Interactivity Analysis - Neal

                Art created in the vein of interactivity lends itself to a more complex investigation of its subject than those that are not. Interactive art presupposes two separate variables within a piece – the artwork and another, whether artist, audience, or natural element. Often, the extent to which the artwork is noteworthy is aligned with the extent to which this relationship has been made evident, or how thoroughly the relationship has been explored.

For instance, Tim Hawkinson’s piece “Emotor” uses light seonsors to respond to images in a screen, which then in turn manipulate the individually photographed organs of a face. This shows a portrait responding to a television. In “Drip,” water is released from a height onto pie tin filled pails in accordance with the rhythm of a musical piece. This shows water responding to music. In both cases, two disparate concepts are brought into direct engagement through an intermediary mechanism, in this case, an artwork.

                In a somewhat more abstracted understanding of art, Allan Kaprow’s Happenings break down completely the distinctions between artwork, place, audience, and object. They all work together in creating an irreproducible moment that itself is the artwork. This is the utmost of interactivity. Even the genesis of the art form itself came as a reaction to what was happening in the art scene at the time. Kaprow was fascinated by Pollock’s seemingly choreographed movements as he pained, and as he regarded his work. Then, the resulting painting seemed more of a space than an object. Kaprow wanted to create these spaces through what would be called his Happenings, later occurrences.

One mark of interactivity is dependency. With a painting, it could be said, it will continue to exist and be itself even when hidden in a closet. Interactive objects not only cease to function when placed in a void of input, but also cease to be the artworks they were intended to be. When the proper variables are not present, interactive art loses character, just as music to a deaf man, or an engine without gas. It seems interactive art has its greatest impact when that vital element is the audience itself. When working on public art projects, this was the most challenging element to both anticipate and engage. To bring an individual who you have never known into interaction with a created object is a daunting task. Simply doing this successfully is testimony to the fact that an artwork has been carefully considered, because the work is subject to a public that is increasingly broad in its backgrounds and origins. Work must gain a universality while not sacrificing a personal relevance. Allowing dependence dictate where a project goes is an incredibly difficult thing – more difficult than creating an autonomous work, seemingly eternal and standing alone. Creating interactive work that steps out and engages the culture, its members, and its changes is a daunting task, but a necessary one, and one that is increasingly expected by a popular culture demanding relevance for its artists.