I found an old New York Times Magazine article by Virginia Heffernan (that's right, I'm nerdy). The article was about Web sites and companies who use them for damage control, BUT, the last paragraph surprisingly and awesomely can be taken as great advice for artists:
"Web sites should update or shut down; the ones that hang around collecting cobwebs have an almost frightening, hollow-eyed quality. If your plans change, you should note the revision publicly, and manifest confidence online."
Keep your sites updated people! If you're 2-3 years out of school and actively pursuing a creative career, be careful what student work you decide to show online. If you're 2-3 years out of school and actively pursuing a creative career, you hopefully should have a whole new body of work, or at least a few new pieces. After all, you're actively pursuing, not passively pursuing.
It's misleading of you if you're passing off old art as current work. If you're in an applied arts field, an employer (or gallery owner) will hire you because of what they see on your site. How can they be confident in you if your work is old? How can you be confident in yourself as a professional if you're exhibiting a visual language that you created 3 years ago?
Treat your Web site(s) like you would your art, with respect! Use it as a form of expression (or as a gallery space) and if you don't know what to express, then take the time to figure it out and wait to put it online.
Image: Electrobudista
