The great spiritual writer Thomas Merton once said, "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time."
The Internet Revolution
So far the Internet is having little impact on high-end art, and we will continue to see auction houses peddle masterpieces for fortunes. The Internet has allowed them to find each other.
We have all stood in front of that special image that sang to our soul. It has been said that the art we choose to hang on our walls is a visual representation of who we are and what we believe in. They had to pay large up-front costs in order to show their work, and pay out forty to fifty percent of each sale to the middlemen. For every artist or designer with an obsession with mermaids or puppies, there is a buyer to match them.
While independent artists struggled to make a name for themselves, big brand retailers like Walmart and Ikea entered the scene to sell factory-made wall art at an affordable price. Some people still want to be told what they should be wearing or hanging on their walls but for most people, the expanded choices is ultimately liberating. Only a tiny minority of the people who seriously created artistic work ever found a market.
Throughout history, the connection between a buyer and seller was limited by space and location. The internet has helped people find meaning in art again and provided a new foundation for Thomas Merton's historic words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3jiFSwKprg
The rise of the Internet has turned the art market on its head. Rather, the Internet is bringing an end to mass-produced art and design sold by the yard
