| Ugly and Stupid
Why does so much hypertext art just plain suck? It's boring, it's ugly, it's impoverished.
I was so hoping that the HyperMacbeth would be different. I read about it in a Wired article, where the artist said that he hoped to provide a performance-like experience, in that the same text in the theatre is different each night, each production.
Not such a bad ambition. As a person who's taken her own liberties with the Bard, I have no objections in principle. If ever there was material meaningfully in the public domain, Shakespeare is it.
I didn't spend much time with this effort. I found it boring, and I have to say that I think when you mess with masterful material you'd better have something pretty interesting to say, something strikingly beautiful to offer. Otherwise you're just coasting on cultural gems, and your misuse of it is bound to look pathetic. Sadly, in this case, the result is a tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing.
If you disagree with my assessment, I'd be delighted to hear why. Please comment below.
11:39:27 PM  |
Write to me!
