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Corel Corp. recently hosted its annual Gala, the graphic equivalent of the Academy Awards. At this event, Corel hosts various receptions and public demonstrations of new technology, and it debuts the new version of DRAW. The two days are capped by a black-tie affair in which all of the monthly contest winners are voted on, eight finalists are chosen, and ultimately, one piece designated as Best of Show. This year marks the first year, in my six-year tenure as an annual judge, in which the piece that I voted for actually won Best of Show. (I was not present last year, when John Corkery's replication of film star Hedy Lamarr won; I surely would have voted for it, too.) Normally, I vote for pieces that look like fine pieces of art, not necessarily computer-generated art. Normally, the pieces that win might be beautiful, but first, they must be impressive examples of high-technology graphics. Normally, the pieces I vote for don't win.
This year, Jans Joachim Kardinal's life-like and elaborate rendition of a village in Berlin, Germany covered all the bases, and it richly deserved Best of Show. I was relieved, because this year, there seemed to be more surreal and futuristic images (that could only be created on the computer) than in any previous year.
For instance, one of the pieces in the category entitled People, Plants, and Animals was a stunning close-up of a woman's face, with close-cropped hair and chiseled features. Her left cheek bone glistens in reflected light and her right jowl is perfectly contoured. It is a wonderful rendition.
And in the background are a pair of eyes. Two large eyes staring at the back of her head. Why are they there? What does it mean? How does it contribute? Answers: They are there because it was possible, they mean to impress us, and they contribute absolutely nothing. I didn't vote for this piece to make the final cut, on the basis of this, and in fact, it didn't. If there were a more realistic background, or even no background at all, I might have. |
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