Expression of Place in a Virtual Space

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I have been an enthusiastic regular of DeviantArt.com since high school. I found by replacing the mainstreamed newsfeeds of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube with deeper perspectives on how people reflect on their own worlds, a therapeutic retreat for an old man like myself.

Just by perusing the main page as a general viewer one can discern the array of personal placement within the multitude of genres of art found. Identity is easily defined within DeviantArt directly by the art itself as well as indirectly via the blog posts and commenting scheme.

On the many of the globalised multinationals like Facebook and YouTube, there is a distinct rift in positive interaction between identities; bullying, discrimination and general ill respect for anyone other than the close circle of friends vandalises the harmony of the virtual public realities. On that note however, in all my years of scrolling through the Deviant’s Deviations, every comment I have come across is always encouraging to the Deviant artists and followers. This I find is highly commendable.

On a broader note, the sense of identity within space reflects Paul Tillich’s trips to Berlin, the big city, as it is referred. There is a feeling of openness and the infinite impressions within the Deviations, metaphorically like Tillich’s perception of his childhood trips to the Baltic Sea (Tuan, 1979, p. 3-4).

There is constant change with the arrays of colours and impressions set. Much like the Mandelbrot fractals (Kullberg, 2010), there are patterns everywhere you look, some similar and some not so much; all leaving the intent to perceive a new perspective by a humble position.

There is no restriction on the plethora of genres the Deviant’s may express themselves with (Van Luyn, 2015); and meeting financial approval by random strangers inspires to strengthen the sense of place, identity and belonging within the virtual space on DeviantArt. I have enjoyed the public platform for artists on many occasions and it always harmonises my sense of place when I feel lost.

I am off!

Yours,

Spiritual Joke

Tuan, Y (1979). Space and Place The Perspective of Experience (2^nd ed.). London, Great Britain: Edward Arnold

Van Luyn, A. (2015). BA1002: Space: Networks, Narratives, and the Making of Place, week 3 notes [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from                  

                  https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-1892276-dt-content-rid-2691285_1/courses/15-

BA1002-TSV-INTSP2/BA1002%20week%203%20lecture%202015_for%20LearnJCU%20notes.pdf

Images

Kullberg, Ingvar (Artist). (2010) To the Honor of Mandelbrot [Fractal image]. Sweden.

            Retrieved from http://fractalmonster.deviantart.com/art/To-the-Honor-of-Mandelbrot-183195309?comments_view=1

Deanna (Artist). (2008) Real Life Pokemon - Squirtle [Photoshop]. Canada. Retrieved from http://www.deviantart.com/art/Real-Life-Pokemon-Squirtle-107699794