www.art.com

In “The Work of Culture in The Age of Cybernetic Systems,” Bill Nichols writes: “During long periods of history, the mode of human sense perception changes with humanity’s entire mode of existence” (pg.222). Throughout the reading Nichols talks about different types of Art what they represent and how being able to reproduce them changes the significance they can have. Thinking about these I could not help but think how art is being transformed as the world shifts towards a digital age. Analog photography and digital photography, although in essence is the same practice, the transition to digital photography has changed the way society perceive the art of photography. The same has happen with film, society perceives film different as it has evolve from black and white to color, from silent to sound, and now as it changes in the digital age. Society depends much more in digital technology therefore our perception on how digital media is changing art has change as our mode of existence is changing too.

I think is safe to say the Internet has cause a 180 degree turn on the way society lives. Our way of communicating, of researching, of learning, of shopping, of entertainment, of leisure, etc. has been affected due to the internet. Society depends on Internet almost to a full 100%. Hence society perception of life has changed too. Given these it affects the way people see art or think of art. In a way, the internet has allowed numerous amount of people, who otherwise would have not, be exposed to art. True that appreciating a piece of Art through a screen is not the same than seeing the original (or even replica) of the piece at a gallery or whichever it location may be. Perhaps the only art that is not affected by this is film. Still learning about art through the internet gives you the tool of research at that precise moment. People not only have the chance to see how the art piece looks but they can simultaneous research the history of its piece. The way you feel by an art piece without knowing anything about it can completely differ from your opinion if you know how it came to be, or who made it, or other’s interpretation.

Art itself has given a different perception about the world. Art has given the world an insight to the past and to other cultures.  Without it many aspects of society throughout time will have been left blank. Nichols writes, “This unique existence of the work of art determined the history to which it was subject throughout the time of its existence.” Art has provided us information to our past that has shape our futures. It has given insight to each other’s culture around the globe, perhaps making us more respectful to each other. This is where in my view the Internet has help art. The internet has given societies the doors to ‘visit’ other societies virtually without traveling thousands of miles and spending hundreds of dollars. It is true, like Nichols mentions, that no replica of a piece of Art, no matter how perfect, it would always lack its uniqueness og having been in its time and place. That doesn’t change the fact that without replicas Art could probably not have had the impact it has in the world.

The World Wide Web has become one of the three most defining words of this period in history. It changed how society lives. It gave society a new perception in life. The internet is causing a change on how art can be exposed which may also be changing the way is perceived/appreciated it. At times it might make it harder to be able distinguish what can really be consider art, but I think that it simultaneously cause the artist to try harder to capture the essence of their work in order to be able to portray their piece as real art. The most important thing is to be aware that the world is still shifting into the digital era, analog has not vanish entirely, so as this process occurs, art will be changing too. And somewhere down the road when the shift is complete all the art created throughout it will be part of the puzzle that explains what is that occur in this moment.