Art + Design: Google Art Project

Apologies are in order on this one for delivering it a lot later than most bloggers and other digital magazines, we've been plagued by what can only be described as an incredible week in relation to what we usually post on. There's been a lot of brilliant things occurring in the worlds of art, design, fashion, music and culture and the Google Art Project which we're about to deliberate over is no exception. Upon hearing about this incredibly insightful project that Google are undergoing, we knew it would be a vitally important aspect to study in relation to the blog, and knew that you guys as our viewers would take great appreciation in the same respect we do to the art and design world. There's no question that us at OBWD love our art, and we're always out to explore any new discoveries and breakthroughs within the world of paintbrushes and pencils, so we're very excited with the Google Art Project, which to our surprise is not a new thing.

The Google Art Project began in February of 2011 with its initial aim being to bring art that was at a distance closer to home to lovers of art and design. So this started with a Google-based website which was conjured up by four UK-based engineers according to British newspaper The Independent, last February who had an eye to revolutionizing the way we study and look at art, and at this time they quietly managed to accumulate just over 1000 pieces of fine artwork from past and present with the project being relatively unheard of at the time. Today, the whole idea has blown up entirely, with forty of the world's most major and groundbreaking art galleries all signing up to the Google commissioned project. With this, we have the ability to venture into several art galleries across the globe which include the world famous, Tate Gallery, London; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; and the Uffizi, Florence. At this critical apex within the world of technology in the 21st century, it's great to see how we have projects which promote the exploration of art as many people seem to turn a blind eye to the subject, especially those without creative skills.

The best part about the whole project, for us, is the fact that with the Google Art Project, not only do you have the ability to view artwork thousands of miles away on the other side of the world, you have power to study the meticulous detail of all works of art through the powerful optical zoom feature that Google have integrated within their navigational website. And if you thought that was good, well that's only the start as it will also shock you to know that you actually now gain exclusive access to the White House, the residence of the President of the United States via Google Art, a privilege which has never before been granted via digital means. So any people who have always longed to see what goes on within the White House or are just curious as to how it looks, well speculate no more. Amit Sood who is one of the key people who organised and curated Google Art commented on the whole thing stating it's: 'going global' adding: 'It’s no longer just about the Indian student wanting to visit Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is now also about the American student wanting to visit the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi.' A powerful statement from Mr  Sood here who knows how incredible a feat the Google Art Project is, and it is not only a wonderful feat for those within the art industry, but an massive accomplishment for innovation and technology and we at OBWD are definitely inspired and excited.

We have also provided a video at the bottom of the page which provides all the information into the The White House x Google Art Project. Get yourself a nice cuppa and enjoy...

• Register and access the Google Art Project via the official website here.