Chris Basmajian is a self-proclaimed 'video artist'. He was born and currently lives in California. He got his MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and a BA from George Washington University. He has exhibited his work around the world since 2006.
Basmajian's works focus on the themes of social interaction and self-image. His creates interactive video installations with real time cameras that respond to the viewer's actions. Many of his works are commentaries about specific themes, phenomena, or news events.
On a technical level Basmajian's work combines digital art/photo editing, programming, and the elusive interactivity that is not frequently found in art. Aside from cameras and a projector/screen, he also employs additional props such as mirrors and even balloons.
I find Basmajian's projects to be very cool. Some of his works are more obvious in meaning than others; others are downright abstract. The interactivity of his installations add an additional dimension and engage the viewer effectively. Several of his projects are available for download and can be viewed with a webcam.
He has also created a little flash game entitled Attention Hog as a commentary on the uses and motivations behind social media networking. You play as a pig that stands in front of people to gain points/approval. It is a cute game but also bears a striking resemblance to the behaviors seen on sites like Facebook and tumblr.
Visit Chris Basmajian's site here.
Original entry from Rhizome artbase.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
Website Post: Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2
The GW2 website is what I would consider to be an example of good website design. The entire website has a very cohesive and artistic theme. It is pretty to look at, but minimalist and easy to navigate. The nav bars make good use of mouseover effects and in the case of the dropdown menus, transparency. Pretty much every element on the page, from the hr (horizontal rule) tag to the slight gradient background behind the date on the news posts, has been customized to tie the site theme together. The site also resizes itself (to an extent) to fit the viewer's browser window. Unlike many game websites, GW2 does not make heavy use of flash applications. I consider this to be a huge bonus because flash embeds can quickly become overdone and a resource drain. Even the fading mouseover effects found on the character info pages is done entirely with HTML/CSS.
The GW2 website is what I would consider to be an example of good website design. The entire website has a very cohesive and artistic theme. It is pretty to look at, but minimalist and easy to navigate. The nav bars make good use of mouseover effects and in the case of the dropdown menus, transparency. Pretty much every element on the page, from the hr (horizontal rule) tag to the slight gradient background behind the date on the news posts, has been customized to tie the site theme together. The site also resizes itself (to an extent) to fit the viewer's browser window. Unlike many game websites, GW2 does not make heavy use of flash applications. I consider this to be a huge bonus because flash embeds can quickly become overdone and a resource drain. Even the fading mouseover effects found on the character info pages is done entirely with HTML/CSS.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Getting Lost
For the 'Get Lost' activity I chose to explore the world of Guild Wars 2. I
logged on one of my lower level characters, hid the UI/map with Ctrl+Shift+H,
and started running around with only visual cues to guide me.
I began at the northern entrance to Black Citadel, the racial city of the charr. My own character is an asura elementalist.
Watching a squadron of charr patrol through the city.
On the bridge leading to the Black Citadel asura gate, which are long-distance fast travel teleporters that connect the cities.
Taking the gate.. (EVE pun not intended)
Entering Lion's Arch
Lots of asura gates
Took another gate into Hoelbrak, racial city of the norn.
Looking at the center of the city from the edge of a cliff.
Going up the central flight of stairs. The norn are a big people. Asura are the tiniest race, being half the height of a normal human. Norn make humans look tiny. Go figure!
This is what greeted me at the top of the stairs.
Even warrior guys appreciate concept art
The tooth of Jormag, an elder dragon.
Zone portal leading out of Hoelbrak, to places where there be monsters!
Wayfarer Foothills
Super random minotaur attack!
The norn like bears.
Bear Shrine
Entrance to another part of the same zone.
Snowball fight with the local kids
Birds.. I love birds.
Bonus: This is where my human character is currently located.
This was an interesting experience. With the music and UI turned off, I was free from many of the distractions that would usually be commanding my attention as I moved through the game world. I paid a lot more attention to the little background things such as birds chirping and the rustle of wind through the trees. It felt quite different.
I began at the northern entrance to Black Citadel, the racial city of the charr. My own character is an asura elementalist.
Watching a squadron of charr patrol through the city.
On the bridge leading to the Black Citadel asura gate, which are long-distance fast travel teleporters that connect the cities.
Taking the gate.. (EVE pun not intended)
Entering Lion's Arch
Lots of asura gates
Took another gate into Hoelbrak, racial city of the norn.
Looking at the center of the city from the edge of a cliff.
Going up the central flight of stairs. The norn are a big people. Asura are the tiniest race, being half the height of a normal human. Norn make humans look tiny. Go figure!
This is what greeted me at the top of the stairs.
Even warrior guys appreciate concept art
The tooth of Jormag, an elder dragon.
Zone portal leading out of Hoelbrak, to places where there be monsters!
Wayfarer Foothills
Super random minotaur attack!
The norn like bears.
Bear Shrine
Entrance to another part of the same zone.
Snowball fight with the local kids
Birds.. I love birds.
Bonus: This is where my human character is currently located.
This was an interesting experience. With the music and UI turned off, I was free from many of the distractions that would usually be commanding my attention as I moved through the game world. I paid a lot more attention to the little background things such as birds chirping and the rustle of wind through the trees. It felt quite different.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Butterfly Effect
Thanks to ART214, I now know how to (sort of) use illustrator! I had the opportunity to put my new illustrator skills to use by designing a logo for my EVE Online alliance. \o/
Sunday, October 21, 2012
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