Mark Napier's 'Shredder'
This work is typical of much digital art because it is an artwork that places importance on several features. First is formal instructions, 'Shredder' actually have a standard instruction or program in creating the above layout. 'Shredder' generates the new images and input the website links into the background in order to create a messy but standard structure of webpage. Second is the feature of 'the concept rather than the art object', the concept of 'Shredder' is changing the appearance of the original website, it totally destroyed the normal view and objects in the website and form another layout, audience cant recognize original pages. The third feature is the event and audience participation. When Mark Napier was creating 'Shredder', he set up a small event of 'Shredder' which is leading the audience to type in the web address and click 'ENTER' to view the modified webpages. Lastly, it comes to the feature of 'borrowing and appropriation', 'Shredder' is the work of borrowing other existing website as the base of his production, 'Shredder' takes the interface and images from the original website to generate its own messy 'Shredder-webpage', but not create all the program and layout from zero.
Why Mark Napier's 'Shredder' is a NET.ART but not digital art?
Digital art is the work that made by the digital technique such as computer softwares. The digital art can be printed out and put in the gallery for exhibition. However, for NET.ART, the work can only operate on Internet. Users need to access Internet to view the work of NET.ART. Mark Napier's 'Shredder' is a NET.ART because it requires audience to operate on Internet. It is a kind of conventor that convent the organial webpage into a messy appreance and form a new artpiece. As 'Shredder' can only be operated with Internet, so it is NET.ART but not digital art.
LINDA:
ReplyDeleteVery sharp opinion! But I have a diffenent opnion on your last statement. I think converting is just one part of shredder through which it present the concept of art. So I donnot think we need to care about how it works but to care about why it works like that. You see, shredder subvert the original website and let visitor think deeply about the common things we overlook . Is it a syptom of art?
Hi Linda! I see your point, I agree that is only a of the concept of Shredder. But what I am talking about is classifying why Shredder is a Net Art but not Digital Art, so I have to mention the features of Net Art which is need to access Internet for operation. For the technical structure of Shredder, it relies on the appearance of other websites so that Shredder can work! So I think in the technical or operating level of a Net Art, Shredder is somehow a kind of convertor.
DeleteJanice comments: I really like the last paragraph of why you think Shredder is not a digital art but a Net art. I can see that you have special ideas in your mind. However, I do think you can talk more about how Shredder focus more on the concept but not art. It is because there is actually a message that Shredder would like to deiver to its visitors and it does not aim to destroy the original web sites but to present them in a different way.
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