Saturday, February 21, 2009

Alice In Internetland




The year is 1993. The telecommunications avant-garde was buzzing about something that had just been invented called the "World Wide Web." But most of the users were still poking away at black or white screens with green or black letters flickering across them. You heard that real soon now, Internet users would be able to find any piece of information they wanted by using advanced programs like "Archie" and its inevitable companion, "Veronica." Archives, databases, whole libraries would be available online. And all you needed was an Internet address. 

My Internet address when I made this picture was hmgs@access.digex.net. AOL, "America Online," was still a prestigious address. "DotCom" didn't exist yet, though it would within moments. In this illustration, made for an Internet magazine, "Alice" stands in front of the vast screen of promise, ready to enter Internetland. Fifteen years later, here I am looking back out at Alice, in a transformed world. 

"Alice" is made with watercolor on illustration board, with collage elements from my first color inkjet printer, 8.5" x 11", June 1993.

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