I think any system that is able to bring forward an awareness of art to
the masses is great.  This will encourage study, curiosity, and maybe
motivate that someone to seek out the "real."  Just like I think books
will never go out of style, so will real objects go.

Just one thing, why do we always have to measure our non-profit success
against a for-profit corporation like Disney?  Don't you know that Disney
uses museum techniques to get their job done as well?  And they don't
stop there, they go to Hollywood too.  Disney does as Disney does.  Let
us be more creative and purposeful than Disney.  We have different
missions.  Let Disney make money and let's concentrate on our audience,
on education and on the research necessary to make our collections worth
keeping.

O

Olivia S. Anastasiadis, Curator
Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace
18001 Yorba Linda Boulevard
Yorba Linda, CA  92886
(714) 993-5075; fax (714) 528-0544; e-mail:  [log in to unmask]

On Thu, 31 Jul 1997 12:21:22 +0200 Gianluca Nicchiotti
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>The synergy between computers and communication is creating new
>opportunities for many human endeavours. Many aspects of our social
>and
>cultural life will be affected by the use of the new communication
>technology. If, on one side, we must be prepared to consider the
>obvious
>risks of alienation and depersonalisation and the risk that massive
>computer
>communication will present for the cultural diversity of the planet,
>it
>would be foolish not to endorse and encourage the potential benefits
>that
>can derive from the same revolution.
>The traditional approach to art emphasizes the direct contact with the
>originals. It is certainly not my intention to underestimate the
>importance
>and the pleasure of being in direct contact with original works of
>art, but
>we most propose some logistic considerations to better frame this
>emphasis
>in contemporary life.
>Logistically, the continuous approach to the originals assumes an
>urban
>environment. Important masterpieces are relatively rare and, as an
>unfortunate result of the glamorization of art, are extremely
>expensive.
>They tend to be concentrated in major museums of equally major cities.
>Moreover in the fast consumption scenario, the user approaches the
>work of
>art without adequate preparation and with the pressure to do it fast.
>The
>benefits of the direct contact are almost entirely lost. Only if the
>layman
>has a substantial and prolonged contact with the work of  art the
>visit can
>be of some use. If this does not happen, then the museum is at risk of
>becoming little more than a "culturally correct" Disneyland.
>The use of  computer tools and computer communication should be placed
>into
>this framework. The virtual museums should be use to give people a
>better
>understanding of an art work, not only as an example of craftsmanship
>and
>artistic sensibility, but as an element in the flow of art history.
>
>
>What about the fruition of art in the computer communication age?
>What will be the role of virtual museums?
>What are the most important features that a virtual museum should
>possess?
>What the major benefits it would produce?
>
>Gian
>
>
>Gianluca Nicchiotti
>Elsag Bailey R&D
>Via Puccini 2, 16154 Genova, Italy
>