Visual Thesaurus >>
Mark Tinkler
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||| HIAFF 3.0 | university of colorado | department of art and art history | digital arts area | in conjunction with alt-x | atlas | blurr
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[Reviews] Plumb Design is not an artist, a pseudonym for an artist, nor a group of
artists. Let it also be known that Plumb Design does not consider their work to
be of the artistic type. Why then does "Visual Thesaurus" look like art? Perhaps
it is because of the interactive, visually stimulating program that has been
created to bring a thesaurus to the Internet. "Visual Thesaurus" implements
"image mapping"; a way of creating images with the use of non-traditional media
such as data, numbers and in this case, words. Without even knowing it, Plumb
Design has found a way into the art world.
Like a spider web or the firing of synapses in a brain, words spiral out of
control on the main interface. Below, words scroll across the page when "auto-
navigate" is implemented, or whenever a word is typed in or clicked on.
Interaction is a necessity, allowing for this so-called "educational tool" to
become an art experience. Like an actual thesaurus, but with a three-dimensional
format, words are brought together and connected, giving them thickness and
weight. Words fade in and out, hypnotizing the viewer. For a thesaurus, it is
surprisingly pleasing to the eye.
Perhaps this is why "Visual Thesaurus" has been lumped into a digital art
category. It is a visual experience, full of twists and bends. It is not simply
a list of alphabetical words and their synonyms. Through Plumb Design's
interactive format, words become image. The common thesaurus has been given a
visual explanation, therefore creating a unique digital art piece as well as an
informative word-search engine.
By giving a visual representation to words, "Visual Thesaurus" has entered the
area of image mapping. No longer will writers page through their dusty, boring,
bookshelf thesauruses. Instead, they will open Plumb Design's refreshing
literary helper, get a new word and receive a spiraling visual experience.
Digital media makes it possible to bridge the gap between the common and
uncommon, finding ways to breathe new life into otherwise mundane objects and
devises. This is what Plumb Design has done, and in its originality, technical
know-how and visually stimulating interface, "Visual Thesaurus" can easily be
considered art. |
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