Fee Plumley
Fee Plumley is a British-born digital artist, technology evangelist, and digital consultant. She lives in Australia and is a citizen. She worked for the Australia Council for the Arts on its "Arts content for the digital era" program, producing initiatives such as Geek in Residence and the Digital Culture Fund.[1][2][3] Since 1997, she has collaborated with Douglas Rushkoff.[4] She is a regular guest on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Download this Show on Radio National, where she talks about datamining.[5][6]
Life and work
Plumley got her creative start working in the theatre industry in North Wales, London, Leeds, and Manchester.[4][7] She was a stage manager and a props artist in the United Kingdom. In 1996, she used the internet for the first time, invited to use it by a landlord in Brighton. Unhappy with her work in the theatre, she explored how to use the internet as art. Her work brings together literature, performance, and technologies such as mobile phones, social media, augmented reality, and Arduino. Her work explores "how creative people use technology to connect themselves and their ideas to other people".
Projects
the-phone-book
In 2000, Plumley started the-phone-book Limited with animator and filmmaker Ben Jones. The project was partially funded by the Arts Council of England. The company sought to "explore new technologies as they emerge and see what they can offer creative minds". Their program focused on creating platforms, running commissions, and educating artists and the public about how to use mobile phones to create and share their art.[7] This included using mobile phones for creative writing, using 150 characters or less, similar to the Twitter platform.[8]
reallybigroadtrip
In the first half of 2012, Plumley successfully crowdfunded A$27,000 through the website Pozible to fund a three-month cross-Australia road trip and art project. Plumley was A$10,000 short of her A$25,000 goal until Hugh Jackman, Amanda Palmer, and Neil Gaiman tweeted their support for the project. The project was successfully funded with a A$2,000 above the target being donated.
The goal of the project is to collaboratively make and share digital art with Australian and international "nomads" in residence and the people they meet along the journey. Plumley used the funding for travel costs and to purchase a bus which was outfitted with technological equipment, becoming a mobile workshop, exhibition space for art, technology lab, and home for Plumley during the project.
reallybigroadtrip is partnering with other artists in Australia and organizations to hold tweetups (meet-ups organised via Twitter), collaborative sessions, screenings, and workshops.[3][9]
References
- "Supporting a new breed of digital pioneers". Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- "Geeks, tweets and bums on seats". Sydney Morning Herald. 10 July 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- Douglas, Tim (17 July 2012). "Tweet puts Techno-Priscilla on bus". The Australian. Retrieved 10 October 2012. (subscription required)
- "The artist as media activist". artsHub. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- Australian Spy Laws, Andable and the Death of Digg – Download This Show – ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
- What really happened to Charlotte Dawson? – Download This Show – ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
- Frauenfelder, Mark. "Power to the Mobile People". The Feature Archives. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- Smith, Russell (7 May 2003). "Why I like wireless writing". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
- Artists turn to online crowdsourcing for funds | Crikey
External links
- reallybigroadtrip official website
- Fee Plumley on Twitter
- DART: What's Hot in the Digital Arts featuring Plumley's reallybigroadtrip on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.