Brittany
We live in a world where digital technology can do amazing things. A small piece of technology that easily fits into our pocket can let us access every piece of knowledge that humankind has ever come across, and we can use it for so much more than that. But let us look at tube amplifiers. Most of them are still being manufactured to this day, according to original schematics which date back to the early 60s and 70s. They waste a lot of power, but their tone is for some people, the peak of audiophile experience, especially when it comes to guitar players.
If at some point, various environmentally-oriented organizations around the world decide that tube amps waste too much power and are essentially heaters, digital technology will have to take over where tube amps failed.
Even today, there are digital modelling amplifiers which can catch and emulate a tube amp, 99% of the time successfully, where only the most elite of ears will be able to tell the difference. There are even analog amplifiers which can preserve the tone and feel of the glorious tube amps.
This leads to other forms of expression and art which might be lost due to evolution or time. Can today’s technology save it? The answer is, yes.
Sculptures, Architecture and Rendering
Many 3D artists are familiar with 3D rendering tools which can be used to create anything, from characters to entire buildings or towns. These tools can faithfully reproduce anything in the world.
Yes, we can use digital photography to take care of buildings and the way they look, but having an entire model which can be reproduced in virtual reality is even better. Sculptures can be rendered in a 1:1 ratio, and then 3D printed if necessary. With a realistic render, however, artists can reproduce them as they once were. This is just one of the ways we could save sculptures and all things architectural from fading away.
Paintings and Other 2D Art
Two dimensional art is another thing, something which has to this day been reproduced and preserved in various ways. From great artists who can make very complicated paintings in simple tools to dot for dot recreations of legendary art.
Yes, some artistic pieces like the Sistine Chapel ceiling would need another ceiling to be faithfully reproduced and with digital photography and people already making copies of such amazing pieces of art, it is very likely that most 2D art will live to see the future.
Music – Already Safely Kept
Music has been recorded for well over a century now. Some pieces were lost during the past 100 years, but many other things were successfully saved. All hits from the 70s and 80s and even long before that, are now available in digital format.
Since most of these pieces are available, given how most storage servers have redundant safety measures, it is very likely that all saved music should survive unless there is a worldwide storage disaster.
Movies – Analog Beauties Digitized
Movies are another large part of our recent culture, recent being the past 100 years.
Some of those movies were corrupted or lost but given how digital technology works, most of them have been saved and are available online. With the rise of streaming services, most movies are available online, from very old blockbusters to new direct to video films.
Old copies are digitized and remastered so that they keep matching are ever-growing standards.
The Future is Now – Using it Wisely
Storage and digital storage services are things not taken lightly by many large businesses. Some are prepared to go the distance and a lot of steps have already been taken to preserve what we had already created.
Art as we know it might have to change form for a while, but with proper care and investments, it might not have to. It is good to know that there are backups ready, just in case.