Gallery: The Mac-Inspired Artworks Of Artie Vierkant
3:56 pm, September 28th, 2009, Giles Turnbull
OK, recently exhibited at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art. (Huge version of this.)
When does an operating system UI element become a work of art? Is it when Artie Vierkant replicates it many times over and makes it into a huge print? Or was it art in the first place?
Vierkant produces works across a variety of media, particularly video and computer-generated graphics. Several of his pieces draw heavily on aspects of OS X, such as “OK” (above) and “Framing Exercise” (below).
Other works are not so much directly inspired by OS X, but clearly show inspiration from computer hardware and software, such as “Structure Jamming Exercise” and “cmd+cmd+cmd+cmd+cmd+cmd+” (both below).
Structure Jamming Exercise, in which iPhone photos are adjusted via a satellite TV system.
cmd+cmd+cmd+cmd+cmd+cmd+, one of a series of posts on Artie’s blog.
Cult of Mac got in touch with Artie intending to ask him to tell us more. Unfortunately he was too busy preparing for a new exhibition to take part in an interview, but kindly said we were welcome to re-publish some of his work here for Cult readers to explore.
What do you think? Is an OK button art as it stands, or does it only become art when reproduced hundreds of times in a grid? Would you hang something like “OK” or “Framing Exercise” on your wall?
Posted by Giles Turnbull in News, OS X, Top stories | Comment on this article
I’d love to get a bunch of those consumer advisory logos on some stickers and go attach them to the blu-rays and disks at the local shops
John, on September 29th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I vote, NO, this is not art. The OS X GUI, itself, is art. People who call themselves artists and produce uninspired examples like this are the bane of the creative world.
Bryan, on October 8th, 2009 at 12:41 pm