How Digital Art Collectors Are Showing Art On Their TVs

This year has been an iconic one for digital art, thanks to the sale of the artist Beeple’s NFT (Non-Fungible Token) artwork sold at an auction house for $69.3 million.

An NFT gold rush has followed, no doubt. But beyond the monetary value, will this inspire art collectors to finally collect more digital art? And if so, how does one show off digital art at home, now that the idea is becoming more mainstream?

A growing trend in interior design is putting a picture frame around a flat screen TV, and it isn’t as hokey as it might sound.

According to interior design expert John Carey, the founder of Designer Appliances, framing a flat screen TV is becoming more of the norm—and it isn’t just for streaming Netflix shows.

“People are sticking these picture frames on their TVs, as they’re trying to achieve a balance between technology and art in their different rooms,” said Carey, who helps customers decide on their kitchen layout design.

“What I realized was these framed TVs, while they do display art, you can’t hide the fact that it’s a TV. I looked into ways to cover it up and make it truly look like art.”

That led him to finding TV frames to fit a Samsung TV screen (in fact, Samsung sells its own TV frames).

“What we’ve been recommending to our customers is getting one of these TVs and custom picture frames that blend technology with art,” said Carey. “To allow customers to design with an aesthetic in mind, rather than just sticking a TV on the wall.”

Now there’s a growing number of companies out there selling custom-made picture frames for flat-screen TVs, like Deco TV Frames, which magnetically attaches to the TV, giving it a clean finish.

Which begs the question: can your flat screen TV dually-function as a place to view artwork, when you’re not watching Netflix? With the Samsung Frame TV, it can be set into “art mode,” where you can choose a static image, a digital artwork, to play in the background.

People always ask: do I want to put a TV in my living space, or do I want to put art?” said Carey. “Even if it was a TV, you don’t want to put it in a corner, like you might with a work of art, which would be an awkward viewing angle. This is giving people the ability to incorporate both. You don’t have to make too many sacrifices.”

A flat screen has a dual purpose, in other words.

“Instead of it being a black screen being in the background, it’s the artwork you’ve selected,” said Carey. “The goal is that when it’s not functioning as a TV, it blends in as a piece of art hanging on your wall.”

“An artwork works as a screensaver when you’re not streaming or watching the news,” he adds.

Carey, who has appliance stores in New York and New Jersey, says that there’s an entire market for affordable digital art, beyond your typical screensaver-type imagery of beaches and landscapes.

Samsung has a monthly subscription which offers access to a digital library of images, from classic art to landscapes. There are also people who want to upload and share their family memories on their flat screens, too, but that’s not where it ends.

In fact, independent artists and designers have caught on and are selling their “TV screen” digital artworks on Etsy and eBay for as low as $5 per digital image. It taps into the growing need for a digital library of unique images.

“There is an underground network of people who are selling their own digital artworks, just search for Samsung TV art on Etsy,” said Carey. “It’s essentially a screen saver for the resolution of the TV.”

There is a wide range of affordable digital art to choose from. The Miuus Studio is one design firm that is selling both digital and printable prints on Etsy, which has a minimalist, modern design look that fits most living spaces. Another one on Etsy is called Hearts in Colors, which sells a variety of images to fit flat screen TVs, including foliage, bouquets and abstract images in neutral earth tones.

Meanwhile, the Alluring View studio sells digital images of landscapes, real and imaginary, including snowy mountaintops and tropical jungles, among other digital paintings.

Samsung calls the Frame “a canvas that reflects your style and what you love.” The screen can self-adjust its brightness for the time of day. “ They’ve done all the technology to make it look like a picture of art,” said Carey. The variety of picture frames ranges from stainless steel to various shades of wood, from light to dark.

“It’s a trend we’ve been seeing, as people tend to like the aesthetic that’s surrounding them,” said Carey. “Different frames come in, from wooden to stainless steel. It creates a cohesive aesthetic that lends itself well to kitchen design and living rooms.”

Digital art has a long history, dating back to the 1950s. It’s more than just digital paintings, as this art movement includes video art, gifs, digital art installations and other types of artworks which are made on a computer. More recently, digital art spaces like “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” have become popular, showing the need for more digital art experiences.

And why not use a flat screen TV to showcase your favorite artwork? Unlike digital prints, they take up less room and can be changed on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

“There’s a whole network of art and frames out there, and because of that, there’s a lot of capabilities and its growing in popularity,” said Carey.

“People are interested in creating a bit of texture in their homes and this is one way to do that.”