Statement
from the board
Southern Relief from the Temple of the King in Yellow.
Technological advances are both boon and bane for our industry.
While the blockchain offers unbreakable provenance and iron-clad authenticity, the proliferation of computer-generated “art” offers even the most obtuse dilettante an opportunity to create objects out of nothing. The story behind the object may be preserved in a digital vault, but there is no proof of human action.
Real-world artifacts offer proof of human action, though their story is often lost to time; we find a mysterious necklace entwined within bones buried beneath the ruins of a monastery, we find a coin bearing the image of a Roman emperor for whom no record exists. A preacher claims the Devil gave him a small box as an unholy gift; a priest insists the Blessed Mary healed the tumor in his throat.
What do we believe? Does it matter?
So it is with technology’s role in this profession of ours. Some of our items require little more than a skilled product photographer and a quick upload. Others involve sketching, vector outlining, and 3D modeling. Some were made centuries ago by parties unknown, some are more recent. All are unique. All bear the mark of the human spirit, of human action, that which cannot be reduced to an algorithm or imitated by a latent diffusion model. Even a soul bathed in darkness still carries its spark of creation. It must be created with intent, or not at all.
A final note: If we define the supernatural as a force exempt from the laws of nature, and we accept its existence, then we cannot claim the digital realm is beyond its influence.
