I chose to explore Inventing Abstraction which was created my the Museum of Moderna Art (MoMA). This exhibition compiles key artists and their artwork from the early years of abstraction (1910-1925) to commemorate the emergence of abstract art by tracing it’s development as both a historical and artistic practice.
Who or what are the nodes and what are the edges? The nodes are artists that had their artwork shown in the Museum of Modern Art. The vectors connecting the artists represent a documented relationship between the artists in the early 20th century that promoted the growth of abstraction. This project shows how closely intertwined the artists were when they had previously thought not to be.
How are the relationships characterized and categorized? In this network graph, relationships were based on the artist’s acquaintance to one another. There was no further elaboration as to how they were characterized or categorized besides the fact that the artist’s work was being shown in the museum. I wonder how MoMA determined that the artists had a meaningful enough relationship to be put on the network graph. Was the criteria based on if they had worked together to create art or if they only shared ideas about abstractionism or something else?
What interactions does the project allow? The network analysis allows for much interaction with the viewer. When you click on the nodes, information about the artist is displayed such as their works, birthplace, places worked, and interests. The nodes in red are more prominent artists that have the most connections within this group. Their information page also includes a brief biography about their artistic career and their contribution to abstraction.
How does this impact their effectiveness and/or your engagement? By being able to readily access more information about the artists, it helps get a better sense of the work they did. This is especially true for smaller artists who were less well known but nevertheless contributed to the evolution of the artistic movement. Viewer engagement is also increased since the network diagram is very interactive while also being simple to navigate. In my opinion this network graph is very well done!
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Even though the edges and nodes look like tangled cobwebs, the network illustrates extensive connections between the artists in the early 1900s. It’s interesting how the map has a more 3D feel when you click or drag the network around. It seems like the artists are connected based on similar interests and their workplaces. I also wonder how the project weighted the nodes.