Maeda : MySpace

Thorough John Meade's cyber art a struggle emerges. Modern technology verses the simple life. Or if you like, emotion verses the machine. The computer is used both to mimic human existence and to discredit itself as a poor substitute for the human condition. As one of the first in America to design internet sites; a computer programmer and graphic designer at the MIT Media Lab as well as having gone to art school too, he should know.

But, once you have meticulously picked your way through the blurb that accompanies this exhibition you find that this - his first solo exhibition in the UK - has absolutely nothing to do with Myspace the social networking site as the title of the show suggests.

By creating programs to run through everything from computer parts to ipods to digital lights he endeavors to create something we can ponder on.

'Nature' is a projection made up from seven ‘motion paintings’ creating confusing patterns that demonstrate the state of a computer’s mind. A "naturally abstract and fleeting world that lives deep inside the machine".

Illustrating a technical version of ‘Marriage’ are two ipods running identically long films. Due to the disposition of the hard disks eventually the films become out of sync, mirroring a human relationship. A touch of virtual cynicism on the part of Meade perhaps.

Meade also looks into ways of distorting images by using computer programs.

One of the most intriguing works is ‘Two for Tea’. Made up sugar cube particles broken down and reformed from a written program they are now recreated into a cube format on a black sheen surface. Similarly he recreates a tin of vegetable soup from particles as a digital image.

I found in this exhibition, however, that through the ipods and the projections of colour and shape little genuine expression could be extracted.

The point of art, surely, is to stir emotion : when the artist effectively projects their feelings, thoughts and views into you.

Perhaps the problem with Meade’s exhibition is that it is almost too clever with little to capture your senses.

Where the concept was good enough, the result was unsatisfying. I left feeling that computers were a poor way to convey artistic ideas, leaving little room for personality, emotion or 'randomness'.

But perhaps, as Meade hints at, this is the point.

Julie Pallot

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