Science fiction has become science fact and the art world will benefit enormously. Google image recognition technology has advanced to the level that the image search engine can recognize every painting in the Getty Center’s permanent collection and find related information and relevant links.
Called Google “Goggles,” this program can turn every museum visit into a graduate seminar in fine art. The breakthrough is also one more plus adding momentum to an already strong art market. Part of the value of exceptional paintings like those at the Getty Center is based on the number of views per year. This, in turn, pushes licensing revenue upwards. New technology that increases total views increases the value of a painting.
It will probably take a decade for most major collections to incorporate this new technology. Many collections are much larger than the Getty and many collections do not have the multi-billion dollar endowment of the Getty or the resources to complete digital archive projects. For example, Russia’s Hermitage has over 3 million works in its collection and less than ten percent have been digitally archived to date. The Getty’s own collection includes about 100,000 works of art, plus related books and publications.
Another benefit of this promising technology will require more energetic government involvement. Licensing fees are a major source of revenue for art education programs and special free admission programs such as “Blue Star Museums.” This provides free admission for members of the military and their families. Aggressive copying of images owned by museums and universities has shaved billions of dollars from these budgets. Vice-President Biden explained this well during a Los Angeles appearance last year, but better enforcement of art royalty payments from foreign nations is not reflected in current budgets or staffing.
See a slideshow of art at the Getty Villa at this link.
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