Art and Technology - Short Essay

Art and Technology

When we hear the word “art”, what usually comes to mind are the classic art forms – paintings, sculptures and maybe even classical literature. But scientific and technological advancements have shaped art differently into the way that we know it today. Let's take painting as an example. There are different media that an artist can use to paint. It can be on canvas, wood, or even concrete. Different coloring materials can also be used like oils, charcoal and different kinds of paint. The combinations may determine the texture of the entire painting. With scientific developments, different media can be produced and explored for the utilization of the artist. One very big development that can be observed is through technological development. With technological advancements like the computer, an artist can create a virtual artwork through various programs as simple as Microsoft Paint or as useful as Adobe Photoshop. This creates many other avenues for artists to express themselves in their art form through different media. But doesn't this mean that the art in the forms that we are usually familiar with have now become outdated or obsolete? I believe not. Art in the first place started out from exploring materials available in the environment and employing creativity into creating something that can be considered to be aesthetically pleasing. This is simply the same concept associated with these advancements in science and technology. Through discoveries and developments, we are given new materials that an artist can find around him/her and that he/she can use to create something beautiful.