish to purchase before proceeding to make a bid. In such cases, there are websites that are dedicated to specific art galleries and others that are owned by the creators themselves. Another plus to this concept is that the client can enjoy exhibitions that might be running simultaneously at different sections of the city.

Even though there are copious advantages to online art, there are also disadvantages including a flat, 2D view in contract to the real, 3D view that the artist intended the viewer to see. This may not seem like an inconvenience until you come across layered or textured art. Another minus attached to these art galleries is that the impact of a physical installation will also be severely compromised. In addition, the time spent online on the website could have been used at the gallery itself, taking in the art work in all its glory. In other words, there is no time to stop and smell the roses, whether this is meant literally or artistically. This is especially true if the exhibition is held outdoors with nature in all its beauty, then the patron misses a central part of the message.

In conclusion it can be said that there are some disadvantages concerning online galleries, but the advantages out number them. Art lovers should give it a try as online exhibitions are a new concept courtesy of the technological advances of the 21st century.