Website Artwork
For frequent visitors to the Hypertext 2007 Website, it may have been noticed that while the colour scheme of the Website has remained constant, the banner artwork changed in the run up to the start of the conference. Here the designer, Darren Lunn, briefly explains the motivation for this change.
Pre-Conference Artwork
When I was originally asked to design the Hypertext 2007 Website, I sought as my inspiration the works of L. S. Lowry, a Manchester based artist who painted urban landscapes populated with "match-stick" human figures depicting life in an industrialised city. After all, Hypertext 2007 is being held in Manchester and it seemed appropriate to have a theme that reflected its industrial heritage. However, while Lowry accurately represented the host city of the conference, he didn't capture the essence of hypertext, which for me is the browsing of information linked together by nothing more than the thoughts and associations of the author. The real beauty of hypertext is not only the exploration and acquisition of knowledge, but also the joy and surprise of discovering the new; found through following a link to an unfamiliar piece of information that you had never before associated with the piece of information you are currently looking at.
In many ways this mirrors real life. How often have colleagues made associations between two concepts that initially seem bizarre but after some thought seem perfectly logical? Or how many times have friends suggested places to visit that you have never before considered but then upon going, wonder why you have never been before? It was one of these seemingly strange associations that led me to taking the photograph that was the basis for the picture that sits at the top of every page on this Website.
A friend was visiting from Sweden and so we did all the tourist stuff. We walked around the city, poked around the Roman Ruins in Castlefield and then spent the afternoon sat in a pub. As we were sat there, my Swedish companion made an association between UK fashions and winter, which I had never before considered. This link led us on a trip to a popular department store, which by coincidence was hosting a free food & drink sampling session. And, it was whilst tasting our fragments of Goat's Cheese and New Zealand Chardonnay that we looked out of the window and saw the vista that sits above this page.
In a similar fashion that following links and trails of thoughts in hyperspace brings us the thrill of stumbling upon new and mysterious views of knowledge, so too following the links and trails of a visiting friend brought an unexpected view of Manchester.
Conference Artwork
As the conference approached, it became apparent that the topics of the papers submitted and the delegates registered to attend was incredibly diverse. People were attending and submitting papers from over thirty countries across four continents. We therefore decided to change the banner to reflect this new reality. Hypertext as a conference brought together people from humanities, science, literature and philosophy, all with a common interest in Hypertext.
The new banner was originally developed by Matthew Wilson and adapted by myself. It's a collage of Manchester landmarks merged seamlessly to create one unified landscape. The buildings used in the piece range from classical Victorian Neo-gothic architecture to modern glass and steel towers, all of which fit together to create a Manchester skyline. Similarly, Hypertext brings together a collage of artists and scientists to create a single, unique conference of Hypertext and Hypermedia.