ONE-CLICK SWITCH

"Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed," said the French philosopher Lavoisier, and his famous phrase sounds more relevant today than ever. Whether we are working or enjoying ourselves, we are always learning something new. Art is no exception. Like any other practice, it evolves as artists and technology push the boundaries of the known and the possible. Digital Art, despite its novelty, dates back to 1950 when its "participants" were sine waves displayed on the small screen of an electron-beam oscilloscope. Since then, the history of this direction has grown with names, possibilities, and variations in visualisation. Today, many artists, museum workers, and theorists have already proclaimed the advent of the era of post-media post-internet art, which manifests itself in works shaped by digital technologies. In their final form, these works transcend the boundaries of a specific set of expressive means. Indeed, digital painting—Digital Art—can be considered the essence of what digital art represents today.

Sevil Kerimova is a Master of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts and works at the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art. She represented Azerbaijan for the first time at the IV Asia Culture Centre Global Experts 2024 (Asia Culture Centre Global Experts 2024) in South Korea.

"I was fortunate enough to find myself, for the second time, in the fascinating atmosphere of digital art, which is quite commonplace in South Korea, as this type of visual art is highly developed here. If the first time my works were merely part of a large exhibition and, in some way, introduced Azerbaijan to the world as part of the digital art scene, this time it was much more serious. A large-scale forum with an impressive number of participants brought together 'digital artists' from all over the world, offering them unlimited opportunities for communication, exchange of experience, and expansion of personal projects for the presentation of original works, among other things. I must admit, I was amazed at how well Korea has mastered digital art, which has already become a fully-fledged part of the art world. You could say that digital art is somewhat routine here. Although it is gradually gaining ground in other places too, giving new life to traditional painting."

"Going back to the exhibition and your first trip to Korea..."

"Life has a way of surprising us, and I became the first Azerbaijani digital artist to exhibit abroad. Although the exhibition was a collective one, I was the sole representative of digital art... It was in Korea that I had the opportunity to explore the differing perceptions of digital art as a component of the broader art world. While in our country digital art still holds the status of an 'undiscovered novelty,' in Asia it is perceived as the norm. I presented digital art portraits to the Korean public, which were very well received. Moreover, one of the digital portraits was purchased from me."

"Could you elaborate on what it means to purchase the digital version?"

"Certainly, it may sound a bit exotic. The portrait itself was printed on canvas and then presented in that form. On the opening day of the exhibition, a representative of the organisers approached me and expressed a desire to purchase the digital source of the work. This highlights the subtle distinction inherent in digital art: a 'physical' image holds little value, whereas its virtual embodiment is considered the original version, carrying its own unique value and exclusive ownership."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It’s akin to buying a traditional painting, such as an oil on canvas piece, which, once sold, cannot be replicated by the artist. It moves to its new home as a single copy, and that’s it! Similarly, with a digital version of that portrait, it cannot be used elsewhere. Just don’t confuse this with copyright. There is still some insecurity in this area, but I believe it is temporary..."

"But to the average person, animation is a kind of cartoon."

"Digital art animation differs in its application to paintings. For instance, an effect might be added to a seascape where the water surface moves slightly or clouds drift across the sky. There can also be a fully-fledged dynamic plot development. This represents a different format of visualisation and perception, as demonstrated in works like 'On the Bank of the Kura' by Vajiya Samadova and 'Gulustan' by Sattar Bahlulzade. Sattar Bahlulzade’s digital animations were exhibited at major exhibitions and presented at the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art. I recall the feeling of working on these projects when I created the digital versions myself. From the outset, it was agreed that these would be independent works, not mere scanned copies of the original paintings. It was the digital copy that I, so to speak, brought to life. Each stage was coordinated with Shirin Melikova, who, as a curator, was fully involved in creating these works. Thanks to her willingness to innovate and her comprehensive support, digital art, one might say, gained recognition for the first time within the walls of a state museum."

"And how did you feel about it?"

"I still vividly relive the moment of the test runs, when I was literally overcome with panic. After all, works of art from our national heritage by legendary artists of Azerbaijan came to life before my eyes on the wall. Besides, 'On the Bank of the Kura' has been my favourite artwork since my university days. And here was my digital artwork entering the exhibition, placed opposite the original! I went through the animation a hundred times, comparing and searching for the slightest discrepancies, correcting them until every conventional square was identical. I experienced no less intense emotions while working on 'Gulustan.' It was like touching a unique, delicate world born from the brush of the remarkable Sattar Bahlulzade, with its airy transparency, 'signature' style, and palette, resonating between the canvas and its digital animation. An experience that is hard to overestimate and one that I am ready to relive again and again."

"Are you saying that digital art is a serious direction?"

"Today’s world is witnessing the rapid development of digital space. We can say that the 'digital world' has become a fully-fledged part of human civilisation. And it is not a parallel space but an integral part of our current existence. Art, which not only reacts to what is happening around it but, in its constant search for new forms of expression, could not remain outside this field. And it does so on a very extensive scale. In my view, digital fine art has absorbed everything that artists have developed over the centuries."

"Is 'digital' the next step in art?"

"Since childhood, I have used both paper and canvas to express myself through painting. Some time ago, fabric surfaces joined them. I created my own clothing brand, painting cotton T-shirts, denim jackets, trainers, and anything that, from my perspective, could and should receive some extra colourful rendering. I loved experimenting with different techniques, working with various colours, combining and testing. But there was always a sense of incompleteness—not in the image itself, as each of my works included a finished story or drawing. I constantly felt a creative itch within myself. And when I discovered digital art, I realised that this was the right platform to satisfy it!"

"Unrestricted performer?"

"Exactly! Digital art is about freedom of choice. You open a page and decide for yourself what to paint on—canvas or paper, for example. Draw with a pencil or a brush. It requires minimal time investment. For instance, I might decide to work in oil, but during the preparatory period involving primer, paints, and brushes, I realise that the watercolour technique would be more suitable for the idea. Let me share a little secret—inspiration can 'run away' while the necessary 'ingredients' are being changed. I’ve experienced this, and I know how it feels for an artist. Meanwhile, the digital art sphere allows you to switch, so to speak, with just one click."

"Does it free up space in the room, among other things?"

"For the uninitiated, it might seem that a tablet is sufficient. When I got serious about working in digital art, I realised the need for, as computer scientists say, 'good hardware.' For example, I have a real digital art studio at home—a huge monitor serving as any surface, which I can instantly adjust to the most capricious inspiration. The size of a canvas or sheet of paper, the thickness of a brush—open a certain icon, and off you go!"

"Isn’t there a sense of losing something this way?"

"This is partly true. A painting created with a classical approach conveys a certain authorial energy message to the viewer. And I realise that a digital work transferred as a print onto canvas will differ. But for me, they are equivalent. At the same time, I won’t deny that I can feel the artworks themselves through energy. My workspace is directly connected to them. However, I must note that feelings are always subjective. I remember how, at one of the exhibitions of abstractions, some works touched me, while others left me energetically indifferent. Yet, they were painted with brushes and colours by human hands, which, in principle, implied the reflection of the author. But believe me, digital art is capable of conveying it."

"Which is easier—the classic pictorial format or digital art?"

"To be honest, it’s easier and more enjoyable for me to draw on a tablet. Why? It’s a technical matter. For example, I need to mark a glare deep within the eye. I simply zoom in on that area and draw it with absolute precision. Digital art offers many auxiliary moments. There’s also the wonderful function of undoing an action, which is impossible in traditional painting on canvas or paper."

"Doesn’t it relax you as an artist to 'hold your hand'?"

"Not at all! I am currently teaching digital art. Again, this is the first time in our country that the entire digital sphere is being covered. The children at our academy learn to work with animation, illustration, and adverts. Classical painting is also compulsory. Portraits are a separate discipline, starting from the basics but taught through digital art. As is customary in traditional training: the fundamentals of construction, perspective, proportions, strokes, light shading, etc. That is, from the very beginning, we make it clear that digital and classical art are one in essence. Moreover, the first month of training—and I have my own programme—is devoted to pencil work on paper and lasts according to the student's abilities. Academic drawing will always be the foundation of the basics! That’s the rule! The simplest example is the circle. Any artist must be able to draw a perfectly correct circle by hand. And if I draw it solely with the help of a programme, I will eventually lose this basic skill. You should always learn to draw on paper! Otherwise, it’s a direct path to the degradation of that very 'hand.' That’s why, to this day, I continue to train my hand on paper, especially during moments when the tablet offers me possibilities. So that, at the very least, I can draw that perfect circle."

"But there’s no denying that working with canvas or paper implies a kind of energy..."

"I’m not going to argue. It’s clear that traditional, so to speak, surfaces have a certain tactility. But touching the screen with a special stylus and seeing how an oil stroke is created evokes even more feelings in me than moving a brush across a canvas. This is my personal experience. That’s the miracle of modern technology. A stylus in my hands can be a brush, a pencil, and a mastichin all at once. And that is its special charm for me."

"But after all, drawing on a tablet is, in some ways, not the hardest thing to do... This is how you can 'produce' masterpieces on an industrial scale."

"Wrong conclusion! First of all, in digital art, there is also the notion of individual authorial handwriting. And if we talk about industrial scale, let’s remember how many paintings are made with the same oil. Even a single object repeated by several artists will differ, bearing the style and handwriting of the authors. The same is true for digital art. A digital image also allows you to convey the individuality inherent in the artist. It’s just that, in Baku, this kind of fine art is still a novelty. I myself sometimes face difficulties in trying to explain its specificity. Many people perceive it as a kind of computer programme where you just set an algorithm and voila! Get a finished portrait without any effort. But no programme has a 'live approach'! In any case, as an artist, I am capable of painting the same portrait, just using 'digital.'"

"The inevitable impact of advancing technology?"

"Definitely! This is innovation! It is impossible to resist this process. Yes, digital art is a little-explored territory in our country today. But there are countries where digital paintings are already gathering fans and are exhibited at serious exhibitions. Today, traditional academic art is confronted head-on with digital art. But the former, for all its impressive history, must respond to modernity. Creativity is always striving to master new challenges."

"But today, artificial intelligence is no less successful in 'drawing'..."

"Artificial intelligence is my direct competitor to a certain extent... But! It should still be noted that artificial intelligence cannot replace the concept of authorial animation. Individuality and imagery, which are given exactly by humans, cannot be reproduced by even the most powerful artificial intelligence. After all, with all the breadth of study of human brain models and analysis of the cognitive process, it is not capable of empathy, reflection, and much more of what is considered the divine component in humans. Whatever the digital formation, whatever the digital world—the human being will remain supreme."

"Is digital art in for the long haul?"

"Digital art is the future! One could say that today is like a trial version of its possibilities and the gradual accustoming of the viewer's perception to changes in the visualisation of artworks. It is akin to how communication used to be mostly face-to-face meetings, but today, thanks to technology, distance is no longer a problem, freeing up time that used to be spent on trivial travelling from point A to point B. These opportunities also save energy resources. And that’s why tomorrow is digital."