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Fellow 1995-96

Joseph C. Squier

Art + Design

Art on the Internet: Appearance and Apparition

Appearance and Apparition will employ the latest in electronic graphics technology while exploring the creative possibilities that reside within the growing society of the internet. The primary tools employed will be an Internet-connected Macintosh computer, an IMB RS6000 server, and NCSA Mosaic software. Using Mosaic as his artistic medium, Professor Squier intends to create a series of linked documents organized around the themes of body and identity. These concepts have particular resonance as our culture enters the era of cyberspace, a realm that engenders new relationships between our self-images and our bodies; between ourselves and others. A large portion of the material used will be Professor Squires' own images and words, but this will be augmented by a variety of related material already publicly available at disparate internet sites. The finished artwork, entitled Appearance and Apparition, will be a linked collection of still images, video, sounds, and text. It will include historical examples of the representation of the body, archived texts that comment on the relationship between body and self-image, contemporary images and texts, and possible glimpses into the future. Mosaic will provide an environment in which the various elements can be compared and contrasted.

Appearance and Apparition will be a virtual artwork, having no physical equivalent. It will reside at an internet site that Professor Squire has already established, called the place. Here, the professor's internet artwork is available to a worldwide audience and has generated activity that reflects both the timeliness of his research and the quality of his work in this area. He is one of the few artists in the world currently utilizing NCSA Mosaic as an artistic medium or expressive tool. Appearance and Apparition will allow him to continue developing a new art form in a new medium.