Subscribing to an artist’s work: the case of Vorsthammer
For those of you who don’t know, I’m preparing to get into grad school for 2008. My dream program is currently at McGill, set in the heart of beautiful Montreal. Their department, Art History and Communication Studies, is the perfect fit for me to pursue a Comm. Studies degree with a strong focus in visual media and culture. I will be able to study in a way that is interdisciplinary, my favourite mode of being connected to multiple issues at once in my research. As you will come to learn about me I have many different interests, and I hate to be tied down. I like things as flexible as possible. It’s one of the reasons I chose to do Comm. Studies as opposed to Art History for my masters degree, my undergraduate having been in Art History.
I have already written my application for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, one in which I had to formulate a one page proposal on a possible Masters thesis. This was tough, I wanted it to be something viable and realistic for me to research in the degree, something tying together both art history and communication studies in a way that was comfortable for me. I ended up diving into my research in the area of how art history is living currently on the web. How are museums and artists using the web system to connect to people? Or, is there a way they could better use web 2.0 technology to create effective systems of exchange and dialogue about art? Are the blogs of “amateur” art enthusiasts that “curate” art eliminating the need for the curatorial art expert? I could not believe the amount of information I found, and it’s a fun topic. I’ll post my OGS application in my next entry.
For my Canadian Graduate Scholarship, the big one that I’m really concerned about, I have to expand this one page proposal into a two page one complete with a bibliography, delving into the topic even more seriously. Suffice to say, in the next three weeks it will be the focus of my time.
I came across this very interesting artist, J. Vorsthammer, who has the option for visitors to the site to subscribe to updates on when he creates new works. This simple means of bringing content to viewers is what distinguishes the existing real world museum system from the possibilities of the new, interconnected web. Imagine being able to view the works of your favourite artists online, or at least keep up to date on their career so that you know where and when new art is being exhibited. It fosters closer relationships between the artist and their admirers, without needing the intermediary of the art museum or art dealer.
And his work is certainly interesting enough to warrant return visits. He uses humour, context, and language effectively to disrupt expectations. I really like how he always show multiple images of his work, often in different angles. While you can certainly say that a work functions at its full capacity only when you see it in person, in the real, when there are geographical and temporal barriers the web is the most effective way to circulate works. His medium is conceptual, but I would argue also performative and interventionist.
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