Artist Research

Stefanie Posavec and Giorgia Lupi:

One of the first artistic creations I heard about whilst researching for Displays of Data was the Dear Data project by Posavec and Lupi. The project itself was an analog undertaking by the artists who recorded weekly statistics of their lives before mailing it to their counterpart on the other side of the Atlantic. The statistics and information were displayed in a purely visual form that required detailed keys explaining how to read the data.

What I personally found interesting about said project is not only the consistency - as both had to constantly be recording their surroundings - but also the display of creativity through the various ways Posavec and Lupi display information.

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Screenshots fo cards annd their meanings found on Giorgia Lupi's website

As seen there is a grand diversity of visuals on the postcard with each drawn element representing a precise data point. This is something I would like to incorporate myself by taking advantage of the use of shapes and other abstract elements to convey specific points. It allows the overall visual to have two levels: the surface aestheticism and the data. What this means is that essentially the drawing itself can be considered a work of art ( the originals of Dear Data can now be found in the permanent MoMA collection ) thus it can be felt and understood in many ways by the audience, stirring a range of emotions. However, the detailed key at the back is what causes this project to be so unique as it gives a whole new meaning to the visual. Since it can be interpreted there is a given incite on the artists life and what they meant to show. For the viewer this shifts how they initially perceived the work and allows a more human understanding/connection with it. As Lupi described:

We prefer to approach data in a slower, more analogue way. We’ve always conceived Dear Data as a “personal documentary” rather than a quantified-self project which is a subtle – but important – distinction. Instead of using data just to become more efficient, we argue we can use data to become more human and to connect with ourselves and others at a deeper level.

Personally I would also like to do this, give a human perception of something otherwise mundane or unimportant. I do not know how I will approach it yet but essentially it is the main drive behind my current data investigation.

Post card sending between Brooklyn and London from both artists.

Bibliography:

Lupi, Giorgia. “Dear Data, the Project.” Giorgialupi, http://giorgialupi.com/dear-data.

“The Project.” Dear Data, http://www.dear-data.com/theproject.

RESEARCH - Displays of Data

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