It has been a long time since I have written a blog about art. This morning, I had a random thought that inspired me to write a blog about digital art. I realized that many people don't fully understand digital art. I will add myself to the list, as I had a limited definition of the art form based on contemporary technology. After some research, I have been proven wrong or, at least, correct, but in a limited way.
A Brief Background
Digital Art, an article written for the Victoria and Albert Museum, defines the art form as crossing "a wide variety of mediums; digital art spans from the computer, generative, robotic, kinetic, and net art through to post-internet, virtual reality, and augmented reality art."
The origins of digital art are found in the early 20th century with movements such as Modernism, Futurism, Abstraction, and Op Art. Digital art grew out of a partnership between scientific labs and artists.
Rayograph by Man Ray
Rayographs created by American artist Man Ray were first identified as digital art. Rayographs use photography to capture processes undetectable to the human eye.
Interruptions, Vera Molnar, 1969
In the 1960s, access to computers was limited to a few people. For artists interested in computers, access to the machines was established through partnerships with scholars and mathematicians.
Skew J17, Mark Wilson, Digital Art, 1982
During the 1980s, better accessibility to computers opened new horizons for artists in the field of digital art.
P-701/B, Manfred Mohr, 1999-2000
Adobe Photoshop was introduced to the consumer in 1990. Photoshop is my "canvas and brush," so I naturally consider 1990 a pivotal year in digital art.
My approach
I create my digital work using a digital camera, Photoshop, Lightroom, and some of my favorite plug-ins. The work always starts with photos. Often, my camera is with me when I leave the house, as I never know when inspiration will appear.
Some photos I know from the start will become some art, be it digital, mixed media, or a painting. Other photos languish in digital files, waiting to become inspiration. Sometimes, I love a photo, but it takes years and several attempts to pull it together into a piece of art.
Most of my work consists of a combination of two or more photos. The additional images are often of graffiti, but not always.
Homeless on The Circle. The original photo is next to the completed digital piece.
The work maintains a sense of its photographic qualities, yet it isn't a traditional photo. Colors and textures are changed, and objects are added or removed. Areas of fine detail are simplified, and saturation is often exaggerated.
I also sign, date, and number my digital art using a marker that won't yellow the paper over time or bleed through the print. I write it on the back of the print so that if you choose to replace the mat, you can do so without losing the piece's provenance.
Generally speaking, the smaller pieces I create are limited to twenty prints, and the larger pieces are limited to five.
I don't use AI to create any of my art. All of the digital work you see comes from my mind, experience, and over thirty years of experience with Photoshop (yup, I started with Photoshop just a few years after it was first released!).
For more information, read the Victoria & Albert Museum article: Digital Art.