Ecology of the Mind Project

2. The dawn of the new
millennium is marked by its
huge boom in technological
advancements, namely the
personal computer and the
internet. The availability of
home computers and access to
the worldwide web created a
wealth of new opportunities for
individuals to communicate,
learn and share with the outside
world on a global scale.

3. • Not soon after its inception, the internet
became a platform for social networking; that
is “sites where people interact freely, sharing
and discussing information about each other
and their lives, using a multimedia mix of
personal words, pictures, videos and audio.”-
Dr. Anthony Curtis

4. Since the great majority of information
distributed on these social networking sites is
communicated via images, by their very nature
these websites make them ideal for hosting and
sharing the visual arts. Sites like Youtube allow
filmmakers and musical artists to upload footage
of their work and performances, Instagram,
Facebook and Twitter allow for the instant sharing
of images and photographs and all the above
mentioned provide the viewer the ability to
comment on the work they are presented with.

5. Nearly every social media site
has a “like” and “share” button, a
quick way to allow users to
express their approval and link
what they see online to their
“friends” and “followers”. The
work of photographers, musicians,
filmmakers, performers and visual
artists of all kinds has the
opportunity to be shared instantly
to anyone with a wi-fi connection.
Art galleries and performance halls
are no longer the only means by
which art can be experienced.

6. • Computers, tablets and cell phone screens have
become the new stages for the exhibition of
art. Not only that, but the exposure and rate at
which art is shared has been expedited at an
unprecedented rate! Within minutes a single
image can spread like wildfire, art work goes
viral!

7. While the majority of communications
between artists and their audiences may occur
online via comment boxes and direct messaging,
Social Networking allows for the advertisement
and organization of real life events and shows.
Artists may advertise upcoming shows, galleries
and performances to fans on their websites,
profiles and pages and communicate the details
with the click of a button rather than relying on
word of mouth and expensive marketing alone.

8. Most excitingly, art is not only available for passive
viewing, but can also be promoted and sold online in our
contemporary community of cyber consumerism. In
addition to all of its aforementioned facets, the web is
also a marketplace with sites dedicated to the shopping
and selling of art and services, such as Etsy. Transactions
and exchanges can occur entirely online, an artist may
post an image of their work, and a buyer can pay for it
online and receive the piece shipped in the mail ready
for display in no time.

9. Art has long been appreciated by humanity, but never before
like this. Social Networking encourages the viewer to make a
personal connection with the art before them with a different level of
intimacy, they can now hold it in their hands and view it just inches
before their face, with ease of access and the capability to share it
with whomever they please at virtually any moment. Most attitudes
of art appreciation as reserved for only the highly informed and
stuffy, rigid types have been discouraged thanks to the conveniences
provided by online viewing, learning and sharing to all.
Additionally, the appreciation of art is more likely to be genuine
because it is self directed by the wifi enabled device holder.
Whoever holds the device determines which sites their browsers will
lead them and in effect where their journey in art will take them.
The decision to seek out the art comes from a place of authentic
interest a desire to experience and appreciate art, and isn’t that what
art is really all about?

10. • Allen-Greil, Dana. "Beyond the Selfie: Connecting Teens
and Art through Social Media (NAEA 2014)."
Slideshare.net. Linkedin, 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 2 May
2014.
<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.slideshare.net%2Fdanagreil%2
Fbeyond-the-selfie-connecting-teens-and-art-through-
social-media-naea-2014>.
• Neidlinger, Julie. "Http://todaymade.com/blog/social-
media-artists/." Http://todaymade.com. Todaymade,
n.d. Web. 3 May 2014.
<http%3A%2F%2Ftodaymade.com%2Fblog%2Fsocial-
media-artists%2F>.