START SOMA, the San Francisco gallery for emerging artists, today announced the launch of START MOBILE, becoming the first retail art gallery in the world to sell NEW ART for cell phones. Original works of NEW ART can now be downloaded onto mobile phones across the United States.

"Nearly three years ago, we enabled START SOMA to be the first art gallery in the world to use SMS messaging to promote an art opening", according to Nihal Mehta, CEO of ipsh!  "Today, we are pleased to announce START MOBILE, the world's first retail art gallery for mobile devices, and are launching what amounts to HUNDREDS of solo shows from some pretty amazing artists, spanning all styles and mediums. The implications of this technology are truly staggering."

EVERY piece of artwork showcased on START MOBILE is optimized for display on an unprecedented 200+ handsets from premier national carriers. Users will have the ability to purchase NEW ART for their phones through both credit cards AND premium SMS, billed directly to their phone bill.  

"My work has been shown in museums around the world," observed photographer Ashkan Sahihi. "But I am more excited by the populist implications of START MOBILE - this truly has the potential to make NEW ART accessible to EVERYONE."