Cultural Institute Paintings
Google’s Cultural Institute project was launched in 2011. Backpack ‘streetview’ cameras were used to document arts institutions allowing people to experience a ‘virtual tour’ online from anywhere in the world. The project’s algorithms and masking software made profound changes to many, often iconic artworks: blurring some out completely, warping the shape and proportions of paintings, including reflections on glazed paintings and superimposing streetview directional arrows. Without knowing what these artworks are ‘supposed’ to look like users of the software might assume that these modifications were present on the original artworks. These modified works would then become their ‘original’. These culturally institutionalised online versions form the source for this physical ‘offline’ body of work produced in oil on canvas.
Google’s Cultural Institute project was launched in 2011. Backpack ‘streetview’ cameras were used to document arts institutions allowing people to experience a ‘virtual tour’ online from anywhere in the world. The project’s algorithms and masking software made profound changes to many, often iconic artworks: blurring some out completely, warping the shape and proportions of paintings, including reflections on glazed paintings and superimposing streetview directional arrows. Without knowing what these artworks are ‘supposed’ to look like users of the software might assume that these modifications were present on the original artworks. These modified works would then become their ‘original’. These culturally institutionalised online versions form the source for this physical ‘offline’ body of work produced in oil on canvas.
Source image: Les Demoiselles d'Avignon
Pablo Picasso
Institution: MOMA New York
Pablo Picasso
Institution: MOMA New York
Physical painting: New Demoiselles
Oil on canvas, 2016
120.65 x 120.65 cm
120.65 x 120.65 cm
Source image: Orange Car Crash, (5 Deaths 11 Times in Orange)
Andy Warhol
Institution: Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea
Andy Warhol
Institution: Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea
Physical painting: New Orange Car Crash (5 Deaths 11 Times in Orange)
Oil on canvas, 2016
118.11 x 102.87 cm
Oil on canvas, 2016
118.11 x 102.87 cm
Source image: The Lady of Shalott
John William Waterhouse
Institution: Tate Britain
Source image:
John William Waterhouse
Institution: Tate Britain
Source image:
Physical painting: New Lady of Shalott
Oil on canvas, 2016
120.65 x 76.2 cm
Oil on canvas, 2016
120.65 x 76.2 cm
