The E-CELL
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As the internet continues to redefine social interaction, so does it influence the arts. Gone are the days of prepping and mailing original works for print. Now it is as simple as a scan and file transfer... much more cost effective, much more time convenient... and yet...
Even sculptures now get created on a computer and sent electronically to digital 3D printers... amazing... and yet...
What happens to art forms that by design are rooted in the old "obsolete" methodology?
There is something to be said for traditionally created artwork. There is joy in feeling the sable glide across bristle board in a perfectly expressed ink line. Wacom can not replace that... and seeing the form and "releasing" it from the "clay"... priceless...
Still, the technological progression of the world causes some things to be lost... and some things gained. "Art" found in the process of creating a thing is rediscovered when the process changes... If the mind adapts.
My adaptation is the E-CELL.
Working as an artist and writer in the comic industry for several years gave me a certain "attitude" toward visual storytelling. The compositional economy developed while confining the visual rhythm to panels on pages is a very specific discipline becoming a strength. Because of this, comic books as a practical storytelling art form have deeply influenced and impacted all visual media.
And then the web happened.
Slowly but inexorably comic sales have decreased, crushed by the availability of compelling, immediate, and free content on-line. Comics have been left floundering as attempts to cut and paste the pages into a comic-mimicking format have made for a less than fulfilling web experience.The specific dimensions of a comic page are inapplicable to monitors, and the turning of the page... a storytelling obstacle made to serve a pacing purpose... now obsolete. Even the process of writing within the current template structure, no longer required. Not Comic books but Comic Art needs to adapt to the ergonomics of the new technology... hence, the E-CELL.
The E-CELL takes full advantage of the basic design elements of a comic book yet tells its stories in a more organic modus, scene by scene. Its structure allows for a deeper and more sophisticated exposition of a sequential than is allowed for within the limited constraints of a comic book page.
This E-CELL format has invigorated my artistic spirit and inspired me to reach further into my storytelling potential. I hope that the viewing audience enjoys the experience as much as I am enjoying the process.
Grey
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