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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Teenage clicks: how gifs became the rebellious adolescent of the art world | Teenage clicks: how gifs became the rebellious adolescent of the art world |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Lolling | Lolling |
| tongues and squirming bodily orifices loom out from one wall of the | tongues and squirming bodily orifices loom out from one wall of the |
| former White Cube gallery in London's Hoxton Square, while across the room a | former White Cube gallery in London's Hoxton Square, while across the room a |
| gigantic floating screen is flashing with psychedelic interference as small birds fly startled from an adjacent telephone line. There | |
| are screens of marching Chinese soldiers, gyrating blobs, and a mysterious swimming eye. Yet if you walk into the | are screens of marching Chinese soldiers, gyrating blobs, and a mysterious swimming eye. Yet if you walk into the |
| gallery without a smartphone or iPad, you'll get none of this – | gallery without a smartphone or iPad, you'll get none of this – |
| merely a stark white box plastered with oversized QR codes. | |
| This | This |
| beguiling show, which looks a bit like the internet has been smashed | beguiling show, which looks a bit like the internet has been smashed |
| open and its contents splattered across the walls, is the work of | open and its contents splattered across the walls, is the work of |
| 15Folds, an online gallery dedicated to the humble gif. Developed by | 15Folds, an online gallery dedicated to the humble gif. Developed by |
| CompuServe in 1987, the lo-fi file format has enjoyed a cultish | CompuServe in 1987, the lo-fi file format has enjoyed a cultish |
| resurgence as a new generation has cottoned on to its | resurgence as a new generation has cottoned on to its |
| potential for sharing snippets of cats and celebrities in an | potential for sharing snippets of cats and celebrities in an |
| endlessly hysterical loop. But the people at 15Folds see it as much | endlessly hysterical loop. But the people at 15Folds see it as much |
| more than that. | more than that. |
| “The | “The |
| gif has allowed a whole new outsider art movement to develop online,” | gif has allowed a whole new outsider art movement to develop online,” |
| says Margot Bowman, 25, who founded the site two years ago with | says Margot Bowman, 25, who founded the site two years ago with |
| fellow art college graduate Sean Frank, also 25, and digital media | fellow art college graduate Sean Frank, also 25, and digital media |
| designer Jolyon Varley, 30. “It's so easy for anyone to do, and the | designer Jolyon Varley, 30. “It's so easy for anyone to do, and the |
| limits on the number of frames and colours make it perfect for | limits on the number of frames and colours make it perfect for |
| succinct story-telling.” Uploaded and shared on Tumblr, which | succinct story-telling.” Uploaded and shared on Tumblr, which |
| allows a maximum 1MB file size, no more than 500 pixels wide, the | allows a maximum 1MB file size, no more than 500 pixels wide, the |
| animated gif format forces a certain discipline. As Bowman puts it: | animated gif format forces a certain discipline. As Bowman puts it: |
| “It's like saying to an artist, 'You've got an A5 piece of paper – | “It's like saying to an artist, 'You've got an A5 piece of paper – |
| go and make something good.'” | go and make something good.'” |
| The | The |
| best gifs here, which are viewed by scanning the | best gifs here, which are viewed by scanning the |
| QR codes on an augmented reality app, exploit those | QR codes on an augmented reality app, exploit those |
| restrictions to their advantage, playing with rhythm and repetition | restrictions to their advantage, playing with rhythm and repetition |
| to craft bite-sized visual poems. Adam Ferris has created a hypnotic | to craft bite-sized visual poems. Adam Ferris has created a hypnotic |
| square of white noise that cycles through a swarm of colours, like a | square of white noise that cycles through a swarm of colours, like a |
| fizzing glitch rainbow. Nearby, Laurent Segretier has sampled | fizzing glitch rainbow. Nearby, Laurent Segretier has sampled |
| snippets of selfie porn videos from swinger websites, filmed and | snippets of selfie porn videos from swinger websites, filmed and |
| remixed on a broken screen to form a smeary loop of writhing body | remixed on a broken screen to form a smeary loop of writhing body |
| parts. | parts. |
| Kim | Kim |
| Asendorf – who had the honour of having the first animated gif sent | Asendorf – who had the honour of having the first animated gif sent |
| into space last year – has conjured a clone army of Chinese women soldiers, their faces | into space last year – has conjured a clone army of Chinese women soldiers, their faces |
| inverted in a frightening sea of screaming mouths. “NSA bots have | inverted in a frightening sea of screaming mouths. “NSA bots have |
| to flip the faces of all female Chinese soldiers to prevent agents | to flip the faces of all female Chinese soldiers to prevent agents |
| from falling in love,” reads the caption, accessible by flipping | from falling in love,” reads the caption, accessible by flipping |
| the image on your phone. “The NSA hates love.” | the image on your phone. “The NSA hates love.” |
| Other | Other |
| works seem more like snappy fashion promos, betraying the format's | works seem more like snappy fashion promos, betraying the format's |
| allure to the world of branding and advertising – through which | allure to the world of branding and advertising – through which |
| many of the artists and illustrators on show make their living. | many of the artists and illustrators on show make their living. |
| For | For |
| an artform born and propagated on the internet, it might seem | an artform born and propagated on the internet, it might seem |
| strange to show it in a gallery context, but Bowman says | strange to show it in a gallery context, but Bowman says |
| this is precisely the point. “It's about providing a pause and a | this is precisely the point. “It's about providing a pause and a |
| moment of isolation,” she says. “We wanted to take the gifs out | moment of isolation,” she says. “We wanted to take the gifs out |
| of the context of having 15 tabs open on your browser with all your | of the context of having 15 tabs open on your browser with all your |
| favourite Tumblr feeds, and make people look more | favourite Tumblr feeds, and make people look more |
| closely.” | closely.” |
| The | The |
| augmented reality app, developed for the show by Plague Projects, | augmented reality app, developed for the show by Plague Projects, |
| also allows you to see the gifs in a whole new light. They become | also allows you to see the gifs in a whole new light. They become |
| floating, physical objects with a defined dimension and presence in | floating, physical objects with a defined dimension and presence in |
| the space, behind which people can walk – an effect that is | the space, behind which people can walk – an effect that is |
| particularly successful with Matthew Stone's disembodied eye, that | particularly successful with Matthew Stone's disembodied eye, that |
| appears to swim around the room on a little rippling square. | appears to swim around the room on a little rippling square. |
| The | The |
| exhibition purports to be “a documentation of an explosive artform | exhibition purports to be “a documentation of an explosive artform |
| in its rebellious adolescence,” but this 27-year-old adolescent has | in its rebellious adolescence,” but this 27-year-old adolescent has |
| clearly come of age. It was even named word of the year by the US | clearly come of age. It was even named word of the year by the US |
| branch of the Oxford University Press two years ago. | branch of the Oxford University Press two years ago. |
| “Gif | “Gif |
| celebrated a lexical milestone in 2012, gaining traction as a verb, | celebrated a lexical milestone in 2012, gaining traction as a verb, |
| not just a noun,” declared the OUP. “The gif has evolved from a | not just a noun,” declared the OUP. “The gif has evolved from a |
| medium for pop-cultural memes into a tool with serious applications | medium for pop-cultural memes into a tool with serious applications |
| including research and journalism, and its lexical identity is | including research and journalism, and its lexical identity is |
| transforming to keep pace.” | transforming to keep pace.” |
| The Guardian has embraced the format as well, live-giffing the US | The Guardian has embraced the format as well, live-giffing the US |
| Presidential elections and featuring a regular series of sporting | Presidential elections and featuring a regular series of sporting |
| “gifs that keep on giving” – meaning it's clearly time for | “gifs that keep on giving” – meaning it's clearly time for |
| hipster-gallerists to move on to the next thing. Anyone for .doc art? | hipster-gallerists to move on to the next thing. Anyone for .doc art? |
| • Everything All at Once is at Lyst Studios, 48 Hoxton Square, London N1, 22-29 May. |