Web Graphics: Art on the Net

Mark Harden, texas.net Museum of Art

Effective online display of art images

The standard design solution is to provide thumbnail images which link to a larger, full-sized image. The Artchive uses this approach. Note that the online version of the site does not automatically display the thumbnails, which for some artists with one hundred or more images, would be a download of more than 500kb. Instead, the visitor is given the option of viewing all of the thumbnails. The thumbnail image is effective at providing a point of reference for the viewer when later confronted with the full-sized image, which must be scrolled in order to be completely studied.

In scanning images, I have evolved an approach of providing separate detail images in lieu of a single large scan. Thus, the visitor can view the thumbnail, the entire image at close to screen size, and finally a more detailed depiction of a portion of the entire image. This means of moving from the microcosmic to the macrocosmic provides an enriched viewing experience of the work of art.

The framed interface of the Artchive sacrifices screen real estate for serendipity. Often visitors enter the site directly into a specific artist's section; I want the lengthy listing of names to indicate to them that there are images from another two hundred or so artists to explore. Some of the most rewarding feedback comes from visitors expressing their appreciation for having been introduced to an artist they had never heard of before.

The Artchive is in serious need of enhancement as far as exhibition of images. For one thing, JavaScript code could provide a means of displaying the images by themselves in a new browser window, thereby maximizing screen real estate. The raw size of the Artchive, more than two thousand scans, makes coding this sort of update a time constrained effort. For now, I have offered visitors a number of viewing tips to help make the most of their screen real estate.

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