WYSIWYG -- Seeing is Believing?

Almost everybody I know, when quizzed, says that art needs to be viewed at close quarters before a decision to purchase can be made. Yet a high resolution digital image on a high definition computer display will pick up every brushstroke and every paint dribble in full living colour. A painting is a hand-made creation and is therefore imperfect by its very nature, so any suggestion that an attempt has been made to disguise a "flaw" is nonsensical.

There may be a valid argument that a painting frame has been chipped or that a glass has been scratched, but these things are peripheral to the work of art they display. In many cases, the presentation of the painting will be upgraded to meet the personal tastes of the purchaser, and the original frame and glass will be discarded.

At this point I should emphasise that I am speaking of artworks with a market value of $1,000 or less -- not Italian masters or French Impressionists. In the latter instances, the frames are almost as valuable as the paintings they surround.

In Australia there is a current debate about the parlous state of the general retail industry and the effect of online sales on High Street shops. Naturally there are people who are a standard shape and who can confidently buy shoes and clothes off the online peg, so to speak, and others who simply have to try on the goods before committing to buy. Then there are thousands of items available on line for which an image or a written description is sufficient. I note that there are currently attempts in some jurisdictions to force advertisers to disclose whether digital image enhancement ("air brushing" for example) has been used to embellish a photograph of a good or a person. We all know the tricks of the trade when photographing food for publication. The presentation is certainly not edible.

But I would vigorously argue that a high definition image of an artwork is WYSIWYG -- "what you see is what you get".

Now, I understand that the purchase of original art is a somewhat richer experience for some than buying a pair of shoes or a raincoat. While we may not have an overwhelming desire to meet the Italian makers of our new Ferrari sportscar in Modena, we would love to greet the artist who embedded a small part of his soul in our sub-$1,000 artwork. It simply stands to reason, doesn't it? And, if the creator of this unique and original piece of art is geographically distant, we can build a virtual relationship thanks to social networking on the Internet.

So, doesn't it make sense to consider buying a modest artwork, infused with the soul of a living artist, redolent of the passion for the creation of beauty, original and unique in a world of me-too, and likely to appreciate in value with the passing of time? Buying online offers a choice as wide as the world, with no taxes, no middlemen fees, no gallery commissions, minimal freight costs and quick delivery. I, for one, offer a money-back guarantee when unwanted goods are returned in the condition they were sold.

Buying small, inexpensive artworks online is no riskier than buying other commercial goods. Remember that the Internet allows you to get to know the creator of your original and unique purchase -- in person, albeit virtually in many cases. That's not something you can generally do with other online purchases. And, finally, nobody can afford to damage their online reputation. Bad news and negative reviews travel at the speed of light on the Internet.