A guy at a gallery told me my digital art wasn't 'real' art and it messed with my head for weeks

I was showing some of my 3D character models at a small pop-up gallery in Portland about six months ago. This older guy, maybe in his 60s, stopped and looked at my screen for a long time. He finally said, 'It's impressive, but you just push buttons. It's not like you made anything with your hands.' He said it wasn't 'real' art because I used a computer. I didn't know what to say back. I spent over 80 hours on that piece, sculpting every detail in ZBrush and getting the lighting right. It stuck with me and made me doubt my work for a while, even though I know how much skill it takes. Has anyone else had someone dismiss their digital work like that, and how do you handle it?

3 comments

3 Comments

gray3142d ago

Tell that guy his opinion is about as fresh as @gray_hall4's example of painters hating on cameras. You didn't just push buttons, you built a whole person from nothing. Some people just fear the new brush.

gray_hall42d ago

Saw a video once where a painter said the same thing about photography when it was new. They called it cheating because a machine did the work. But you still need an eye for composition and light, right? Same with digital art. That guy probably thinks a sculptor using a power tool isn't real either. Pushing buttons? You think knowing which buttons to push, and when, doesn't take years to learn? It's just a different kind of brush.

the_robin2d ago

Ever get that from a client who thinks a quick nail trim is just pushing clippers? Like @gray_hall4 said, it's all about knowing the tool. The skill is in your eye and your hands, not just what you're holding.