The Art of Pieter Schoolwerth - what is art and what isn't?

 The Art of Pieter Schoolwerth - what is art and what isn't?

Art can come in many forms. The internet made art certainly not obsolete. But does the internet contribute to more art? More creativity? Or does the internet and its easy access to all forms of art contribute to art becoming a caricature of itself? Is art for easy consumption like a hamburger? Could the internet be considered a perversion of art and its initial intention? 

Many questions could, and should, be asked when it comes to art in its digital form. Not all of them have to be answered. However, I will try to find an answer to the question: In what way could Pieter Schoolwerth's work reflect digital art?

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I chose this painting because it strikes me as especially fascinating and I feel like it reflects the topics concerning internet and digital art quite well. On the left, we see the world and a man dressed as a buffalo on it. He looks exactly like one of the people that stormed the Capitol in the USA. The so-called "Storm on the Capitol" basically happened because Donald Trump spread conspiracy theories online. He used Twitter in order to spread his ideology which influenced events like these in the real world. We have to ask ourself: Do we live in times where politicians can spread hate online without consequences?

We also see other scenes such as a man taking a photograph of a woman in front of beautiful mountains. Has taking selfies become more important than admiring nature? Are there more selfies now than meaningful art? In the background we see a giant frame with a painting of mountains. This is what art used to be like. There used to be sculptures and nowadays there are instagram models and influencers wearing branded sport clothes that are named after the classic goddess Nike. We also see a man being influenced by his tablet. Pieter Schoolwerth's art reflects digital art but he also distorts it by showing differences and by comparing past to present. He talks about digital art and raises questions.