The Internet continues to change the way we create & consume, but sometimes the new modes are not so new.
During the Renaissance portrait painting became popular – commissioned paintings of individuals, groups and families showing them in situ with the intent of capturing the visual appearance of the subject. It first became common among noble families, royalty and church leaders looking to have their greatness preserved for the ages, but it later became less exclusive and in the 18th and 19th centuries it’s popularity took off among middle class families.
During the 20th century portrait painting suffered a decline, largely due to the ease of photography as a method of capturing a likeness, but also because western society’s taste moved away from crafted goods to the mass produced. Painted portraits felt provincial, much like hand made furniture in the era of Ikea.
This trend had begun before Gutenberg and had the great benefit of progressively providing the masses with access to books, porcelain, transport, art, plastic, electronics, music, theatre and the Internet.
A combination of economic forces (mass-market, mass-distribution, mass-production) and the popularity of mega-brands squeezed artists out of the mainstream. The role of the craftsman, artisan and artist was greatly reduced and displaced by the factory worker, mechanic and miner and eventually by the programmer, management consultant and life coach.
Slowly bespoke artefacts have taken on a new meaning, a hand made chair became a sign of wealth rather than poverty. But for the mass-market, mass-production is it. Artists either make it big and became superstars or struggle to gain recognition. The traditional middle ground for the common artist has been lost.
One of the trends being enabled by the Internet is the breakdown of the economic factors that have caused this polarisation. Production, marketing, shipping and transactions are being commoditised and it is becoming viable for individuals to create and reach a market without having to pitch their ideas to companies with worldwide distribution and marketing clout.
Want to publish a book? Go to blurb.com and self publish. Want to market a line of unique lamps? Put them on etsy.com and buy some AdWords. Want to get exposure for your new single? Post a killer video on YouTube (10 million views in under a month, no major record label backing).
The flip side of this coin is that the market is seeking out unique, short run or hand-made products again. Sites like Threadless.com changed the way we look at T-shirts from being a vehicle for logos to a vehicle for creativity and self expression. The value people place on mass produced objects such as CDs is falling – but there is plenty of value seen in unique or limited release material.
My family recently commissioned a portrait from Nan Lawson. It wasn’t expensive and the whole transaction, from initial contact to feedback on a couple of iterations to the final payment, was conducted over the Internet. We love the personal nature of the portrait, the way it captures us, our tastes and the our time, but most of all I’m excited that the Internet is enabling a renaissance of commissioned creativity on this scale.
