North-South-East-West wins 1st Place Digital Art Award Australia, February 2004.
North-South-East-West wins the First Place Major New Media Award at the International Digital Art Awards of Melbourne Australia, February 2004.
International Digital Art Awards, Founded by Steve Danzig
Steve Danzig IDAA & IDA projects History
This project began in New York 1999 where I was researching graphical interface protocol for online networks. During this time, I met Laurence Gartel who had worked at the Experimental Television Centre (E.T.C.) in New York with Nam June Paik researching early video paintbox systems in the mid 1970’s. Gartel and I discussed the idea of digital art and how we could create and merge virtual and physical exhibition environments whilst building an online portal and resource for digital art.
So I set about designing a framework for new connections in the fields of academia, emerging technologies and professional art practice via the World Wide Web officially launching the original project name of International Digital Art Awards (IDAA). We were not the first to exhibit online, however we were the first to set up infrastructure for both virtual and physical exhibitions that were supported by traditional programming frameworks. This saw the foundation of the first lDAA exhibition committee to facilitate in the selecting of work via an online review process. In hindsight the early years were in part about how we engaged new thinking models around technology, digital aesthetics, memetics and cyber-culture over and above any deliberate act of presenting an exhibition of digital art. It was about how anv infrastructure could be set up to coexist and maintain professional standards in display, and documentation whilst providing an avenue for cross cultural exchange in a virtual and physical space. As we were part of a “new” emerging digital time line, it was important that our programming was inclusive of the early digital forms (generative, fractal, paintbox and video). We included early pioneers such as Jean Pierre Herbet, Manfred Mohr, David Em and Laurence Gartel to mention just a few to sit alongside emerging artists. This provided an important platform to open a dialogue about metadata, how it related to mass media and culture as a comparative document to new technologies and the digital aesthetic. It wasn’t until 2005 that we included a full program of new media and time based art. This was partly predicated by the institutions we were working with and what technologies were available. This meant there were significant design concessions to tailor our exhibitions to suit small, medium and large spaces.
New Media winners
1st place: Graham Thompson
/ NORTH-SOUTH-EAST-WEST
<http://medicine-wheel.co>
PRIZE: Macromedia Studio; MX 2004
2nd place: zsd
/ untitled
PRIZE: Macromedia Director; MX 2004
3rd place: Miah Morshed & Soma Ray
/ Gravity
<http://www.projectmiso.com/artwork/gravity.html>
PRIZE: Macromedia Flash; MX 2004
Still Image winners
1st place: Anne Maree Taranto (Australia)
AMT
PRIZE: Minolta A1 digital camera; Canto Software; Best Software; Desktop magazine; IDAA exhibition; Dimi subscription
2nd place: Jiri David
/ ANAN /Blair /Bush /Chirac
PRIZES: Minolta F300 digital camera; Desktop magazine; IDAA exhibition; Dimi subscription
3rd place: Sabrina Raaf
/ Never Alone
PRIZES: Minolta F200 digital camera; Terry’s Toffees (as selected
by Terry); Desktop magazine; IDAA exhibition; Dimi subscription
4th place: Ray Caesar
/ Companion
PRIZES: Desktop magazine; IDAA exhibition; Dimi subscription
5th place: Magdalena Kourti
/ Birth of Wave
PRIZES: ADOBE Creative Suite (Adobe Achievement Award); Desktop magazine; IDAA exhibition; Dimi subscription
6th place: Reinhardt Sobye
/ 1961
PRIZES: Desktop magazine; IDAA exhibition; Dimi subscription
7th place: Leah King-Smith (Australia)
/ Look Up
PRIZES: Desktop magazine; IDAA exhibition; Dimi subscription
8th place: Richard Wazejewski
/ Opus Pocus I, II & III
PRIZES: Desktop magazine; IDAA exhibition; Dimi subscription
9th place: Ian Gwilt (Australia)
/ Storage Space
PRIZES: Desktop magazine; IDAA exhibition; Dimi subscription
10th place: Ricardo Báez-Duarte
/ H
PRIZES: Desktop magazine; IDAA exhibition; Dimi subscription
Juror’s Statements
JOHN ANTIONE LABADIE,
Associate Professor of Art, Director, Digital Academy
University of North Carolina Pembroke
In the three years I have served a a juror for the IDAA the quality of the online submissions has risen steadily each year. Let me qualify this statement: not only has the digital-technical proficiency evidenced by the IDAA entrants observably increased with each iteration of this worldwide exhibition, the originality of the pieces submitted for jurying has also soared to new heights and dimensions. IMHO the 2004 IDAA exhibition represents the very best to be seen in contemporary digital fine arts across a wide range of genre in both still and time-based media. The 2004 IDAA is a “must see” exhibition for all those who seek to understand what happens when talented people choose digital tools to as a primary means to make their art.
LAURANCE GARTEL,
PRINCIPAL JUROR/DIGITAL PIONEER, LAURENCE GARTEL AWARD FOR DIGITAL EXCELLENCE
The winning imagists have translated the digital process into a hyper elevated
medium. The words “ULTRA KOOL” seem to fall of the tip of my tongue. And what
a delicacy it is indeed. It seems that our post 9/11 society has felt so much that
our outer skin is teflon: The images unstoppable. They have felt so much that the
emotional impact these images give off cannot be “penentratable.” The beauty here
is that whether it be an abstract image by Nick Karlovich, to the surrealistic image
of Ray Caesar, these images show perfection. As I wrestled with Sabrina Raaf’s
bathroom pictures looking for “something wrong with her picture” I just couldn’t
find it! All made perfect sense, in a perfect world. The “cherry on the sundae” for
me was Juri David’s portraits. WHY in any other moment of time, would anyone
care about a picture of a president in such disdain? It is a brilliant execution to see
the man we love to hate. “Globalness” and “Americanizing the World” brings back
nightmare’s of George Orwell’s 1984. Ian Gwilt’s image “Pool Elevate” summarizes
the entries of the IDAA and that state of affairs, at least from a public relations
point of view. – “We live in a perfect world.”
While I expected to see artists fighting back with anger and hostility due to our
global economy, instead we see resilience and courage. It is a great surprise and
tribute to all contributors to this years IDAA, stating, that “no body is going down
without a fight.” That artists will continue to make real art through hard political
and economic times. John Vucic-Wolfpup’s apocalyptic ending “Desire is Suffering”
is one of the few works that follows my own world sensibilities to which I would
expect others to share. However Wolfpup’s cool colors, illustrate our defiance.
In summary, this year’s IDAA announces to the world, that the digital genre is
more than thriving, and that the medium can make humane statements above and beyond
all art forms.
I salute all those that have participated in the creative process, the selection, and
for those that gave their spirit in the struggle to be heard.
TOM CHAMBERS,
CO DIRECTOR IDAA NEW MEDIA
TomChambers.com
IDAA PRINT:
“A sweeping view of this year’s IDAA reveals mainly a figurative approach concomitant with photo-based and manipulative expression as a part of the digital medium that rivals the same in other media. Abstraction and Abstract Expressionism are alive and well within various works that also rival these movements in other media. As an overview, the exhibition confirms that the digital medium is indeed “Fine” as it relates to the Arts and in some instances, surpasses other media according to the ability of the creator. In the hands of a “Master” and evidently seen in many of the works as a part of this IDAA, the digital medium is playing a viable and vital role in redefining and/or expanding the artist’s tools for self-expression. As the view is narrowed or focused per work, a great deal of evocation or imaginative re-creation is felt. This is due to the multifaceted nature of the digital medium and how its diverseness is interpreted and utilized. The IDAA 2004 is all of this and possibly more.“
IDAA NEW MEDIA:
“From Joaquin Baron Herranz’s ‘How To Make A Possible Perfect Christmas Tree’ to Graham Thompson’s ‘North-South-East-West’, the New Media section of the IDAA 2004 comprises a good range of movement/sequential-art, which sometimes require participation to move the meaning along. Videos via QuickTime, Flash and series of Web pages project the artists’ concepts at a level of expression that equate with installation/experimental art in real space. The New Media entries this year go beyond mere technical wizardry to move towards a level of evocation that can be called Fine Art.”
VICKI McCONVILLE,
Visual Artist, Board of Directors, NAVA (National Association for the Visual Arts) Australia
As an Artist and as a Juror, it has been inspirational to see the development of the International Digital Art Award over the past three years. The quality and depth of the work submitted, not to mention the volume of work submitted, has increased immeasurably.
The 2004 IDAA indicates a shift in style and direction and I am pleased to see the exceptional work being produced in both contemporary digital printmaking as well as the inclusion of new media works. Congratulations to
all of our exhibitors in the 2004 IDAA.
WAYNE J COSSHALL,
Assistant Director IDAA/CO-Director New Media, Editor,Writer, Co-Founder Digital Art Association Australia
The 2004 IDAA represents a significant stage in the IDAA’s development. Firstly, the incorporation of a good body of work in the IDAA New Media section nicely compliments and contrasts with the IDAA Still Image section. Since contemporary digital art practice covers both areas, it not only makes the IDAA a more representational living documentation of the state of digital art practice in 2004, but also allows viewers to make their own, interesting connections between the two. The IDAA Still Image section raises the quality bar yet again and is the strongest IDAA yet from a fine art perspective. It heartens me that, yet again, all areas of digital still image art practice are represented and you will find examples of the best digital art in each category and style. It shows that no one area of digital practice, such as 3D, has become the dominant voice of digital still image. This diversity of approach is the strength of digital art practice and provides a rich ground for cross-fertilization and the continuing development of digital art. My thanks to everyone who entered and my congratulations to everyone accepted to the list of finalists. You can rightly feel that your work has been judged against some of the best digital art internationally, and been found comparable.
Wayne J. Cosshall, Assistant Director, IDAA
SHERRY PAINTS 