Those outside the fine-art world often harbor a rather dated or romantic view of how artists use or relate to technology. My guess is they think artists more or less utterly reject all forms of technology. I suppose this perception comes from a variety of sources, including biopics on Vincent van Gogh or Jackson Pollock.
But today, most artists are as immersed in technology as the rest of society. In other words, they’re as comfortable downloading an app or setting up a computer network as they are at stretching a canvas or inking a copper plate for a fine-art print.
And although 360-degree digital cameras are relatively new, there are quite a few examples online of artists who use them. Here are some intriguing examples I’ve found of how different types of artists are taking advantage of this new type of digital medium.
Take note: Because these are 360-degree YouTube videos, you can click on the YouTube screen, move your mouse right or left, or up or down, and you’ll be able to see another part of the scene. In other words, they’re interactive:
360 video: UCL Slade School of Fine Art 2016 MA/MFA/PhD Degree Show
NPR: Behind The Scenes At The Tiny Desk in 360˚: Wilco
Find out more ideas about 360-degree digital cameras in my State of the Art column in the October/November 2016 issue of Professional Artist magazine, available on newsstands and online in August.
Terry Sullivan is the former editor of Professional Artist magazine and the former technical editor at American Artist magazine. He currently is an editor at Consumer Reports, where he covers digital cameras, camcorders, smart phones, and audio. He is also an artist and musician. Follow him on Twitter: @TerryCR.
