Manovich’s understanding of the internet and all it’s infinite (pun intended) possibilities really excited me going into this week’s artefact experiment. The idea of infinity comes back to anything on the web never truly having a finished state, as websites and content can always be uploaded and updated, resulting in ‘a collection, not a story’ (Manovich 2001, pg 221). I also really appreciated thinking about infinite list content as something that can be isolated and still have meaning. Granted, it would be different to that of the work in its collective state, but this idea of each fragment standing tall on its own, with viewers constructing their own narrative based on the works they find in the database (Manovich 2001, pg 237) a super fascinating prospect.

Thinking – an Infinite List by Meg Dolphin and James Heywood

Meg and I decided to use Tumblr as the format for our infinite list experiment because we both appreciate the variety and freedom the platform allowed for in the form of mediums. This meant we could use sound, gif, text, image and video to create our work, which allowed for a varied piece.  We experimented with this idea of daydreaming, which was helpfully suggested by Hannah, allowing us to explore the ideas of place and the theme of blue that we originally thought out to explore. I also took on Chelsea’s advice from my explosive list experiment, and whipped out the tripod, as all my filming was done at home, which allowed me to greater explore stillness and subtle movements within my frames.

I think we did a good job at creating an artefact that when compiled together, serve a greater purpose, whilst still presenting an idea when isolated, like what Manovich speaks about. We then added tags to each post to further the expansiveness, allowing you to delve into all the other posts that are tagged the same way, creating this sense of infinity that bolstered my original idea and understanding of web-based content and storytelling having no pre-determined end. A truly infinite list of things.

Reflection References

Manovich, L., 2001. ‘The Database’ in The Language of New Media. The MIT Press, Cambridge. pp. 218-243.