About Polymorphism
Polymorphism - The time travel of Dr. Dana Ashkenazi
How did the Polymorphism site was borne?
In October 2007, I decided to upload a webpage or two to share a little bit about myself – a kind of visiting card which will include links to topics I'm interested in and articles I've written. When I started working on it, my expectations were quite modest. However, as I began editing my materials, I found out that I was becoming addicted to the new medium, and that there are infinitely more topics I would like to discuss and write about. Swept by this dynamic, this led to the evolution of a constantly changing, living site, a site that constantly seeks to expand and even cross boundaries. This also led me to realize that in fact, it was a broad range of reasons which led me to create the site, and that my choices of topics, contents, and design are varied, reflecting diverse layers of objectives and decisions. I must admit that words, rhymes, and language in general cast a spell on me, mesmerize and elevate my soul. Am I a victim of a severe case of graphomania? Perhaps this is no more than an understandable need for communication, for making a statement, for preserving and perpetuating cultural capital? Maybe I just want to scream in protest? Maybe I just miss the tribal fire?
Despite being a professional engineer, art takes first place in my self-definition. As an artist, I'm constantly in search of tools to allow me to create and communicate. In the current Internet era, a website ranks first among such potential tools. This is what guided my esthetical and content design. For example, I chose a violet background, uncommon in web design, in which the predominant color is white. Those who wish to dare and be unique choose sky-blue or mellow yellow, and dramatic types opt for black. My choice was a combination of dramatic eggplant purple and soft pink. Eggplant purple is one of my favorite colors. To me, it connotes mystery, conflict, tempestuous emotions, and optimism. Pink, on the other hand, represents my tender, loving, and feminine side. I envisage the resulting violet background as its virtual walls, on which I hang pictures and other art pieces.
My website is a live museum with both permanent and changing exhibitions which I curate myself. Most of the pictures adorning the site are by my own and my friends' family members – my artistic tribe: paintings by my late father, Oded Lotker; glassworks by my mother, Miki Lotker; photographs by my husband, Rafi Ashkenazi; and artwork by my wonderful daughters Sapir and Gal. Other images on my websites are reprints of well-known artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt, as a tribute to these giants.
My websites are long, which again runs against Internet conventions, and are designed so as to be reminiscent of Chinese or ancient Egyptian pictograms and riddles. Indeed, their lines encrypt a story: the way the web pages are designed may reveal a lot more about me than their contents. This way, I dig into my soul and expose hidden layers as if it were an archeological site.
So this is how my website was born, and how it continues to evolve. On second thought, perhaps it represents an attempt to understand and experience life through the prism of the Internet Revolution? This revolution has been transforming our lives, redefining self and society, blurring the boundaries between the individual and her environment, and between matter and spirit. In this new era, presided by the benevolent tyrant Google, people meet one another, communicate and even fall in love through the Internet, and to a large extent forego the real world for an illusion. Do we have a double life? Are we indeed living in parallel worlds, or in the Matrix era? Are we not controlled and manipulated by conglomerates? Have we not destined ourselves to solitude? Is career more important than family? Have we forgotten to listen to, value, and respect one another? Where does the man end and where does the machine begin? Whatever the answers to those questions, and whatever my reasons for creating this website, I hereby welcome you to an enchanted voyage in space, time, and culture. Yours, Dana