A cultural analysis of the art domain has revealed that the art market and the art production have in the past used tangible resources. be it oils and canvass or framed prints shipped across the continents, art has left a shocking environmental footprint. But the use of digital technologies in art creation is offering a more sustainable and viable solution for the artist and art admirers. By downloading and viewing artworks, as well as having digital frames, the amount of waste and the use of toxic materials in physical frames are eliminated. That is why the development of a more digital art, which is already now a tendency in a post-internet era, can significantly reduce the art world’s negative impact on the environment.
Reducing Physical Waste
This is true, the digital art downloads is another major area which has positive impact since there is no physical waste that is likely to be generated from the process. A traditional artwork does not simply refer to the material on which the art is produced but includes packaging it in frames and preparing it for display and disposing of it. Mounting artwork behind glass entails using wood from trees, mining of metals, and production of glass. The construction of these materials involves polluting and emitting greenhouse gases. Transporting artwork also involves the use of fossil fuels hence contributing to energy consumption. And finally, most of art is discarded and left into the dump when it is no longer required.
That is why digital downloads can be considered wasteful in absolutely no way, seeing that people use the devices they download artwork on anyway. Much is not needed to be produced or transported in the form of material products since the art file can be sent online. It is still not environmentally friendly to power up any digital devices but the research proved it significantly lesser than that of traditional physical art works. It is also noteworthy that the art pieces uploaded on the Internet can be viewed by thousands of viewers more than in the environment that would require extra waste. Pretty much any cost incurred in the environment is offset many folds by the benefits.
Limiting Harmful Chemicals
One more benefit of digital artwork is to avoid contact with toxic chemicals often used in making traditional art The toxicity of paints, varnishes, thinners, solvents, photographic chemicals, etc. , which the artist must use carefully while working, cannot be underestimated. However, when art is made with the help of computers and digital tools, there is no direct contact with chemicals that can be spilled or their vapors that can be inhaled. Failing to use these toxins also means they cannot end up as pollutants within environment. It also makes it safer for the artists involved, as their work environment is considerably less risky than the ongoing protests. Digital workspaces reduce risks of health issues which have prematurely ended the so popular artists’ lives.
The creation of digital art also is not based on the chemical solution for developing paper and film photography. Such a process is entirely omitted when capturing and editing images using digital technology. However, handling their disposal at the end of the digital device’s useful life is still a consideration; for the duration of the device’s usefulness, it prevents a significant amount of chemical pollution. Thus, the more the device is recycled, the more they expand their sustainability record of these companies.
Preserving Natural Resources
The physical materiels involved in traditional artmaking do not in any way differ from the rest of the modern world’s consumption of natural resources – from mining for metal and minerals to logging for wood. Both canvas and paper use hundreds of wood pulp and so the war on trees continues. Other items that still require timber include frames and shipping crates. Metal framing involve using items such as aluminum and iron which has to undergo mining and melting. Glass used to cover artwork is also derived from sand. As for other industries, writers consume much ink, and photographers use significant amounts of silver to develop pictures in a conventional darkroom. Mining, exploiting and processing these raw materials have drastic negative impacts on the Earth. Habitats are affected as forests are slashed, and mines dug in the earth.
Digital art is formulated in a way that actually eliminates the need for these natural resources in the process almost completely. Technologically advanced products require only a small amount of metals and minerals from which the actual product is made. Unlike the first case, where it would be practically impossible to exhibit thousands of pieces, one tablet or other device can show thousands of artworks in its existence. And with technology, it is quite possible that the components of the devices can be miniaturized or made more efficient in the process. Also, the recycling of devices that are no longer useful or are obsolete recovers more of those metals for reuse. In the meantime, billions of trees, billion of tones of ores, and polluting mines or polluting wells have been saved. The environmental cost of technology is minimal compared to the extraction of materials for traditional art Work with every advancing in display technology and reduction of footprint the advantage will be even more pronounced.
Limitations and Challenges
All in all, the advantages of downloading digital art instead of purchasing a piece of art are luxuriously positive when it comes to environmental issues, but there are still some drawbacks. File storage and transfer use big data server networks that still consume large amounts of power. Today, the vast majority of servers still partially rely on power that is produced by carbon-emitting sources, although renewable integration is growing. The manufacturing of the devices themselves and their eventual disposal also have their effects on the ecology we cannot merely disregard.
There are also concerns with regards to the acceptance of art pieces and how people can really appreciate digital art in the same way we appreciate actual paintings for centuries. Critics have continued to note that the use of computers and screens to display images on is not as naturally engaging as the display of artwork on screens. But as the screen resolutions continue to increase and user get used to digital displays, the difference should decrease. But it does not make up for the massive sustainability savings that are achieved.
Conclusion:
As more of a traditional art’s negative effects on the environment come to light, making a digital download for a song seems like an even more sustainable option. It is only in recent years that art has woken up to the enormous benefits that are accruing from minimizing waste, toxins, and resource mining that come with shifting from tangible prints. While this ecological shift is yet to be seen in its full implementation, artists, galleries, and buyers are gradually turning to technology-based practices. The advantage for the environment will only increase further because the digital devices, streaming networks, and virtual realities are improving the experience hour by hour. In this way the art world can become one that leaves a smaller ecological impact, and focus the time and energy saved on creating more art . And, the planet will thank every artist and art lover who is ready to adapt to this bright digital future.
