Blindspot >>
Darcey Steinke
A textually rich, vertically organized, semi-linear short story.
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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] In a small, tight space, Darcey Steinke tells her neurotic
tale "Blindspot". Her story is about Emma, a mother and wife dealing not only
with her baby and the infidelities of her husband, but with the troubles
within
her own mind. A digital space is perfect for Steinke's work, allowing for the
interactive reader to truly relate to the characters.
Upon entering "Blindspot", a compact, rectangular window opens, showing the
title and a fuzzy, fish-eyed image on a split screen. Clicking on links is the
key to this story, since hypertext demands that the reader be an integral
participant. Fairly easy to navigate, "Blindspot" uses links within the text,
and a link after each segment of text to lead the reader to the next chapter.
Each frame is split into various boxes, some small and skinny, others
perfectly
square. Steinke's use of such boxes not only separates her textual tangents,
but also adds to the overall feeling of claustrophobia. Emma herself complains
of being watched, and as the text is continuously squeezed into smaller and
smaller spaces, the reader also begins to feel somewhat neurotic and closed
in.
Small scroll bars disallow the participant from reading the text all at once.
Instead, the viewer must constantly click on the down arrow to reveal the
storyline. Steinke has therefore created anxiety not only within her
characters
but in her readers as well.
Within some of these spaces lurk black and white images. A ghostly figure of a
woman, a baby's arm and a handful of personal floor plans come together like
puzzle pieces. By using such images, Steinke invites the reader to become an
observer in Emma's life. All of Emma's worries come to life through the use of
visual aids. The viewer sees Emma's small home and the locks and doors that
appear to be holding her prisoner. These images, coupled with Steinke's
anxiety
inducing prose, play a major role in the story's overall feeling of
apprehension. To further intensify this feeling, Steinke adds audio to her
digital narrative. Sudden bursts of sounds accompany various links and images.
A telephone rings over and over again, begging to be answered. Television
static hisses while muffled voices converse. These sounds encourage the
reader/viewer/listener to feel as if they are present with the neurotic Emma
in
her small apartment. All that seems to be missing is the smell of the baby's
skin and the taste of Emma's meals.
Through the use of digital media, Steinke has created a story that comes to
life and is tangible to the participant. Unlike books and novels, the reader
feels very much a part of Emma's haunting world. In the end, "Blindspot"
proves
to be mysterious, leaving the reader wondering what will happen to the
troubled
protagonist. When the last link is clicked, the reader - like Emma - feels as
though they just missed something, something caught briefly out of the corner
of the eye.
By Kendall Pata
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