The old and the new: Computer technology brings patrons closer to art

October 29, 1995
Web posted at: 11:30 p.m. EST

From Correspondent Kathleen Koch

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Call it virtual art -- a chance to sit back and surf all 1,700 works in the National Gallery of Art. The new $1.7 million Micro Gallery uses touch screen technology to help visitors expand their appreciation of art by giving them the ability to experience the collection via interactive multi-media computers. (1.2M QuickTime movie)

"It's going to be very popular, really," says Earl Powell, director of the National Gallery. "It's a wonderful addition to the educational programs of institutions."

So far, visitors agree. "I think it's great, really," says Sandra Molenkamp. "Fantastic." ( 85K AIFF sound or 85K WAV sound)

The system is the first of its kind in the United States. Selecting from a menu, patrons can search the database by artist, country, or even using a timeline.

"You can move along, see how art develops, what its sources are, what some of the inventions are," explains Micro Gallery curator Vicki Porter. "So you can see what the rest of the world was doing at the same time that our art was being made."

The computer also has a pronunciation guide for 580 words, and interactive zooms to examine each work in detail. X-radiographs let users see how some masterpieces were painted over other works, or how painting changed in progress.

Also included: in-depth features on the history and development of three paintings.

Some purists worry, though, that the new media and the old art won't mix -- that people will be so enthralled with the computers that they won't visit the galleries. Porter doubts that.

"We haven't found so far that people just want to sit here," she said. "Usually after a while they're itching to see those paintings. ( 77K AIFF sound or 77K WAV sound)

Visitors who used the computer to design their own tour of the museum agreed that there is no substitute for the originals.

"We were just saying the colors aren't as vibrant on the computers as this," says Mele Look, visiting from Hawaii. "And they can't do the texture."

So in a place where it's usually hands-off, computers are helping patrons reach out and get in touch with a new way to enjoy art.

The old and the new: Computer technology brings patrons closer to art

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