Each student is to present a site / (v)blog or some other online experiment that engages them – as an example of an art form or design - how it contributes to the development of the internet and identifying possibilities for contemporary art/design practice. This will followed up by a critique of 700-800 words due next week – posted on blog. You will need to consider:
a. whether it falls into design and/or art (and why);
b. how it relates to other art/design forms on the web.;
c. how it may reflect in content or style your final project.
Website I found:
Erwin Olaf: works by the artist
http://www.erwinolaf.com/
Interesting & sarcastic homepage to start with,subtitles:first image: I WISH____middle image: I AM____right image:I WILL BE
The overall style of the website is concise & effetive, with good visual impact.
Question a:
It does fall into art /design. and because it is primarily a online gallery of the artist's work, it is more of an form of art.
Question b:
Compared with personal blogs, this website is more about the constructed identities online, especially seen from the Self-portraits series from the artist. So it is 'constructed' instead of being straightforward or personal. However, there are also other photographic works that shows more besides the artisit himself. Different from showbox websites, this one is far less commercial and has strong visual and emotional impact on the viewer.
Question c:
This website definitely has the potentiality to influence my final project. As been said above, it is related to online identites mostly in the medium of photography (digitally processed). Even if the art medium is going to be different. The idea is similar (see to Post 1) .
Critique:
The content of the website is brilliant and intriguing. However, in terms of webpage design, what i envision is something more robust and vigorous. Instead of being a 'gallery' /display of artworks, the whole website could have been a piece of art work, which in itself touches people.
[Response to Feedback-please see to comment 3; Comment 3 is part of this Post]
Hi Hope this is not your final critique. It is hardly a critique in that it does not really evaluate the site - it is fairly opinionated - for example to say meerly that it is "brilliant and intriging"is not a critique. In what way? How can you support that point? It is only 200 + words. I need 7-800 word count.
ReplyDeleteHi Gianni, oh really, i thought the word count was about Question a,b&c and overall,which was not merely 200 words. But fair enough, i will add something new to the post and do as much as i can.
ReplyDeleteMy critique about the site is mainly that the site does not have much to talk about. It was somewhat a 'gallery' and all. I chose it because it fits to my reading of identity and does have 'a glimpse of light'. I also had gone through other sites which are interesting in different ways apart from the 'Identity' aspect. As i have said above, my recommendation to this site is that 'to make the site itself an artwork' in terms of web art design. What it is right now is pretty ordinary. How? The overall design has a clear and hierarchy format, easy to click on thumbnails and open a new window to see larger images. This design entertains people, but there are no further surprises. But to make the site as interesting as the artist's works (to reach deeper into people's emotional world), it needs more than that. The idea of producing an 'organic' structure for the site, could work out for this one. Click and be thrilled! Every and each time you visit the site, you get a different understanding of what the artist wants to say. Being organic and not fixed to an ordinary display, associated with soundtracks or text which somehow enhances the overall sensation of the work.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of 'identity':
The notion of multiple identities constructed on one person is not new. Cindy Sherman seems to be the first and most influential artist to have done this. Following her, different artists of different identities (gender, cultural…) appropriated her idea and expressed themselves via various media. And Erwin Olaf, artist of this site, had managed to showcase his art online and by using digital editing. Whether he was influenced by former artists is not important. The aspiration of expressing oneself in different characters is universal. WHO AM I? WHAT I CAN BE? This brings back to the identity obsession everyone has throughout their life. To use web art as a medium to express this obsession, seeking answer and may not get it. This is what i appreciate mostly about the theme.