I was curious to check out the Art lies publication after Carrie explained that it was geared towards a hipper audience. Art Lies’ website is minimal but in a casual and rather plain way. The site’s overall aesthetic can be interpreted as understated and hip although it mostly comes across as generic high school yearbook template. The site’s homepage frames the center with a column on the left side that provides links to subscriptions and other beauracratic information and logos. The focus rests in the middle of the page and is divided into Features and Reviews. The Features are unnecessarily lengthy and wordy, marking a stark contrast between the site’s straightforward look and its overly complicated writing. Art Lies’ art jargon makes one feel as the Uninformed Reader, which in fact is one of the Features’ titles, alongside Smart Art, Knowing Stupidity and How to Engage the Reader. Overall, I feel that the site tries too hard to replicate the printed magazine and ignores the accessibility of its online format. Interestingly, I missed getting lost in the links and pictures.
Although we agreed in class that Artforum.com could very well be a sort of social website, I have to admit, the site presents itself for what it is- a more interesting online version of itself. The layout is clean and smart while loaded with a variety of sub sections, national and international previews, news and reviews. The Artforum logo sits on the top right corner and changes colors as do the alternating logos beneath it. Amidst all of headings and copy, the layout is cohesive and attractive and quick reads such as Scene and Herd and 500 Words are in my opinion, catchy and internet friendly. I’d much rather browse through those than sit and struggle reading a much too long feature on Art Lies.org off my computer screen. Even though some of Artforum.com's content is superfluous, the company successfully differentiates their way of communicating through an online format versus a printed publication in a way that Art Lies does not.
No comments:
Post a Comment