The Digital Reality: Artistic Choice

Abstract

Contemporary artists are tempted by the latest art digital technologies. Art analysts and practitioners (artists, exhibition curators and teachers at art educational institutions) form the problematic for this contemporary culture sector. A new generation of artists integrates into the global digital art system with varying intensity; to no small extent, it is affected by the traditions forming the basis for a school. To what extent is the art education system to enter the process of formation of advance digital art competences: that is the matter of the relations between the tradition and innovation within the education system. The article compares different sources that clarify the goals and means of solving the tasks set in modern artistic practice. When analyzing motivation to create a contemporary art piece, the artist’s argumentation is of the same importance as the analysis of working programs of an artistic institution. This issue is analyzed based on the graduation project implemented by the Stieglitz Academy at St. Petersburg. The traditional theme of the Nativity performance combined with the setting created by computer technology allows the artist to implement their artistic plans by the means of modern digital technologies. The specific task of organizing the space for the traditional Nativity scene is solved by the means of digital printing; sketches are made in the computer editor program. A work of art merging the tradition and innovation refers to the so-called fundamental “tradigital” art that generally determines the boundaries of their possible interaction.