Chapter One Response

Through out the digital revolution, digital art has evolved into major changes since first established. German artist Jochem Hendricks opened the door into a new perspective of digital art and technologies. Hendricks creates his artwork only by the use of his eye and the movement around objects. By using a special helmet equipped with Infrared sensors Hendricks is able to digitalize the recording of eye movements. The recordings are evaluated in the computer coordinating points on the x and y-axis. The finished result looks like physical ink drawings varying in line measure and direction.

The recordings

Hendricks process of using digital technology literally records the perspective of the eye as a piece of artwork. When looking at the artwork the Eye 2001 the piece as a whole reveals a pattern of eye movement across the page. The line movement shifts from right to left from top to bottom and shifts across of other locations as the eye focuses on something else. Hendricks has given the concept of creating art not by the use of hands by the use of drawing with your eyes. The idea of the vision of the artist seen on paper is one concept that truly is captured only by the technological advancement of the computer and other digital technologies. I think that Hendricks use of the computer is essential for this type of project without technology to evaluate the data eye movement could not be recorded.

I feel that Hendricks artwork is compelling in nature for the fact that we do not think about the movement of the eye as something we can physically see. Putting eye movement on paper is interesting to look at and perceives a relationship between pattern and movement. The form of Hendricks work is abstract but each line has as a purpose, a path the eye took looking at different objects reveals a further meaning into the artwork alone. I feel that Hendricks could plunge deeper into a concept of recording the relationship between eye movement and emotion. Does a person who is sad have a different measure in line than a person who is happy or excited? Is there a correlation between emotion and eye movement patterns?