Best Link Ever! Harm van den Dorpel’s Ethereal Others

POST BY KAREN ARCHEY

Photo AFC

Do men only surf the internet bare chested? This week’s Best Link Ever, Dutch artist Harm van den Dorpel‘s etherealothers.com archive of webcam photographs seems to indicate as much. Etherealself.com–the site’s predecessor and source of content–launched in 2008, prompts a browser’s webcam activity, splicing bits of the visitor’s visage to create a gem-like portrait. Unbeknownst to many, etherealself.com creates a visual archive of its viewers, taking screenshots of those admiring their online portrait. The screenshots almost instantaneously appear on the constantly-refreshing etherealothers.com. The artist’s site attracts net art enthusiasts and, apparently, a lot of shirtless men! Thus far we’ve spotted Guthrie Lonergan, Constant Dullaart, Rafaël Rozendaal, and even van den Dorpel himself, though all with their shirts on. We’re excited to watch the mildly creepy archive develop in tandem with its viewers becoming aware they’re being watched. Hopefully, this won’t effect the shirtless men ratio.

Best Link Ever is a weekly column posted on Fridays culling the best gems of the Internet, maintained by AFC Associate Editor Karen Archey.