For over a decade the Internet and the artistic world community have had a mutually beneficial relationship.
The Internet has provided a conduit for art dealers, collectors, historians and artists to interact on a
global scale. This has enhanced the work and lives of many members of the art world. It has also opened a
new field of art for artists to work in. That field is in the creation of art that is designed for use
and viewing on the Internet. Today art is displayed, discussed, bought, sold, viewed, appreciated,
interacted with, critiqued and even conceptualized online. The Internet has had an impact on much of
our world and our lives, and the discipline of art has been a prime benefactor from the popularity of
this new means of communication.
The Internet has also benefited in this relationship. All Internet users benefit from the use of artwork online.
The many ways in which art is used on the Internet does so much to enhance the usability, interactivity and
aesthetics of this worldwide medium that we can hardly picture the Internet without it. Online art that is
attractive and functional has become the accepted norm for a website. Art has done so much to facilitate the
use of the web that we hardly notice it. This is largely because most Internet users have only been online
a few years. Yet if we were to step back a decade and compare the Internet then to the Internet we have today
the difference would be obvious.
Doubtless this complex relationship will continue grow and prosper. We can be sure that the world will
continue to find new uses for the Internet. We can be equally sure that the artistic community will continue
to find new and inventive ways to use the Internet to enhance art in our lives.
