Digital Originals

Digital OriginalsThe ease with which digital files can be copied and shared presents profound challenges for the creative industries. This project seeks to explore alternative business models for the dissemination of digital content and takes art as a case from which to learn. The British artist David Hockney has received much attention for drawings he has made both on the iPhone and iPad. The images have been both produced and disseminated digitally, leading critics to ask what or where the original image might be. Traditional notions of a signed original or even a limited print run begin to break down in this context. Clearly this is not a problem for established artists such as Hockney but for many new and aspiring digital artists it presents serious challenges. New technologies and new business models are urgently needed to turn some of the challenges into new opportunities both for artists and collectors. We will use off the shelf or near to market technologies to ensure the real world viability of any solutions generated. This project will prototype two new systems for adding value to digital art and test the associated business models in live field studies. (1) Authorized Art AppDigital watermarking embeds information in ways that are difficult to remove. Watermarks may be visible or invisible). Many variations of this technology already exist but it is usually deployed to support legal action against copyright infringements, for example, tracing the source of an illegally distributed reviewer's copy of a new film. Using similar techniques it would be possible to create a unique watermark that would relate artworks to particular owners. The digital watermark itself would need to respect the aesthetic of the artist and this would create an interesting space for creativity. The key might include information such as when and where it was created or perhaps even bioinformatic information from the artist. The certification process could take the form of an app which allowed users to take a photograph of their artwork and verify a digital signature. (2) Digital Original ArtifactsA second field study will explore the ways that a physically unique object complementary to the artwork, such as a bespoke digital frame could be used to imbue the work with a collectable value. For example, within the physical frame of a digital artwork, it would be possible to embed an RFID tag with an encrypted certificate of authenticity. This tag would be read with a separate device (an RFID reader) provided by the artist. Providing the work in an infrastructure like an interactive frame would also allow for a subscription model of digital art ownership, with the limited issue of the subscription being guaranteed by the authentication mechanism. For example, the frame might be online and the display updated with new work. Users might pay a membership fee to rent a set of work that changes each month. Different models of sale and rental will be explored in a real world market setting.Prototypes will be developed with artists, collectors and dealers at the Bar Lane Studios at York. Bar Lane Studios is a Social Enterprise Business hub with a contact list of over 250 artists and collectors. We will conduct a live market testing of the prototype technologies in exhibitions and study the experience so as to inform future market development.

Who Might Benefit This project will be of primary benefit to the Creative Industries. The social and economic impacts of this research are potentially profound. The importance of the Creative Industries to the UK economy is well documented. In 2006 exports from the Creative Industries totalled 16 billion (DCMS). Within the umbrella category of the Creative Industries there are of course quite separate and different enterprises. Indeed the use of the classification has been criticised as it can exaggerate the contributions of say, fine artists. Since the nineteen eighties universities of the world have produced more graduates of fine art than the entire population of Florence during the Renaissance. Graduates of Fine Art and Illustration have for many years endured the most difficult and complex career paths in the creative industries and the vast majority supplement their income with part time work in unrelated occupations. The traditional art market is extremely difficult to access for the vast majority of artists and the digital world affords opportunities for wider dissemination of art than is currently being exploited. This project will grow participation in the digital economy. It will also be of benefit to a range of academic fields of study including: Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Security Systems, Business Studies and Design. It offers the potential for world wide advancement in new knowledge of user experience and cross disciplinary approaches. It will also develop new research teams and deliver and train highly skilled researchers. How Might They Benefit It is currently very easy to copy images from the web and as in other areas of the creative industries file copying and sharing can present a problem for those attempting to make a career from their creative work. Rather than limit the number of copies the approach here accepts copying and sharing not only as unavoidable but desirable. Instead of considering ways of preventing copying this proposal aims to add value to particular forms of art which would also be freely available. The proposal aims to build two prototype systems: an art authorisation app which would present unique authorised digital content; and a digital original frame which would present content in a physically augmented and interactive frame. These prototypes will help to explore and define new markets and business models for the digital age If the strategies to be explored are successful then this would have implications for other sectors of the creative industries such as those involved in the music industry as well as the TV and film industry. There would also be wider social and economic benefits in that the work will enhance cultural enrichment and improve social cohesion by making community based art more widely available. It would also enhance the efficiency, performance and sustainability of social enterprises such as the project partner social enterprise the Bar Lane Studio in York. It would commercialize and exploit already existing security technology in new ways leading to spin out companies and skill development for the artists involved.