Digital Artists & Fine Art Photographers: Are You Making Convergent Media?

Digital Artists and Fine Art Photographers Should Be Using Convergent Media.

Convergent Media is a term I coined in 2007 for Digital Artists. 

 Digital artists and fine art photographers were in attendance when I recently spoke at art business webinars, art marketing panels and podcasts. During those talks, I mentioned why I believe "Convergent Media" is a great term for them to use. 

It Was a Busy Week Talking About Art Marketing and Art Business

My first activity was as a panelist for the 2012 smARTist Telesummit last Thursday. Tuesday this week was very busy. In the morning, I presented my “Boost Your Art Career: Using Publicity, Promotion & Power of Self-Belief to Leverage Your Success” webinar for smARTist attendees.

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Later that day, I took part in an “Art Marketing & Art Business Podcast” with Jason Horejs. He is the owner of Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, author of "Starving" to Successful: The Fine Artist's Guide to Getting Into Galleries and Selling More Art, (A must read for any artist),and a prolific blogger.  Jason has done more than 100 live workshops designed to help artists learn the insider secrets for getting into galleries. 

More than once when presenting, I suggested using "Convergent Media" to my listeners, who included digital artists, and fine art photographers. The idea is to use “Convergent Media” as a functional term that accurately describes works made using digital technology and printing. I came up with the idea for the term in a 2007 Art Print Issues, "Convergent Media - Is It Time to Bury Digital Art?" blog post. It was a response to a question from a digital painter who was seeking help to describe her work that was not made up marketing hype, and still succinctly descriptive. 

Have You Charted the Steps to Create a Finished Digital Fine Art Piece?

As I thought about the process that is involved in creating a finished creation of digital art, I envisioned the numerous steps to get a piece ready to market. Of course, a fine art photographer, who does not significantly alter the original image, will most likely not want to classify the work as other than fine art photography.

However, digital artists and those fine art photographers who also use advanced Photoshop, digital painting, and other methods to complete a work  are prime candidates for using a term such as “Convergent Media". I think digital artists, photographers and painters will find the term particularly useful.

The “Convergent Media” process runs the technology gamut, including considering a digital fine art print is calibrated, and put through a digital printer to complete the work.  Because of the many steps and processes involved, I was reminded of the well-used art term of “Mixed Media.”

In mixed media, artists use different techniques, artifacts, surfaces and processes to come up with a final piece of art. It struck me digital artists use a similar process that mainly involves digital technology, but might also include hand embellishments or treatments to the printed piece, before it is offered for sale.

I trust this term will help you in describing and marketing your own digitally created works of art. I have a couple of other blog posts, including a guest post on Absolute Arts, covering the idea of using “Convergent Media” in more detail You can read them on these links:

• Convergent Media - Stretching the Imagination
• Convergent Media - Is It Time to Bury Digital Art?
• Brave New Digital World

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Comments

[Anne Bevan]

Hello Barney,
Thank you so much for doing the podcast with Jason from Xanadu Gallery. Please don't worry about "agreeing too much" - you and he are a great team and I learned so much (a full page of notes to prove it). I love your phrases - "word of mouth trumps social media" , "norm of reciprocity" and "strafrangers"! (much more to be said about that! as I think we are all becoming aware of the internet twilight zone of connectedness.
A year or two ago I wrote to you and suggested you put your name at the very top of your emails and I was so pleased to see it appear. I know we don't know each other, but you sure feel real to me! So, I am going to take the liberty of making another suggestion/request. At the beginning of the podcast you asked "what do people listen to as they work in the studio". Most said "music". Had I been listening live, I would have responded "audiobooks" - I own a copy of How to Profit from the Art Print Market. it is wonderful, but you have no idea how much I would love to listen to it on my kindle!
Thank you again for a thoroughly enjoyable and informative podcast - I do hope you will be doing more.
Best wishes, Anne

[Barney Davey]

Dear Anne, Thank you for your kind, insightful comments. I think you offer great suggestions. Jason and I will be doing more podcasts. We thought of weekly at first, but the reality of his schedule and mine make that not realistic. We are aiming for Feb 28 for the next one.

I'm intrigued by the idea of audiobooks, and would love to narrate my own. It's a matter of time and priority. Cheers, Barney

[Anne Bevan]

Good Morning, Barney,
(I used to start the day with the morning news on tv - now, first thing, the computer and I dive back into ArtPrintIssues - what an education! thank you!)

Feb. 28th - I'll be listening.

And thank you for considering audiobooks as a possiblity. I know it would be a big activity commitment for you, but think of all your devoted fans standing at their easels struggling with the decision "I want to read/I want to paint . . . read/paint . . . read/paint . . . " and how grateful they will be to have you on their Kindle keeping them company while they work.

Have a wonderful week, Anne

[Barney Davey]

Dear Anne,

It's great idea, but the time and expense make it a long shot at best. Thanks for the suggestion!
Cheers,
Barney