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It is nothing new. Commercialism maybe somewhat more aggressive now than in Rembrandts day, but the studios of his era were just as equally skilled at producing the same painting many times over, than a digitally enhanced limited edition of today’s genre.

The question it raises is that as technology moves apace where is the line drawn between what could be described as an artists preparation and that which is computer generated origination More specifically does it matter?

One could argue that artists have always sought to enhance their work and utilizing today’s technology is no different to the past. The fact is that what can be achieved today is far greater than anyone could have possibly imagined even 20 years ago.

It really all comes down to how you define what is art and what constitutes an artists preparation.

Projection and scaling tripods through to Obscura cameras were commonly used in the works of many of the masters, so why should using photoshop be viewed any differently.

Photography and art are like two cousins, related disciplines. But that ignores the fact that painting was the photography of its day. Royal courts would send ambassadors with realistic miniature portraits for prospective suitors, in much the same way as a photographic portfolio captures the lines and cheekbones for a model agency.

People often forget where they have come from and this is also true of all types of art including abstract art and contemporary art. It was as much about advertising, marketing and politics as the beauty or skill of its creator.

To me the use of any technique or process by the artist must be seen as part of the work and methodology. Surely the point is this. It is not the technique or process that is important, it is how you use them. Indeed there is a whole separate area of creativity here.

A good artist will always try something new. They will embrace techniques and use them to create and whilst a purist may not agree, they do so out of ignorance to the past.

Abstract art, Contemporary art and most other forms or art is now an open field. Common opinions of bad and good often are directed by the fashions of the times and art is now clearly a subjective thing.

However within the world of art, there is a troubling trend. Many people have become scared to say, “I think that is good or that is bad.” Viewers go into galleries and say, “I don’t know what I like. Please tell me what is good. But how it is possible for people to abdicate their own opinions. The truth is many people are intimidated by the over-intellectualization that has gone on among critics, to the point where the real art is in the written prose of the reviewers’ essays instead of the particular piece they are reviewing. Even worse are the viewers who are influenced by the pseudo-politically-correct “open-mindedness” attitude that scares them from passing judgment or are uncomfortable with the uncertainty in art.

The truth is that good merely means “I like” and bad means “I dislike”. The , contemporary art and other art worlds require the concepts of subjective good and bad, because that is what drives the desire for improvement and the hard work that goes with it. Without judgments, we would be surrounded by mediocrity.

We need to be comfortable with the terms good and bad, and also understand their meanings and limitations. We need to be accepting of others’ opinions, and be willing to listen and possibly change their own. Opinions, shared ideas, and discourse drive progress and keep great art flowing forth.

Robert Henri in The Art Spirit, 1923

“The man who has honesty, integrity, the love of inquiry, the desire to see beyond, is ready to appreciate good art. He needs no one to give him an art education; he is already qualified. He needs but to see pictures with his active mind, look into them for the things that belong to him, and he will find soon enough in himself an art connoisseur and an art lover of the first order.”

Creating the new, purely for newness’ sake, can bring academic significance but offers little long-term weight. Truth and beauty, on the other hand, have longevity — they affect the viewer and the resonance of that experience lingers for a long time. All three need to be combined to create contemporary art, abstract art or any other forms of art that has impact as well as freshness.

What is truth? Like everything in contemporary art, abstract art and other forms of art, the concept of truth is completely subjective and people will define their own truth. Truth is not simply honesty, but also an emotion or expression that has a deeper, more powerful effect on the viewer.

So many works today are trying hard to be innovative but are inescapably derivative. They are “neat” and “funky” rather than emotional and hard-hitting.

Is it not true to say that we now live in an era of disposable art to match our reality TV? More difficult is the struggle to create something greater than ourselves, something that can outlast ourselves. The imperative of being better, making better, expressing better drives you on. And just as we hope for brilliance in ourselves, we like to touch it as well, whether in a conversation, reading a novel or staring at a canvas.

There are still more Cezannes, more Dostoevskys, to come. We will spot them more by their truth and their beauty than by their passing trend.

The resource that the Saatchi Gallery provides to other art galleries around the world is invaluable. To those who own galleries and are highly interested in the contemporary art scene, the Saatchi Gallery provides the exposure and the information necessary to create and maintain a high profile gallery. Rather than compete with galleries around the world, Saatchi collaborates with them to provide them with international recognition on the global art market. The gallery allows other gallery directors to provide information about their art shop on the Saatchi website and also to provide links to their galleries via the Saatchi website. Since Saatchi caters to a growing international viewing audience of potentially millions of persons, all those viewers immediately become potential clients of the galleries that choose to be hosted on the Saatchi site.

Saatchi hosts links to the most prestigious galleries around the world, and facilitates the creation of sub-galleries for schools, colleges, and other artistic institutions. In fact, it caters to a wide variety of schools (primary to university level) and to the public at large, so that its collection is the largest available on the internet. Being a gallery itself, Saatchi also hosts the works of individual artists. The Stuart Museum, for instance, is a gallery hosted under the aegis of the Saatchi brand, which houses the work of students and recent graduates of artistic colleges and universities. Plus, Saatchi takes it one step further than brick-and-mortar art galleries by allowing artists to sell their work online free of commission. The gallery is therefore a large and all-inclusive contemporary art hub that provides the viewing public with a link to the widest variety of art and art galleries that currently exists on the internet.

The debate of whether original thoughts still exist has gone on for centuries and one can but wonder if we are just rehashing what we’ve collectively forgotten. It’s a fear that resonates among many artists, especially painters these days because we’ve run the full range from purely representational to abstract art

But we cannot for one moment assume that we have done everything that there is to do. It’s a much safer bet that we are continually going to be tossed on our backs by something new.

Originality and individuality cannot exist without its opposite.

Keith Haring, the late pop artist, wrote “No artists are part of a movement unless they are followers. And then they are unnecessary and doing unnecessary art. If they are exploring in an ‘individual way’ with ‘different ideas’ the idea of another individual, they are making a worthy contribution, but as soon as they call themselves followers or accept the truths they have not explored as truths, they are defeating the purpose of abstract art, contemporary art or any style of art as an individual expression – Art as art.”

You can say something old in a new voice, and you can say something new in an old voice. Originality still exists in art and painting, although it is getting tougher. Originality exists in something as simple as your signature. Too often we close off our creativity by over-thinking and seeking approval. Yes, we are social creatures, we need approval, we need community. But to those of us who are hard-wired to seek our own path, you have to remember to put aside the comments of fashion and the criticism of the establishment.

That is, of course, not to say that the opinion of critics have no substance ?a well placed opinion can drive the market.

The truth is that there are many levels at which you can purchase and you should never lose sight of the fact that all art is subjective?including the critic?s opinion. Do you actually like the type of art you are considering? Is it within your price range? Would you prefer contemporary art or perhaps abstract art?

Start by asking yourself the question ?why are you buying??

If you like it then you are off to a good start as there are many artists, styles and formats so deciding in which direction to go can be difficult.

Two key considerations are whether you are buying from a purely decorative point of view or whether you are you looking to buy for investment.

Lets take the first of these?.decorative. It sounds demeaning and somehow implies the art is worth less. It is not meant in that way. It just asks you to be honest about why you are buying the piece. Here you are buying not because it will become a high value item on your home insurance policy but rather because it forms an integral part of your interior design scheme.

And there are many paintings and well known international artists who could ruthlessly be grouped into this category. It is important to consider the environment in which you are going to display the piece of art. The wall-space, colour scheme and the furniture are all considerations to be taken into account. Do you want to create a traditional or modern environment?

The simplest route would always be to be complimentary?a traditional oil with traditional design values. A large powerful abstract would sit well with the lines of minimalist furniture.

However this does not always have to be the case. If you choose well there is nothing that has more impact on a room than a well painted modern piece but placed in a traditional setting.

Planning the interior decoration and making buying the art as part of the planning process is the fundamental point here. You can plan the room around the art as much as buying the art to compliment the room.
Contemporary art for investment is a completely different matter and not something to be taken lightly. The market is awash of depreciating values and great care needs to be taken before venturing into this area. You should seek the advice of the specialist teams within the major art auction houses and start to get a feel for the kind of work and returns you are seeking. The more knowledge you can acquire before parting with your cash the better and remember it can be a long slow burn with no guarantees?.

How thought provoking a piece of art can be depends how open you are to the message an artist is trying to tell you. The most artistic work from the 19th century to around the 1970’s was called “modern art”. This approach had artists displaying their emotions and abstractions on canvas as they were able to veer away from the traditional concepts of painting that had been used since the Renaissance era. During the second half of the twentieth century, modern art turned its name more towards contemporary art. Contemporary art encompasses all art being done now. It tends to include any art made from around the 1970s to the present, or after the end of the modern art period.

Aesthetic sense sets a man apart from other living creatures. Let’s take the personalization of that living space which one lovingly calls a ‘home’. This magic word symbolizes security and the luxury of rest. Little wonder that people love to personalize this space to give it an aura of warmth and comfort. This could be in the choice of furniture, curtains, wall paint and wall art. Wall art in the form of painted canvases becomes a very important part of a home decor as they are ideal to cover many a bare wall and convey an elegance and sophistication in and aesthetic form. The choice of this art could add that personal signature to the walls and transform it from a normal house to an inviting home.

The word ‘Painting’ simply means application of colors on to a media. The media could be wood or glass, concrete or lacquer or paper of canvas. But when this act of painting is used to combine and integrate a subject and form to express a concept aesthetically this becomes a work of art. In an art work the artist expresses, represents or documents various different subjects and these subjects could be as numerous as those choosing to express their ideas this way. The beauty of a wall art, whatever theme it may imply, lies in the integration of colors and styles adopted by the artist and how well these are applied bring out a magnificent and wholesome creation.

Canvas art paintings which are arguably the best forms of wall arts have a plethora of themes. They could be traditional art, modern art, contemporary art or abstract art which could symbolize objects like nature, emotion and even politics. The symbolism could be pretty much straight forward as in a landscape or still life or could have an abstract concept. Let’s discuss each of these styles.

Modern art are those art works that are produced fairly recently. In modern art which is very often considered parallel to contemporary art, there are a wide variety of styles and techniques. In fact modern art could be created not merely by oil on canvas but by any material that is available for use. No wonder there is plenty of diversity in modern art creation! Abstract art work has been a favorite among many modern art painters. An abstract art as the name suggests is intangible in concept and style and open to many interpretations and is very subjective. While many find abstract art work complicated and not as refined as a good old straight forward art work like the painting of a natural scenery in the form of flowers or landscape, there are many others who find this form of art intriguing and intellectually challenging.

Contemporary canvas arts are canvas art works that are produced in our life time. That is it encompasses all those works of art that is being produced now. A contemporary art work could have an abstract theme. It could even be traditional. Most contemporary art works are oil paintings on canvases that symbolize objects and forms that could relate to the modern world.