Before the digital art revolution, artists, collectors, and curators were at the mercy of a system that refused to serve the vast majority of them well. The power to determine what art was valuable or noteworthy remained jealously guarded by self-appointed insiders who barred anyone else from entering their ivory towers. These âinfluencersâ of yore were free to manufacture and manipulate reputations as they saw fit, and to profit handsomely from keeping a tight grip over âwhat mattersâ in the art market â dictating trends and manufacturing consent.