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The Flash community : implications for post-conceptualism

Leishman researched and writes the history of the Flash Community capturing the internal social development of this unique group from its early days through the ‘dot com bubble’ up to today as a means to chart how the Flash Community’s post-conceptual attitude and community identity developed. Leishman is the first to do so - outside Lev Manovich’s works (2002) the remainder of other published texts deal with the technological or commercial ‘flash animation’ perspectives such as O’Reilly and Apress publishing catalogues (2000-present).

Leishman’s research process addresses the difficult role of charting history within digital media and the challenges of accessing non-archived ephemeral media. This was solved by sourcing a significant range of material such as secondary and primary interviews of key practitioners, archival resources and the application of media theories. All of these were informed by the author’s observations as an active designer in the Flash Community’s formative years.

In terms of findings Leishman argues that Post-conceptualism meant that the Flash Community were open and inclusive in terms of membership and output, they were also able to oscillate between and innovate in corporate and personal spheres. In terms of reception the lack of conceptual context meant that no prior knowledge was necessarily required to engage with the works thus enhancing their attractiveness to new Internet audiences. In summary the Flash Community’s post-conceptual aided experimentalism assisted in their cultural impact in terms of audience and economic value (the latter can arguably be regarded as second only to the massive multiplayer online role-playing sector).