Who Gets To Call IT Art

One thing that most people agree on is that the best art of any era reflects exactly what is going on in society at that time. The best music, paintings, dance and film have a way of always being in the moment and synchronized with each other even when the individual artists are working independently of each other and do not know each other.

Looking back over history, it is easy to reconstruct this phenomonon, even though things do not happen in the exact order of our art history books. There is always overlap and things get a little messy but for the most part, art defines each era precisely right across all art forms. Could you imagine Philip Glass' music being created at any other time other than in the late 20th century? The repetitive nature of his music is just like the repetition in an Andy Warhol print.


I was thinking about where we are these days. Without the benefit of hindsight, it is more difficult to define. But if you look back since the Abstract Expressionists morphed into Pop Art (going from humorless and angst -ridden to downright amusing - think Jackson Pollock to Andy Warhol), what have we done?

TV, in- your- face billboards and neon signs have given us a different persepctive than, say Rembrandt had. Remember Barbara Kruger's biting images superimposed with type? Kind of like an advertisement, but not. Lots of people said, Oh, I could have done that. But the fact is, they didn't do it. She did. No one would deny that she is a great artist.



When the color copier was first introduced, some photographers started to use it to make art. It seemed like a natural progression for them, to use new technology. Now some of those prints can be found in most museums. Certainly, blogging is a way of expressing oneself. But could it be called art? Who gets to say, this is art, this is not? There was a panel discussion among IT users and artists in London. It is very interesting. It is a hot topic among curators and art editors now.

I think we all tend to think the artists of the past were more impressive, more talented, greater somehow than those living in our own times. But I bet there are young artists out there right now, on the cutting edge, who are making art on the internet with words and images and whatever else moves them to create. Art does not necessarily equal pretty. It is an expression of the moment in whatever medium the artist chooses.


Have you heard of Twittering? Well, there is going to be a Twestival on February 12 so you can take part, if you like. It is like blogging only faster, shorter and more immediate. Where the heck will this all lead? What is next? I can't wait to find out.

Technological Wonders Never Cease

Technology is one of my all time favorite passions in life! Whenever a new gadget is introduced to the market, I can usually be found at the head of the line, anxious to check it out. I have always been fascinated with anything that can simplify my life. Back in the early 60’s when I was just a young girl, long before the advent of the “personal computer”, I actually imagined and dreamt of what would later become the handheld computer, thoughts undoubtedly triggered by the invention at the time of the innovative transistor radio. If they could put a radio into such a small package, I knew there just had to be more to come some day. If I had only known how to make that dream happen back then I might be living or vacationing in some tropical and exotic resort right now… wow, I’d be right up there with the Bill Gates of the world. As is, I am most content exploring, investigating and buying techie gadgets.

One of my recent discoveries is the Eye-Fi Wi-Fi digital camera SD memory card. What a fun toy this is turning out to be. The Eye-Fi Card came with everything I needed to set it up and connect to my home computer wireless network (Wi Fi). It only took a couple of minutes to set up. Then, using the memory card that came with the software, all I had to do is snap the pictures! Now, whenever I take pictures that I want to download to my computer, I just need to be sure that both my computer and digital camera are turned on at the same time. Like magic, any pictures I’ve taken are automatically downloaded to my computer and stored in the file that I set up to receive them! How easy is that?

As a Realtor® this is a very useful tool for getting my pictures onto my computer and ready for immediate use! If I’ve been out taking pictures of properties, I come back to my home office and like a child anxious to see what Santa has brought; I rush to my computer to find the pictures waiting for me. If I get to the computer in time, I can catch them flashing on the screen as they are downloading. No more looking for the memory card reader, connecting USB cables or removing the memory card from my digital camera. It’s all automatic! In short, downloading pictures is no longer a chore -- its fun and it keeps me productive. What will they come up with next? Whatever it is, I’ll be sure to find it!

Click the Play ► Button to see photos downloading!