Film Futurist

I was struck by this article in today’s New York Times about 20×200 New York gallery owner Jen Bekman’s online venture. As the piece points out, the world of “high art” may be the last holdout in the broad world of art/media/design/film shift into the online space. It must appear profitable if investors are willing to bank on it in this soft economic market. And I think the take-away here is something I feel strongly about – economies of scale. While it maybe difficult to sell a $10,000 painting off a website, there is infinite opportunity on the small pricetag end of the spectrum where volume is more effective than high value. Of course this begs a lot of questions about the commodification of art, and the cheapening of a business that has always been propped up by a certain kind of knowledge and appreciation. I think the question is one that affects any artistic medium that has not traditionally been in the realm of the commercial. But it is a question we are going to be contending with more and more, as artists seek ways to make a living, and the business of art changes as it is now.