Artists: Matthew Ritchie, The New Place

 Matthew Ritchie's website, The New Place, is a continuation and bridge of his former project, The Hard Way. The Hard Way is an interactive environment in which the user follows a character, the story and interactions that occur. The New Place is similar in that it also explores the interactions between three characters: the actress, the swimmer, and the golem. These three characters are metaphors for three elements, which are primary in the carbon-oxygen weathering cycle.  Because of this, the narrative plays out on a number of levels, not only through story telling but through a scientific narrative. Apparently, The New Place is only a prototype, and I eagerly look forward to seeing the full site. I was also captivated by the clean graphics, and the direct flash narration. I really enjoyed the visual storytelling the site used, and I like the idea of using digital animation to tell a story.