November 5 - December 17, 2010
How has the emergence of a virtual community affected the way we perceive information? Can a work that exists virtually exist similarly in real space? In what ways does our relationship with the screen translate and inform our understanding of traditional fine art mediums? The age of technology has presented us with a series of questions regarding our experience perceiving and digesting information. The rise of new media art, specifically art created to be viewed solely through the Internet, has created alternatives to the tradition of the viewing space. How can the artist exploit or distort an image's responsibility to the viewer? Is a website or computer screen an equal vantage point to the gallery setting? Does a transformation of media contribute to a work's meaning? How do aspects of physicality, "objectiveness", virtuality and relationship affect the viewer and the way an artwork is perceived?
This show charts the advantages and disadvantages of new media and the potential of it's presentation. By pressing the contemporary digital community for solutions to the problems addressed above, we are attempting to represent viable new media solutions and innovations within the presentation space of the gallery. Due to the nature of new media, artists working within this vein often create communities that are not distinguished or limited by regional location. This freedom and ability has allowed artistic communities to grow and thrive, outsource ideas, hold critical discourse, and disseminate information quickly and proficiently. Due to the universality of the Internet, users are able to communicate and express themselves from across the globe and work closely with one another from their respective origins, without the hindrance of region, age, facility, or institution. It seems appropriate given the theme of our exhibition proposal that this breadth of community be utilized and exploited. By showing the work of students and young artists from across the globe alongside the work of the RISD student body we as curators are not only able to represent a variety of interpretations to the questions posed but also emphasize the depth of community that is represented digitally through a vast network of platforms.
Curated by Bea Walling, BFA Printmaking 2011 and Raphael Cohen, BFA Painting 2011
