Reviews
An internet presence - A waste of time?
I'm loosing count of the number of profiles I've set up on the internet in the past year... maybe about 14... Artfind.co.nz, CreativeNZ, Fuel4arts, Dripbook, Virb, Facebook, Artelista, Issuu, WOW, IntrusiveArt, AniOman, Saatchi... That's not including the multiple profiles on Myspace. Is it a good thing I'm doing to promote my paintings? Or is it just one big bout of procrastination when I would be better off unplugging the computer and focussing on the paint, the canvas, the brushes? At least it becomes easier each time as I have images ready-prepared...
I've never sold a painting through the internet (tempting fate there) but occassionally I've met people who knew my work from seeing it online. It is a form of publicity which is out there for anyone to stumble across and you never know when chance will strike. But maybe I'm not using the internet in the best way? Or maybe the digital image is not the best way to show paintings?
Where are all the artists on the internet? I remember asking myself that when I first opened a Myspace page just over a year ago. It seemed it was all about bands and scoring dates and when I came across another artist it was like an exciting discovery. There were other sites which you had to pay for and they were full of artists chasing the dream of selling work but I was pretty skint and didn't want to fork out on a site that could probably live off the income from the artists and not worry too much about promoting me as an individual. So I jumped into the messy community of Myspace head first. I think it is because it is such a jumble of tacky images, glittery text, layout codes to make the techies ill... it's like a poor suburb with seedy backstreets, music blasting from every window, not a safe place to walk alone, you have your cheap flat and there is a great mixture of cultures, immigrants from the world over, you write with someone and she mentions a gallery you want to see and so you arrange to meet at the entrance to the underground station and she turns out to be someone different from the photo, even a different name, but she is involved with art... I think this is why it is attractive to artists. It's not about separating yourself from the rest - of being in a gallery or art magazine or website - but of being in there with everyone else. Everyone has a chance to show who they are and what they do and to share it with people who may never enter a gallery and the audience is potentially huge. It's not surprising that at least four of the finalists in the first Saatchi Showdown are active on Myspace.
An immigrant myself to Madrid, I guess that was in part the motivation to seek out other artists in Spain and I decided to create a webpage to gather artists together: Artistas de España. Luckily Spain has been slower than the UK in taking to Myspace so I was starting with something manageable. And now I have over 100 artists from all over the country and am starting to apply for funding for projects for everyone to get involved in and getting offers of help from the artists involved. Today I received a message from one of the artists, "Un hombre que viene de nueva zelanda se mueve más que cien españoles" (A man from New Zealand gets more done than a hundred Spanish!) I did it for free and have spent many hours on it and sometimes wonder if it is worth it all and that motivates me to make something of it. It's not unique - there are other artists collectives who have formed through myspace and there are individuals who have initiated participatory projects in their page. But there is a sense in which it is something untried, unstable, unchecked...
I like to think that the internet can be used as a creative tool, not just for promoting work but for initiating new work; for stimulating creativity. It's not just about showing what you do. The internet should be a place where you can feel at home, walk about in your underpants, pop down the pub with a friend and discuss the day to day things. We have to get away from marketing, and away from hoping to get noticed, and turn it into a tool for our own creativity.
So I guess well over half the sites I'm on have failed in this respect; in that they are just about having a presence and showing work. They are not about creativity. But we learn as we go along, no? I'd be interested in your reactions and ideas ;-)
I've never sold a painting through the internet (tempting fate there) but occassionally I've met people who knew my work from seeing it online. It is a form of publicity which is out there for anyone to stumble across and you never know when chance will strike. But maybe I'm not using the internet in the best way? Or maybe the digital image is not the best way to show paintings?
Where are all the artists on the internet? I remember asking myself that when I first opened a Myspace page just over a year ago. It seemed it was all about bands and scoring dates and when I came across another artist it was like an exciting discovery. There were other sites which you had to pay for and they were full of artists chasing the dream of selling work but I was pretty skint and didn't want to fork out on a site that could probably live off the income from the artists and not worry too much about promoting me as an individual. So I jumped into the messy community of Myspace head first. I think it is because it is such a jumble of tacky images, glittery text, layout codes to make the techies ill... it's like a poor suburb with seedy backstreets, music blasting from every window, not a safe place to walk alone, you have your cheap flat and there is a great mixture of cultures, immigrants from the world over, you write with someone and she mentions a gallery you want to see and so you arrange to meet at the entrance to the underground station and she turns out to be someone different from the photo, even a different name, but she is involved with art... I think this is why it is attractive to artists. It's not about separating yourself from the rest - of being in a gallery or art magazine or website - but of being in there with everyone else. Everyone has a chance to show who they are and what they do and to share it with people who may never enter a gallery and the audience is potentially huge. It's not surprising that at least four of the finalists in the first Saatchi Showdown are active on Myspace.
An immigrant myself to Madrid, I guess that was in part the motivation to seek out other artists in Spain and I decided to create a webpage to gather artists together: Artistas de España. Luckily Spain has been slower than the UK in taking to Myspace so I was starting with something manageable. And now I have over 100 artists from all over the country and am starting to apply for funding for projects for everyone to get involved in and getting offers of help from the artists involved. Today I received a message from one of the artists, "Un hombre que viene de nueva zelanda se mueve más que cien españoles" (A man from New Zealand gets more done than a hundred Spanish!) I did it for free and have spent many hours on it and sometimes wonder if it is worth it all and that motivates me to make something of it. It's not unique - there are other artists collectives who have formed through myspace and there are individuals who have initiated participatory projects in their page. But there is a sense in which it is something untried, unstable, unchecked...
I like to think that the internet can be used as a creative tool, not just for promoting work but for initiating new work; for stimulating creativity. It's not just about showing what you do. The internet should be a place where you can feel at home, walk about in your underpants, pop down the pub with a friend and discuss the day to day things. We have to get away from marketing, and away from hoping to get noticed, and turn it into a tool for our own creativity.
So I guess well over half the sites I'm on have failed in this respect; in that they are just about having a presence and showing work. They are not about creativity. But we learn as we go along, no? I'd be interested in your reactions and ideas ;-)
Tags: internet, promotion, marketing, myspace, self, website
Replies to This Reviews
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Permalink Reply by Charles Dunbar on -
That is a nicely made video of you while you're painting.
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Permalink Reply by Sorg on -
There's a cover article out right now about this girl named Julia Allison, who, through her internet escapades found fame and eventually (this month) landed on the cover of Wired Magazine–AND SHE DOESN'T EVEN REALLY DO ANYTHING! It's a fascinating thing to read about. But it gave me the impression that the impromptu times square dance routines and showing up online in photos with celebs and politicians or whatever–it was always in REAL TIME that she was making her splash (and then updating her Twitter or Facebook).
It's like the internet is still just your back-up, it's where you can brag about what your life is like; hanging out with movie stars, living for a week in a display window... anything to get us to listen.
If you're interested, here's an article about me from our daily, the Reno Gazette Journal. It's what I'm doing to have some realtime-presense to anchor my int...–and I'm takin' my show on the road... Any galleries in your city with high foot traffic... I'm lookin' for a new home for a week..
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Permalink Reply by Candice Johnson on -
Yes Janet you are right. It was a win/win/win/win situation and I believe that is what successful internet marketing is about. Here is a rundown on how it worked. Members here were exposed to an interesting video, the artist gained a larger audience and as I am new here many members were exposed to my art. (That part was just luck as I tried loading the video on the forum and it didn't work.) What also happened for me is that as my art video is on youtube and even if its watched here it gains those views on youtube. So as the numbers of views increase more people watch it directly on youtube. I also saw that the artist was on facebook so I wrote him an email and told him I like his video and posted it here. He then wrote a message that was public for his friends and mine on facebook that he liked what I said here about his video and mentioned our host. If you google the titile of the video you will find that our host and my comments are number 8 for search and it lands directly on my Profile page. And if I google your first sentence above you are Number 1 for google search. I think if you would have added his first name and title you would have had a high ranking for his video just as I did for putting the video here.
Now was that manipulative or intentional. Actually no to both. The next time I do something like that it will be intentional though! I loved the video when I saw it. This was the same time I was setting up my profile and I thought it would be great to share it. Something not just about me. Then I saw the forum subject and thought the video would make a good contribution. Then I couldn't upload it. And then I saw the results and decided to keep going with it and Voila.
I have spent some time studying social internet marketing but really didn't put its power all together until now. Some other things I could have done was put the video in my blog and use a lot of good key words but my site is getting redone so no blog. I could have taken my Tetes and added numbers to the images and given a video response to his video on youtube.( I still might do that and will let you know if I do.
If you notice I left out the artists name, our kind hosts name as I really just wanted to share this experience with all you artists and not add it to google.
I have just come back to my art after a 5 year lapse and ready to go. I will share what I am learning about social networking with you all and hope you can apply it to your art.
We also need to learn how to support each other. We are not in direct competition at all. If you like an artists work take the time to rate it or comment. It you like an artist video and its on youtube take the time to go to youtube to rate it and even write a comment. If you are on facebook write on other members wall when you like their work. Notice I say when you like their work. Keep it real. What we all need are collectors and when they see that an artist has attention they give a little of theirs.
So if any of you are on Facebook come and be a friend and write on my wall if you like my work. If you are on Youtube and like my work write a comment. Lets help each other have the success we deserve.
Sorry for being so long winded and hope you understand all my ramblings.
Candice
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Permalink Reply by Janet Hassinger on -
thanks for your response and info. I do not know the internet so well. am not on facebook or utube but sounds as if I should add those to my visibility.
one thing struck me - we are not in competition- and I find many who feel that way and will not share anything - so thanks for sharing your knowledge.
janet - Attachments
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coral red.jpg, 38 KB
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Permalink Reply by Janet Hassinger on
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she is pretty amazing
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Permalink Reply by Sorg on
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I had a guy tell me "stop drawing, blogging is your art". For the record, he wasn't being mean, I think being complimentary–and I would never stop drawing anyway–but it got me thinking a little; Is blogging an art form? Will it one day be an art form?
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Permalink Reply by Nathan Nicholls aka-recyclesculptor on -
I have not sold anything on the internet but I note that things I post in my myspace blogs tend to sell not long after a posting.
Waiste of time? Only if you feel it is. Better off creating? Perhaps but I can only creat when I am motivated so when I'm not, I express on the net. Difficult to appreciate digital images? try representing sculpture.
