The one million masterpiece

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article does not cite any references or sources. (May 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
The neutrality of this article is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.(December 2007)
Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.
The One Million Masterpiece. A snapshot of the entire artwork on the day of the project launch on July 14, 2006.
The One Million Masterpiece. A snapshot of the entire artwork on the day of the project launch on July 14, 2006.
The One Million Masterpiece. A snapshot of the entire artwork on March 12, 2007).
The One Million Masterpiece. A snapshot of the entire artwork on March 12, 2007).
"Color Reminds" A snapshot of an individual square from the OMM on May 8, 2007). Two space monkeys can be seen in the upper third of this image.
"Color Reminds" A snapshot of an individual square from the OMM on May 8, 2007). Two space monkeys can be seen in the upper third of this image.
"I'm Always Changing For You." A snapshot of an individual square from the OMM on May 10, 2007). There are literally layers of hidden depth below the surface of this picture.
"I'm Always Changing For You." A snapshot of an individual square from the OMM on May 10, 2007). There are literally layers of hidden depth below the surface of this picture.

The One Million Masterpiece (abbreviated OMM) is the largest artistic collaboration ever attempted. It is an ongoing project to produce a true piece of global artwork. As of October 16, 2007, 26,582 artists from 174 countries have participated, with $19,348.57 raised for charities worldwide.[citation needed]

The original project website was launched on July 14, 2006 by London based artist Paul Fisher and technical developer Eamonn Ramsay. The site uses an Adobe Flash drawing tool to enable members to contribute images drawn on screen using a mouse or digipad, and an AJAX viewer which displays the whole artwork mosaic.

The website has developed and further social networking elements have been added. Artists can rate one another's contributions, communicate via messages and maintain a profile page.

Contents

[edit] Participation

Participation is free to anyone with access to the internet. Participants are each given a square where they can use a built-in drawing tool to create an image. (These individual images combined are what will make up the final project as a giant mosaic.) The project is open to, and intended for, all willing participants. One need not be artistically trained, in order to participate.

Celebrity Involvement

Celebrity contributors include Peaches Geldof, electric violinist Linzi Stoppard, playwright Tom Stoppard, doctor and health commentator Miriam Stoppard, Frankie Goes to Hollywood frontman and artist Holly Johnson, cult commedy icon Karl Pilkington, businessman and socialite Sebastien Sainsbury and Supremes band member Susaye Greene.

[edit] Aims

Artistic and Charitable

The One Million Masterpiece aims to produce a piece of public artwork that will provide a snapshot of global society. It is intended that the final artwork be completed for unveiling on World Population Day 2008 and hopes to raise over $1 million for the projects charity partners Save the Children, Oxfam, ActionAid and World Cancer Research Fund.[citation needed]

World Record

The artwork also officially qualifies as a new world record. The previous official record for the most artists completing a single picture was held by the painting A Little Dab of Texas, designed by Jim Campbell of Brenham, Texas, USA. The picture was painted by 25,297 people and was completed in 3 years, 7 months on June 14, 1998.

[edit] Recurring Elements Within Image (Space Monkeys)

As the project is still underway, it is largely wondered whether the final image will have a thematic unity or if it will be a chaotic series of unrelated images. Many recurring elements can be found throughout the work. The most notable of these recurring elements are what have been dubbed "space monkeys." Space monkeys are small circular faces, typically cartoonish in nature and rudimentary in style. They are believed to have originated within Laura Dixon's picture -- but they soon began to appear in pictures throughout the project.

Other common recurring elements include: views of the earth from space, eyes, hearts, and flowers.

[edit] Video Replay of Drawing Process

The OMM site's adobe drawing tool includes a feature that enables a video replay of the drawing process for each picture. This feature has led several participants to not only create digital paintings, but also digital videos. Angeli Arndt uses this feature in her artwork entitled "I'm Always Changing For You," to show a human face changing over time. This video functionality adds a dimension to the project that is not noticeable when simply viewing still images of the project.

[edit] Exhibition

When completed The One Million Masterpiece will measure 80 metres in width and 31 meters in height and each individual contribution will be a 5cm by 5cm square. It is proposed that the final piece will be printed and unveiled in Central London on World Population Day 2008.[citation needed]

[edit] Controversy

There has been controversy within the OMM community regarding content of individual artworks. Some participants have complained that certain artworks are pornographic and/or obscene.[citation needed] Occasionally, a participant will demand that the artwork of another participant be deleted.

[edit] External links

[edit] Sources