GIF Response

           Gifs and their artists are a very interesting subject to read and learn about. They are slightly older than I am (they were created in 1987) and artistically are very interesting.

           I think GIFs speak to the ever evolving concept of art and the idea of an image. Although created in the late 1980s, I think GIFs are really of this time; of 2016. Today we live in the fast pace world of social media and the Internet, where people demand fast paced results on anything and everything from weather, news, sports, to entertainment. I think the GIF fits this time period because it is not just a static image; it does not stay still. It moves, which in this time, still remains something which attracts people’s attention.

           Since the 1800s, we have enjoyed the idea of moving images. At that time, we had devices like the phenakistoscopes which revolved images thus creating the illusion of motion. Since then, we have had the introduction of motion pictures complete with sounds that help us explore places we may never see. But the idea of the image is still held in high esteem. Video is great, but it sometimes does not accommodate to the fast paced, low attention spans of social media users. Today’s media has gotten us accustomed to sound bites in small bits of information, thus the fastest method of disbursing information is useful to inform modern viewers. Whether it is apart of a video clip with subtitles or an artistic expression, GIFs fit into today’s fast paced atmosphere.

           Like the phenakistoscopes before them, GIFs can take a static image and show motion. This gives artists more avenues in which to explore the idea of the image. GIFs also take the previous concept of “Found Art” (where previously made objects are reinterpreted as art) and establish it in the modern digital realm.  Digital Found artists can take ordinary premade images, and reinterpret them into a Graphics Interchange Format (or GIF). Like regular art, GIFs can be used to entertain, inform, or make people question aspects of the world around them. These animated images can be political or they could be used to show and entertaining scene from a television program or movie. They can be abstract and merely appreciated for artistic aesthetic purposes.

           For me, the GIF represents a new method in which to express myself artistically. It gives me a new way to show art work in a fun and interesting fashion. Images of pop ups or other paper engineering can be animated so it gives the viewer the ability to see what it is supposed to do. I could also create new pieces from older art work by reformatting them as GIFs.

When shared with others, these GIFs can express feelings and emotions in a social way. The concept of the image can cross boundaries that words cannot; as they say, an image is worth a thousand words. So a motion image is probably worth a lot more and thus this format is fascinating new digital approach to art.