| contact name | Brian Knep |
| artists' names | Brian Knep |
| artists' locations | Boston, MA USA |
| art name | Big Smile |
| art media | Computer, Video Projector, Video Camera, Custom Software |
| art dimensions | 4x4x4feet |
| art date | 2003 |
| art description | Big Smile is a large, archetypal smiley face. It blinks,
looks around at viewers, and smiles only when no one is looking
directly at it. Viewers get a glimpse of the smile as they look away,
but when they look back the face no longer smiles. The piece is
mounted on a window and interacts only with visitors directly in front
of it.
The piece is large (about four feet in diameter) and placed high on a window
so as to be somewhat imposing. Like a scary clown, Big Smile can be both
comforting and disturbing. The image is immediately recognizable and evokes
happy memories, yet its size and position in the window are out of
proportion--it's too big and too high--and its behavior is certainly
unfriendly. As much as viewers are looking at the piece, the piece is
looking at them, and by smiling only when no one is looking, the piece seems
disdainful of the viewers' participation. It asks, "Why are you looking at
me," when of course without viewers the piece wouldn't exist.
Big Smile is an exploration of interactive art--art that changes in response
to visitors and that often doesn't exist without viewer participation. The
piece reverses the common sense of "viewers" looking at works in a gallery,
and brings up issues of gaze and active participation. There are two ways to
view this piece. In front of the piece, viewers interact directly with the
smiley face. Off to the side, viewers watch this dance between the computer
and the person or people directly in front. |
| art proposal | Big Smile is a large, archetypal smiley face. It blinks, looks around at viewers,
and smiles only when no one is looking directly at it. Viewers get a glimpse
of the smile as they look away, but when they look back the face no longer
smiles. The piece is mounted on a window and interacts only with visitors
directly in front of it.
The piece is large (about three feet in diameter) and set up high on the
window so as to be somewhat imposing. Like a scary-looking clown, Big
Smile can be both comforting and discomforting. The image is immediately
recognizable and usually associated with friendliness and happiness, yet its
size and position in the window are out of proportionits too big and too
highand its behavior is definitely unfriendly. As much as viewers are
looking at the piece, the piece is looking at them, and by smiling only when
no one is looking, the piece is disdainful of the viewer's participation. It asks,
"Why are you looking at me," when of course, without viewers the piece
wouldn't exist.
Big Smile is an exploration of interactive artart that changes in response to
visitors and that often doesnt exist without viewer participation. The piece
reverses the common sense of viewers looking at works in a gallery, and
brings up issues of gaze and active participation.
There are two ways to view this piece. In front of the piece, viewers interact
directly with the smiley face. Off to the side, viewers watch this dance
between the computer and the person or people directly in front. |
| art placard | This face smiles only when no one is looking directly at
it. By doing so, it shows its discomfort with being the center of
attention and even its disdain with the audience. It asks, ``Why are
you looking at me,'' when of course without viewers the art piece
wouldn't exist. |