If you boot up the Artfinder website or iPhone app, it offers you a choice of four images. Pick a favourite and up come four more. After a third and final set of choices, Artfinder knows enough to take you on a tour of paintings and drawings tailored to your preferences.
As the slogan says: “Pick the art you like – find new art you love”. It’s true that you end up discovering stuff you didn’t even know you liked. The more you use it, the more accurate it gets – and signup is free. So where’s the catch – and how does Artfinder make a profit?
The answer is that when you find a favourite image you actually to want to own, you can order a copy either as a print, canvas, poster, coffee mug or humble postcard.
According to The Telegraph, Artfinder was set up by Spencer Hyman, former chief operating officer of Last.fm who says: “It’s very hard for most people to get access to great affordable art. There are more artists than musicians in this country and art needs to be helped by the web in the same way music has been…
“Every other sector has an online destination but art has been missing a single place where all works are housed together online, where people can buy prints or new original art – and easily share favourite pieces with friends via social networks.”
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