DeviantArt
Encyclopedia
deviantART is an online community
showcasing various forms of user-made artwork
. It was first launched on August 7, 2000 by Scott Jarkoff, Matthew Stephens, Angelo Sotira and others. deviantArt, Inc. is headquartered in the Hollywood
area of Los Angeles
, California
, United States
.
deviantArt aims to provide a platform for any artist to exhibit and discuss works. Works are organized in a comprehensive category structure, including photography
, digital art
, traditional art
, literature
, Flash
, filmmaking
, skins for applications
, operating system customization utilities and others, along with extensive downloadable resources such as tutorials and stock photography
. Additional utilities include journals, polls, groups and portfolios.
"Fella," a small robotic cat character, is the official deviantArt mascot
.
the site consists of over 14.5 million members, and over 100 million submissions, and receives around 140,000 submissions per day. In addition, deviantArt users submit over 1.4 million "favorites" and 1.5 million comments daily. The domain deviantart.com attracted at least 36 million visitors annually by 2008 according to a Compete.com
study. It is the 13th largest social network
in the U.S. with 3.8 million weekly visits.
and Angelo Sotira, as part of a larger network of music-related websites called the Dmusic Network. The site flourished largely because of its unique offering and the contributions of its core member base and a team of volunteers after its launch, but was officially incorporated in 2001 about eight months after launch.
deviantArt was loosely inspired by projects like Winamp
facelift, customize.org, deskmod.com, screenphuck.com, and skinz.org, all application skin-based websites. Sotira entrusted all public aspects of the project to Scott Jarkoff as an engineer and visionary to launch the early program. All three co-founders shared backgrounds in the application skinning community, but it was Matt Stephens whose major contribution to deviantArt was the suggestion to take the concept further than skinning
and more toward an "art community". Many of the individuals involved with the initial development and promotion of deviantArt still hold positions with the project, from administrators to volunteers serving as gallery directors and Message Network Administration. Angelo Sotira currently serves as the chief executive officer
of deviantArt, Inc.
giving the artists the right to choose how their works can be used.
On September 30, 2007, a film category was added to deviantArt, allowing artists to upload videos. An artist and other viewers can add annotations to sections of the film, giving comments or critiques to the artist about a particular moment in the film.
in the Hollywood
area of Los Angeles
, California
, United States
. The summit consisted of several exhibitions by numerous artists, including artscene groups
old and new at about 200 different booths. Giant projection screens displayed artwork as it was being submitted live to deviantArt, which receives 50,000 new images daily.
Leaders of deviantArt had hoped to hold a new summit each year; however, no plans were ever made for a 2006 Summit. This may be due to lack of interest, money, or inability to find a location. It should be noted that despite a big turn out, only a tiny percentage of the deviantArt population actually attended the summit.
, Singapore
, Warsaw
, Istanbul
, Berlin
, Paris
, London
, New York City
, Toronto
and Los Angeles
. During the world tour, the new "Portfolio" feature of deviantArt was previewed to attendees.
licensing violations when a work is submitted to deviantArt, so such violations can remain unnoticed until reported. A mechanism for notifying administrators of potential copyright and licensing violations is available. Some members of the community have also been the victims of this type of abuse from disreputable vendors using artwork illegally on products and prints.
working staff member of the deviantArt administration. The deviantArt administration has been generally tight-lipped throughout the incident, due to legal restraints.
Various campaigns have sprung up in support of Scott Jarkoff, including the "Bring Back the Community" campaign, "Save the Alien," and "Yellow Day" (because Jarkoff was known as the "yellow alien," Jarkoff's mascot), which was carried out by many of Scott Jarkoff's supporters.
On July 31, 2005, Sotira posted an official response to explain the situation. The response to this entry was mixed. Jarkoff also posted an explanation on his personal website.
On October 7, 2007, Jarkoff wrote a journal in which he complained about his video getting deleted due to a copyright violation
. On October 13, 2007, Sotira responded, claiming that Jarkoff lied about his role in deviantArt's development, that Jarkoff did nothing on the site in the beginning, and that he was the one who fired Matthew Stephens in 2003. He accuses Jarkoff of hypocrisy
by saying that Jarkoff still owns shares of deviantArt stock. Jarkoff claimed he needed money to sue Sotira for wrongful termination
, and even went so far as to set up a fund for it, but Sotira claims that in reality, he had more than enough money to cover any legal costs for any lawsuits. Sotira implies that Jarkoff defrauded
even though Sotira was going to use deviantArt's money to fight any legal battle against Jarkoff.
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
showcasing various forms of user-made artwork
Work of art
A work of art, artwork, art piece, or art object is an aesthetic item or artistic creation.The term "a work of art" can apply to:*an example of fine art, such as a painting or sculpture*a fine work of architecture or landscape design...
. It was first launched on August 7, 2000 by Scott Jarkoff, Matthew Stephens, Angelo Sotira and others. deviantArt, Inc. is headquartered in the Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
area of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
deviantArt aims to provide a platform for any artist to exhibit and discuss works. Works are organized in a comprehensive category structure, including photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, digital art
Digital art
Digital art is a general term for a range of artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative and/or presentation process...
, traditional art
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
, filmmaking
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
, skins for applications
Skin (computing)
In computing, a skin is a custom graphical appearance achieved by the use of a graphical user interface that can be applied to specific software and websites to suit the purpose, topic, or tastes of different users....
, operating system customization utilities and others, along with extensive downloadable resources such as tutorials and stock photography
Stock photography
Stock photography is the supply of photographs licensed for specific uses. It is used to fulfill the needs of creative assignments instead of hiring a photographer. Today, stock images can be presented in searchable online databases. They can be purchased and delivered online...
. Additional utilities include journals, polls, groups and portfolios.
"Fella," a small robotic cat character, is the official deviantArt mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
.
the site consists of over 14.5 million members, and over 100 million submissions, and receives around 140,000 submissions per day. In addition, deviantArt users submit over 1.4 million "favorites" and 1.5 million comments daily. The domain deviantart.com attracted at least 36 million visitors annually by 2008 according to a Compete.com
Compete.com
Compete.com is a web traffic analysis service of Compete, Inc. which operates in the United States and publishes the approximate number of global visitors to the top 1,000,000 web sites in the world...
study. It is the 13th largest social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
in the U.S. with 3.8 million weekly visits.
Origins
deviantArt was originally launched on August 7, 2000 by Scott Jarkoff, Matt StephensMatt Stephens
Matt Stephens is an author and software process expert based in London, UK. In January 2010 he founded independent book publisher Fingerpress UK Ltd....
and Angelo Sotira, as part of a larger network of music-related websites called the Dmusic Network. The site flourished largely because of its unique offering and the contributions of its core member base and a team of volunteers after its launch, but was officially incorporated in 2001 about eight months after launch.
deviantArt was loosely inspired by projects like Winamp
Winamp
Winamp is a media player for Windows-based PCs and Android devices, written by Nullsoft, now a subsidiary of AOL. It is proprietary freeware/shareware, multi-format, extensible with plug-ins and skins, and is noted for its graphical sound visualization, playlist, and media library features.Winamp...
facelift, customize.org, deskmod.com, screenphuck.com, and skinz.org, all application skin-based websites. Sotira entrusted all public aspects of the project to Scott Jarkoff as an engineer and visionary to launch the early program. All three co-founders shared backgrounds in the application skinning community, but it was Matt Stephens whose major contribution to deviantArt was the suggestion to take the concept further than skinning
Skin (computing)
In computing, a skin is a custom graphical appearance achieved by the use of a graphical user interface that can be applied to specific software and websites to suit the purpose, topic, or tastes of different users....
and more toward an "art community". Many of the individuals involved with the initial development and promotion of deviantArt still hold positions with the project, from administrators to volunteers serving as gallery directors and Message Network Administration. Angelo Sotira currently serves as the chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of deviantArt, Inc.
Growth
On November 14, 2006, deviantArt gave its users the option to submit their works under Creative Commons licensesCreative Commons licenses
Creative Commons licenses are several copyright licenses that allow the distribution of copyrighted works. The licenses differ by several combinations that condition the terms of distribution. They were initially released on December 16, 2002 by Creative Commons, a U.S...
giving the artists the right to choose how their works can be used.
On September 30, 2007, a film category was added to deviantArt, allowing artists to upload videos. An artist and other viewers can add annotations to sections of the film, giving comments or critiques to the artist about a particular moment in the film.
Versions
deviantArt has been revising the site in versions, releasing multiple features at once. After version 2, versions were released on the date of site's birthday, August 7, excluding Versions 6 and 7.| Version | Release | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 7, 2000 | Site goes public as part of Dmusic Network. |
| 2 | February 5, 2002 | In version 2, browsing was made easier. |
| 3 | August 7, 2003. | |
| 4 | August 7, 2004 | In version 4, the chat client called dAmn was added to the site. |
| 5 | August 7, 2006 | In version 5, each deviant has a Prints account, through which they may sell prints Printmaking Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable... of their works for money, receiving 20% of the profits. Users can also obtain Premium Prints Account offering 50% of the profits and an immediate check of material submitted for sales. Before version 5 of deviantArt, users did not have by default access to this service and it had to be obtained separately. By paying for a subscription, a deviant could also sell their work for 50% of each sale. |
| 6 | July 10, 2008 | In this revision, the message center, front page and footer were revamped. Users are now able to customize the deviantArt navigation toolbar. The design style of the site was slightly modified as well. |
| 6.1 | Early 2009 | In this revision, there is a slight change of design and easier search options. Users are given more options to customize their profiles, and stacks are added to message center later in 2010. |
| 7 | May 18, 2010 | Features a new smaller header design and removal of search bar except on home page. The staff later made updates to Version 7, including a search bar to every page. |
Special events
deviantArt Summit
On June 17 and June 18, 2005, deviantArt held their first convention, the deviantArt Summit, at the PalladiumHollywood Palladium
The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an 11,200 square foot dance floor with room for up to 4,000 people.-History:...
in the Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
area of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The summit consisted of several exhibitions by numerous artists, including artscene groups
Computer art scene
The phrase computer art scene, or artscene for short, refers to a community of individuals and groups that are both interested and active in the creation of computer-based artwork.-Early computer art:...
old and new at about 200 different booths. Giant projection screens displayed artwork as it was being submitted live to deviantArt, which receives 50,000 new images daily.
Leaders of deviantArt had hoped to hold a new summit each year; however, no plans were ever made for a 2006 Summit. This may be due to lack of interest, money, or inability to find a location. It should be noted that despite a big turn out, only a tiny percentage of the deviantArt population actually attended the summit.
deviantArt World Tour
Starting May 13, 2009, deviantArt went onto a World tour, visiting cities around the world, including SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. During the world tour, the new "Portfolio" feature of deviantArt was previewed to attendees.
Copyright and licensing issues
There is no review of potential copyright and Creative CommonsCreative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
licensing violations when a work is submitted to deviantArt, so such violations can remain unnoticed until reported. A mechanism for notifying administrators of potential copyright and licensing violations is available. Some members of the community have also been the victims of this type of abuse from disreputable vendors using artwork illegally on products and prints.
Termination of Scott Jarkoff
On July 29, 2005, co-founder Scott Jarkoff was removed from the deviantArt staff, angering members of the community. deviantArt staff have portrayed his termination as necessary, but this assertion was disputed. With Matthew Stephens' resignation in 2003, supporters of Scott Jarkoff assert that now neither of the founders remain in deviantArt's administration. In contrast, Sotira insists he was a founder, and also the first full timeFull time
Full-time employment is employment in which the employee works the full number of hours defined as such by his/her employer. Full-time employment often comes with benefits that are not typically offered to part-time, temporary, or flexible workers, such as annual leave, sickleave, and health...
working staff member of the deviantArt administration. The deviantArt administration has been generally tight-lipped throughout the incident, due to legal restraints.
Various campaigns have sprung up in support of Scott Jarkoff, including the "Bring Back the Community" campaign, "Save the Alien," and "Yellow Day" (because Jarkoff was known as the "yellow alien," Jarkoff's mascot), which was carried out by many of Scott Jarkoff's supporters.
On July 31, 2005, Sotira posted an official response to explain the situation. The response to this entry was mixed. Jarkoff also posted an explanation on his personal website.
On October 7, 2007, Jarkoff wrote a journal in which he complained about his video getting deleted due to a copyright violation
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
. On October 13, 2007, Sotira responded, claiming that Jarkoff lied about his role in deviantArt's development, that Jarkoff did nothing on the site in the beginning, and that he was the one who fired Matthew Stephens in 2003. He accuses Jarkoff of hypocrisy
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
by saying that Jarkoff still owns shares of deviantArt stock. Jarkoff claimed he needed money to sue Sotira for wrongful termination
Wrongful dismissal
Wrongful dismissal, also called wrongful termination or wrongful discharge, is an idiom and legal phrase, describing a situation in which an employee's contract of employment has been terminated by the employer in circumstances where the termination breaches one or more terms of the contract of...
, and even went so far as to set up a fund for it, but Sotira claims that in reality, he had more than enough money to cover any legal costs for any lawsuits. Sotira implies that Jarkoff defrauded
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
even though Sotira was going to use deviantArt's money to fight any legal battle against Jarkoff.