Seema Deshmukh loves to haunt art galleries on indulging her passion for collecting art. But this year she has hardly moved out of her home. She is still buying art, but her purchases are now made via the internet.

The buying of art online has changed the face of the art market, increasing accessibility and saving time and money. The fear that collectors were not likely to buy works of art without first seeing them in person has proven to be unwarranted. Cyber art sales in the city seem to be doing more than well. Indiaart gallery has recorded a 30 per cent increase in cyber art sales.

The newly-opened art gallery B 52 also went online recently seeking to generate a similar response from a potential market. Says Milind Sathe of Indiaart, “We have are passionate about the power of internet-based businesses and art sales only justify this.” Some of the works they have sold online include those of Anwar Hussain and Milind Mullick, Shubhada Bhosale among others.

Besides, the Internet as a medium has proven itself not to manipulate or push any one into buying a particular painting or the work of a particular artist. Past records shows that all online sales are based on the merit of what is seen. “Thus making it a level playing field for the work of well-known, as well as lesser-known artists,” Sathe tells us. As a result even artists from remote places of the country have sold well.

Says Yusuf Rangwalla of B52 gallery, “Through online art we want to create an awareness of works of art.” A new breed of cyberspace art dealers are fuelling an upturn in sales of contemporary work, giving a platform to lesser known artists and earning attention from people who would never have ventured into a gallery. Adds Yusuf, “The initial checking out takes place online and later the collector could drop in to the gallery. So this medium does help spread awareness, thus boosting art sales.” The artists themselves are cautious about the whole affair.

Says Milind Mullick, “I really cannot comment on whether the online sales have been better than gallery ones. But from an artist’s perspective online art makes it convenient both for the artist and buyer. Besides, in a shrinking art market, cyber art helps increase potential buyers, because they are not restricted to the city, but are from across the globe.

Source : The times of India - 12 Aug 2003