Noel Johnson
Digital Media I
5/5/2016
A
comparative analysis of Lillian F. Schwartz and George Legrady
In our world of consistently advancing technologies, it is
expected that we, as artists, should grow and advance with this world that
surrounds us. Works of art that utilize a digital platform to be created –
whether it be merely used to enhance the more traditional mediums that compose
it, or it is the heart and soul of the entire pieces creation – are steadily on
the rise for what is considered the intriguing, seductive, and all around more
appealing embodiments of a ripe, bursting imagination. The use of digital
platforms opens an entirely new realm of opportunity for creating art and many
contemporary artists have noticed , and taken advantage of, the opportunity
that these ever rapidly evolving technologies provide. Two such artists include
Lillian F. Schwartz and George Legrady.
These two digital media artists had recognized the moment
in which this new medium had begun its swift ascension and boarded that
metaphorically fleeting train, releasing their creative ideas to the public in
new innovative ways. Although both are separated by a decent margin, in terms
of technological advancement time, they have both utilized the advancements in
technologies at their respective years in the most advanced way possible for
the time. Lillian F. Schwartz dedicated much of her time to arts that utilize
the computer, despite it being at the time that more traditional mediums, like her
kinetic sculptures, were gaining the attention of her audiences. She, rather
than following the crowd, decided to us the most advanced digital outlets available
to her at the time. George Legrady, although working in a time when computer
art is slightly more popularized (largely due to Schwartz herself), similarly,
utilizes the most advanced digital outlets that apply to his work that are available
to him. One example, is the fact that Legrady displays his art through the use
of both in person installations as well as internet based viewings. This
utilization of the newest technological advancement (the internet) is an
incredibly intellectual move on his part because it allows his artwork to reach
as many audiences as possible. Legrady also uses a bettered knowledge about
coding to allow him to create algorithms that create visuals based off of any
said code. This is described as being a project that largely reflects his favor
of aesthetics and technique. This favoritism for aesthetics and an almost instinctual
need to study artistic technique is an attribute that Legrady and Schwartz
share as well. Before her exploration into the use of digital medias, Schwartz
is described as drawing inspiration from a favorite audience of the time being.
She would often closely study the technique, as much as she could, of a
particular artist. She would then deconstruct this technique and practice it
until she could claim it as her own and apply her own unique twists to them.
From this process her multimedia pieces, sculptures, paintings and sketches
would bloom like flowers in spring. This method of hers, this process, carried
over somewhat into her career using the computer for art creation. Lillian F.
Schwartz spent most of her digital media career collaborating with scientists
that shared her interests and allure to specific technique of some of the great
artists she was inspired by: like Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse, and Leonardo. Together
they worked on her Art Analysis series, where they dissected several of the
most famous paintings from the greats – including the Mona Lisa – in order to
uncover their own unique techniques, their utilization of specific colors,
direction, and compositions and so on. This was then used to reveal the possible
psychological reasons why audiences were so seduced and attracted to these
specific art pieces.
Both of these artist are also well known for being
multidisciplinary within the realm of the digital platform as well as being well
adverse in the use of multiple mediums throughout the digital platforms as well.
Another similarity that Lillian F. Schwartz and George
Legrady share is that many of their artistic “installations” are considerably
interactive and allow the audience to be submerged into the art in a way. They do,
however, vary ever so slightly in how this is done. For example, one of
Schwartz’s pieces utilizes digital modeling and animation to provide multiple
perspectives looking upon the painting of “The Last Super”, thusly submerging
the audience into the artistic experience through her providing of a three
dimensional experience. Legrady provides this experience throughout several of
his art instillations allowing for the audience to actually interact with the
art piece to change its outcome and aesthetic appearance.
Source links to the artists' websites:
