Digital art gives glimpse of new artists' world

Using computers: mandatory. Creating art: excellent.
By ASHLEE OWENS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- As technology evolves, art evolves.
"Art has never been separated from the technology of the era," said Dr. Andrew Bac, art professor at Youngstown State University. "There will always be brave souls who will use whatever they can get for their artistic expression."
That places us smack-dab in the era of digital art, which is created or modified using a computer. And it's available at a museum near you. YSU's fourth annual digital art competition is on view through Dec. 3 at the Beecher Center for Art & amp; Technology, at the Butler Institute of American Art.
The exhibition showcases the winners' art and that of 20 additional artists from all over the United States.
The judging
The prerequisite for the competition is use of computer technology. But the judging is based on the art. "The most important part is the content -- the artistic expression and the messages, so it's not necessarily a technology show," said Bac.
Does Bac, one of three judges of the competition, have a favorite piece?
He chuckled. "I like all of them a lot," he said. Digital photography, for example, may feature one element "compositing" itself in separate images. "It makes you think, 'Exactly what is the artist trying to say?'" Bac said. "Those kind of works really excite me."
In other cases, the subject matter is placed in an environment that has no seeming connection to it. A piece from last year's competition, titled "Conversations With Dad on Rosh Hoshana 4," features a blurred image in grays and tans.
Interpretation
Is it a cloaked figure? A memory? A dream? The foggy beginnings of understanding?
The viewer decides.
Digital art allows artists a dimension of expression that wasn't available through traditional technology.
"It's sort of a puzzle and you create your own story," said Bac. "And everyone has their own lifestyles and life experiences, and the art tells different stories to different people."