The Betweeners

This large-format photo-portrait work is informed by the relatively new field of network theory. While the 20th century could be characterized by the use of the bell curve and the notion of the middle-class, the early 21st century seems to be characterized by power laws the tendency for connected systems to exhibit the rich get-richer phenomenon and the long tail, which gets longer and longer.

By analysing Montreals MySpace network, the artist intends to identify a group of people who constitute, in the artists words,a small group of highly-connected but obscure Montrealers [] the independent friends of popular people [] an elite who, taken cumulatively, have a close communication link with the entire city. Instead of highlighting the most visible people, the artist is seeking out catalytic individuals with the strong viral potential.

Ian Wojtowicz is a cultural hacker based in Cambridge, Massachussetts. He has worked for the CBC, contributing to Gemini, Emmy and Webby award nominations, he holds a patent in mobile software, and was the editor of one of the first online cultural magazines. Ian has exhibited his work in Paris, Vancouver, New York, Hong Kong, Chicago, Istanbul and Cyprus and is currently a graduate student at MITs Program in Art, Culture and Technology, under the tutelage of Krzysztof Wodiczko.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• photography
• socialnetworking
• networks
• animation
• art
• portraiture
• montreal
• newmedia