The Anti-Sublime Ideal in Data Art

Visualization and Data Art. What happens when there are more than one form of plane to interact on? In the article, “With computers we can visualize much larger data sets; to create visualizations which are dynamic (i.e. animated and interactive); to feed in real-time data.”. There are many instances of how this development in technology has led to a new scientific visualization. One of which, is the movement across visual data fields. Programs, such as Adobe, create an environment where the user is granted access to produce 3-dimensional art or visual representations of data. These representations which formally used to be done by charts or graphs, are now done through data art. Why is the additional dimension important? Because, it is fun. Entertainment is such a key component to advances in technology. Why is it key? When the first telephone call occurred, the excitement, thrill and wonder swept over the people involved. The same can be said for data art. It is an entertaining sort of mapping. It gives a three dimensional map in real time. According to Manovich “It is possible to think of all representational art as a kind of mapping: taking the wealth of the experiences of an individual and/or a community and reducing it to a single image, a narrative, or another artistic structure.” (Manovich). All in all, it provides a sense of entertaining data production. It gives the user a sense of freedom to explore a new environment. There is nothing more rewarding, than a sense of excitement, adventure and new frontiers; even when it comes to data configuration.

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