Blog for Marks Napier, “Shredder”, 1998

Marks Napier’s “Shredder” http://www.potatoland.org/shredder/

Background:

Marks Napier, “Shredder”, 1998

“This work is typical of much digital art because it is an artwork that places important on:

l   Formal instruction

l   The concept rather than the art objects

l   The event and audience participation

l   An interest in random events and/or chance

l   Borrowing or appropriation

1. Formal instruction

There is formal instruction for the use of Shredder. After you input the link of website browser, there is an instruction: “Click to launch the Shredder”. Then, you enter into the page of Shredder. If you don’t follow the instruction, you can’t do and experience anything from the Shredder.

2.      The concept rather than the art objects 

Shredder emphasizes on the concept rather than the art object. The concept of shredder is to transform the original website into new, rearranged and messy website. It destroys the tidy and neat design of the original webpage. You can’t click the link button. The picture is lengthened and distorted and repetitive. The word and link are overlapped and readers are failure to read the content. It is similar to the circle of the destruction and reconstruction of the artwork.

3.      The event and the audience participation 

The event is under the control of the user. The action of pressing the button of “enter” is totally relied on the user. The audience is participation is 100%. The audience can input any website link and transform and distort the website. For example, I have tried the link of Google and Free Porn. Eventually, the original design of those webpage is completely changed. 

4. An interest in random events and/ or chance 

Shredder shows an interest in random events. In the website, there is a “bookmark” and a blank area. You are choose the prepare website and to look for the powerful transformation of Shredder. There are around over 20 links for you to choose at random.

5. Borrowing or appropriation 

The other feature of Shredder is borrowing or appropriation. The creation of the new webpage design is not start form zero. It is obviously to borrow from the original website and adopt the transformation by its pre-designed formula. For example, the website of You Tube.