"Project Features"
http://features.nmartproject.net
is happy to present during September 2005
its 7th feature:
—>
Michael Takeo Magruder (USA/UK)
and his interactive netart piece, entitled:
"<event>"
.
Project statement
.
Michael Takeo Magruder's <event>, in which headline news articles have
been parsed from http://news.bbc.co.uk/ between December 29 and February
1, is concerned with the individual's relationship with finite moments
in recent history. As with his earlier works, Magruder grapples with
media saturation and its subsequent devaluation of information;
copyright-who actually owns the information, the event that triggered
it, the history it becomes?; is it the 'truth'? <event> re-presents 31
news items, compelling the user to "reflect upon the minute isolated
occurrences of which history in an empirical sense is composed."
Magruder does this by extracting, slowing down, and meticulously
crafting samples of audio, image, text, and video information. Rather
than disguise or remove distortions, Magruder deliberately incorporates
the artifacts of data compression into the piece. Events that usually
stream towards us in a rapid, undifferentiated flow become moments of
quiet contemplation that can be viewed and re-viewed in one's own time.
The user can apply an array of colored filters, like gels used on
theater sets-one can, in fact, choose to view events "through
rose-tinted glasses." Depending on the color, the moving image either
partially obscures or reveals the 'truth', i.e. word. One can choose to
literally tone down the rhetoric, or inflame the masses. One filter
filters out the others. Multicolored, Magruder's default, represents
ambiguity, multiple viewpoints, the many. With the motion slowed, and
much of the detail removed from the images, one can begin to see what
news actually 'looks' like. We see the outlines and the spaces
in-between. We study the news as we would study a painting. Magruder's
<event> is his most powerful and beautiful yet.
<event> is a 2003 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. (aka
Ether-Ore) for its Turbulence web site. It was made possible with
funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. (Turbulence.org Press
release)
.
About the artist
.
Michael Takeo Magruder is an American artist based in the UK who
works within the fields of New and Interactive Media. He received his
formal education at the University of Virginia, USA, graduating with
distinction in Biological Sciences.
For the past eight years his artistic practice has reflected upon
society's data-driven and information-saturated existence through the
examination of international news communications. By recombining the
notions of art and media, he has analysed interconnections between the
individual and the pervasive media network; a questioning of product vs.
process, knowledge vs. stimulation, fact vs. perspective.
His artistic production has been exhibited worldwide and encompasses an
eclectic mix of forms, ranging from futuristic stained-glass windows,
digital lightscreens and modular light-sculptures to architectural
manipulations, ephemeral video projections and interactive network
installations. His current explorations and research embrace 3D
stereoscopic projection, immersive multi-sensory environments and
interactive non-linear narratives for network/gallery settings. His work
in these fields is presently supported by Turbulence.org, 3D
Visualisation Group: University of Warwick and Arts Council England.
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"Project Features"
http://features.nmartproject.net
which will feature during 2005 each month
another exciting art project
using net based media for artistic expression.
.
The 1st issue was featuring in January 2005 –>
Doron Golan (USA)
and his streaming video
"Tale of Crow" (2004)
.
The 2nd issue was featuring in February 2005—>
Simon Fildes and Katrina McPherson (UK)
and their interactive piece, entitled:
"Ardnamurchan Zillij" (2004)
.
The 3rd issue was featuring in March 2005—>
Mary Flanagan (USA)
and her interactive net piece, entitled:
"[six.circles]" (2004)
.
The 4th issue was featuring in April/May 2005—>
Emily Hermant (CA)
and her interactive net piece, entitled:
"The Lies Project" (2004)
.
The 5th issue was featuring in June 2005—>
Geert Dekkers (the Netherlands)
and his interactive weblog, entitled:
"a drawing a day on nznl.com" (ongoing)
#
The 6th issue was featuring in July/August 2005—>
Marc Lee (Switzerland)
and his interactive net piece, entitled:
"Loogie.net News"
#
all projects and more details on http://features.nmartproject.net
.
*****************************************************
This release can be found also on
NetEx - networked experience
http://weblog.nmartproject.net/index.php?blog=1&catV
*****************************************************
"Project Features"
http://features.nmartproject.net
is curated by Agricola de Cologne
.
[NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne
www.nmartproject.net
experimental platform for Art and New Media
operating from Cologne/Germany
.
contacts and artists proposals:
[email protected]
"Project Features" spotlights Michael Takeo Magruder
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Type: discussion