Review by Richard Smirke for the Metro newspaper, Monday November 20 2006.
www.metro.co.uk
Liverpool Biennial 2006:
Digital Art Show (3 stars out of 5)
Although a permanent archive will remain online, for the final week of the Liverpool Biennial, the Walker Art Gallery is providing the opportunity for anybody without computer access to peruse the first exhibition of International Digital Art, located at the digitalshow.co.uk website.
Containing 200 images and created by the people behind artinliverpool.com, it’s a worthwhile endeavour. For those who prefer the idea of viewing art works from the comfort of their own home, however, the digitalshow website remains the choice location for couch potatoes.
Among the highlights are Dawn Hannah‘s striking images of headless animals (pictured), Leong Wan Kok‘s stunning comic art and Osvaldo Gonzalez’s painterly depictions of surreal fantasy worlds. The overall theme of the exhibition is fun and it’s apparent in virtually every submission.
Andy Council‘s Beer Monster – a genius mesh of drink cans, bottles and kegs – is just one of many illustrations that bring a smile to your face.
Unfortunately, not all of the works create such an impact. Some simply look like nondescript screensavers and it’s hard to imagine anyone having the energy to scroll through all 200. Five minutes browsing can, nonetheless, reveal an abundance of riches, with the facility to rate
and comment on each work a nice 21st-century touch.
Richard Smirke
Until Sun, Walker Art Gallery, William Brown Street, Liverpool,
Mon to Sun, 10am to 5pm, free
Tel: 0151 478 4199