The interactive website, Inventing Abstraction, visually represents the connections abstract artists had to other artists, writers, and performers between 1910-1925. The website is reliant on it’s sources which are the information of each artists represented on the site. These sources are from common histories and research of each of the individuals and on how these individuals were connected or inspired by one another. In order to begin reverse engineering this website, one must consider the goal of the website designer in order to create a user friendly experience for visitors to interact and learn from the page.
I am unsure what specific platform was used to create the site, but it is presented to the viewer much like a sociogram that a communications researcher would create. The programmer would first need to create a template in which multiple nodes could be represented, then begin drawing connections between them. When the user hovers over a name, the name is enlarged along with each of its connections.
The interface of the website is created, as previously stated, as a sociogram in which each individual is represented by a node that states their name. Each name is connected to another node by a line. This creates a complex digram of connections between each artist. When the user clicks on one of the nodes, a new window pops up in which the user can see a more intimate sociogram of connections. In addition to the diagram presented, on the right side of the display screen contains important information to further understanding the artist and the work they produced. This right side display contains the dates the artist was alive, where they were born, where they worked, artists interests, a truncated biography, and examples of their art. When the user clicks on example artwork thumbnail, a new page appears that depicts a larger verison of the work, it’s title, date, and the medium used. This presentation, I believe, is quite successful as art is often a product of influence. Abstract art, as mentioned on the website, began with just a few number of abstract artists who portrayed their world in a completely new way than previously seen, and then quickly expanded into a new art movement. The website fully examines how this expansion occurred through the visualization of connections and therefore inspiration. Because of the influence artists had to one another through geography, time period, or personal connection created what Art Historians now refer to as Modern Art.
Great points! To me, inventing abstraction seems very similar to the “Francis Bacon” interactive platform that we viewed in class last week. I think projects like these are excellent examples of the work of “multimodal scholars.” A project like this seems to combine elements of sociology, art history, and literature, intersectionality that is true to the goals of digital humanities.
I think you did a great job presenting the flow of the website. You mention that some of the source materials were ‘common historical knowledge’, which still makes it a little unclear as to where this historical material is specifically derived from. I think thats something to think about: whats written in history, whats left out and the discrepancies between sources.