Erin Cross: capstone

Abstract

The artist's statement: I have been studying online communities that focus on the sharing art. There are many unwritten rules about what type of art to make, who appreciates it, as well as the main ideas behind the work. To really gain further understanding I am participating in an online community that creates imaginary creatures, shares those creations with other artists, and auctions the creatures off to other participants within the community. Not content with merely sharing drawings, the group members create entire worlds and species that they then make elaborate works of art for. My study and participation in this niche community has broadened my technical drawing skills as well as given me a study of the differences between high art and low art. After talking to and learning from other successful artists within this group I made my own species and a world for them. The different species that form the core of this community are called "adoptables" because they are primarily auctioned off to other artists and participants as adoptable pets. The artists that auction their works can be paid in cash using PayPal and those that buy the works gain a beautiful piece of art and are able to participate in the world that the artist created for their species. This type of group focuses on a particular genre of art that interests me and I plan on continuing my involvement well into the future.