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Thesis Info
- LABS ID
- 00100
- Thesis Title
- Hypermedia Systems: The Creation and Interpretation of Concept-based Art
- Author
- Dr Dew Harrison
- E-mail
- dew.harrison AT rgu.ac.uk
- 2nd Author
- 3rd Author
- Degree
- PhD Fine Art
- Year
- 1998
- Number of Pages
- University
- CAiiA, University of Wales, UK
- Thesis Supervisor
- Prof. Roy Ascott
- Supervisor e-mail
- roy AT planetary-collegium.net
- Other Supervisor(s)
- Mike Punt, Dr Suzette Worden
- Language(s) of Thesis
- English
- Department / Discipline
- Interactive Art
- Copyright Ownership
- Author
- Languages Familiar to Author
- English
- URL where full thesis can be found
- Keywords
- Conceptual Art, Marcel Duchamp, Hypermedia, Mind-mapping
- Abstract: 200-500 words
- This thesis, the text together with the 'StarGlass' CD-ROM, is the outcome of an investigation into the extent to which hypermedia is privileged in the creation and interpretation of contemporary Conceptual Art with a view to furthering an art practice. The research undertaken therefore concerns one aspect of Digital Art being specific to the history and pedigree of concept-based art and hypermedia and the drawing together of these two elements into one practice. The text begins with an understanding of the origins of concept-based art which situates the work of Marcel Duchamp as influential in the move from Modernism, with its reliance on visual aesthetics and medium-specificity, to the Postmodern emphasis on concept and multi-media. There then follows a comparative study of the mind-mapping underlying concept-based art and hypermedia indicating a parallel of intent between the two where both are concerned with the semantic association and cross-referencing of ideas within one concept or single work. The affinity between hypermedia and concept-based art was further explored through the transposition of Duchamp's major work, the 'Large Glass', into hypermedia, initially as an Internet piece comprising twenty-five inter-linked web sites, and completed in CD-ROM format. The research into hypermedia informing the creation of the StarGlass CD-ROM is documented and addresses the major problems encountered which are replicated in the significant aspects of hypermedia system design concerning navigation and interface. The actualisation of StarGlass, is discussed in the final chapter which also considers the efficiency of the methodologies applied in this research project.