Art on the Web – Wild and Wonderful

Have you ever taken a tour of  art on the Web? I recently spent many hours surfing around the different sites and sales venues getting a feel for sales, portfolio, directory and gallery sites. From the apparent art factories of Ebay where you can get an ‘original’ painting done JUST LIKE the one featured in a photo to exclusive gallery sites where you can only join by submitting portfolios for review, it is a wild journey through the full spectrum of what is considered ‘art’ on the web. The variety is truly amazing.  Photos, illustration, painting, sculpture, ceramic, jewelry and almost every media imaginable and in most combinations are available. Also for your criticism and examination are every style imaginable… abstract, realistic, outsider, folk, traditional, impressionist, expressionist, conceptual, you name it and it is there. You can also find any and all subject matter: landscape, figure, fantasy, western, still life, cartoon, erotic, documentary the list goes on. For someone trying to get their bearings it is somewhat overwhelming. Where do you start? I can only say I am starting with an examination of what Art is on the web and how it differs from the concept of Art taught in art school.