Do you remember the time when GIF images were popular on the web? It used to annoy web designers due to its notoriety. However, there’s a huge potential to it!!!
During work, I found this wonderful GIF competition!!!
GIF IT UP 2016
GIF it up is an international competition organized by the Digital Public Library of America. Competitors create GIF animations using public domain images. All of the works from competition are distributed under Creative Commons license so you can use the work and remix with as long as you credit.
I love the concept. Those dry and dead archive images (even though I do love some of the archive images) turn into a very lively, comical, animated GIFs!! It is appropriation – it is adapting and changing the original meaning of the work.
One of my favourite GIF is this one:
The original archive image is from the famous painting – The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo.
It is a depiction of painting where the God try to give life to Adam. I love how Tobias interpret the painting in a modern way- which is the loading circle!! It is humorous, but at the same time the appropriation is more relatable to modern society. That old painting where only art historians understand turns into something that is more relatable and easier to consume. That old archive image, which probably you have only seen it at school or work, becomes an animation that you will share it out on your blogs or with friends.
Great innovation.
