- I'm very reluctant to use Pinterest as a primary source of inspirations and references
- I fear that I might become an artist who only cares about the art and not also the authors, the sources of the art.
- The recommendation system works a bit too well and it turns everything into a collection of "vibes"
- not necessarily a bad thing
- but in my current artistic journey (2024-01), I'd like to be more mindful and want to engage with everything I see past a certain surface level.
- A lot of times I have no choice but to use it, mainly because I'm not informed about the keyword of a particular niche topic, I can only use generic descriptive keywords and find more from there.
- It is not reasonable to expect people to stop using Pinterest, since its recommendation algorithm works really well.
Why I find Pinterest problematic
- Pinterest (and even are.na) is built on the habit of quickly saving off the Internet so credits are often lost
- Globalisation and ease to access is a bridge to connect everyone, but also has a risk of homogenizing everything.
- similar problem with AI art: datasets and most people who generate AI are made with and inspired by popular things without trying to truly engage with the original art. Those surface level imitation will be amplified even more downstream.
- not saying liking popular things is bad. I don't find any problem with it on an individual level. I just find it disappointing if that's the direction the art world is going toward.
In the end, does it matter if I know the source of an art?
Because An artwork should stand on its own🌱, if I can spot good visuals in it, that fact remains unchanged regardless if I know who the original author is, how it was made, if it's traced or even if it's made by an AI.
However, the art world to me is more than just the individual project or artwork, I like to know the thought behind an artwork, I like the communication, the feeling of improving together with everyone, together they make a big part of Why I draw. Which is why I want to do everything I can to support that vision of the art world.
Counterpoint
Not necessarily something I would fully agree with, but I'd like to avoid being too biased.
- Pinterest and other online image curation (aesthetic) account serve as an archive of sort
- It could also potentially help certain kind of artist get more traction.