A new age of art is dawning.
           When most people think of art, they picture Picasso, Da Vinci, Munch and other classic artists, the images that come to mind are of paintings, sculptures, photography and mosaics. Juxtapoz.com, an extension of Juxtapoz Magazine, attempts to push our conceptions of art into a new age by trying to alter the more subjective of arts (and their mediums) into something that is a little more accepted. All arts are subjective but some seem more then others. In addition to the arts, Juxtapoz contains other culturally up-to-date sections. Fortunately for the viewer, this array of content is presented in a visually appealing and organized fashion.
           Juxtapoz is an arts and cultural magazine and its website echos that image. The site is not your typical NewYorker nor theartnewspaper.com, which typically dwells on more classical ideas of art. Instead, Juxtapoz.com focuses on the most tortured of artists, some of whom that are completely shunned by the preponderance of society and others whom do not receive as much insignia as they should. These artist are often overlooked and dismissed by the majority of people because of their medium, canvas, tools or even concepts.
          These arts include Illustration, Erotica, Street Art, Graffiti and Tattoo Art.
          The best part about Juxtapoz.com is its streamlined navigation with an interface so easy to use that even an Apple user could comprehend. This is quiet the marvel because a majority of websites that present information feel cluttered, with movement between content being more of a tedious search and destroy mission rather then an enjoyable experience. Or as Apple users call it, a PC. The wed-site does this with a simple tool that all sites utilize, a link menu, but unlike other sites, Juxtapoz has a layout that compliments it. Articles and features are displayed in a top to bottom, consistent, linear fashion that is uninterrupted and whose allotted space is carbon copied. Each displays a title, photo and short description so distinguishing between what interests you and what does not is simple. If there is something other then an article on the page, it is clearly separated or incased by a light grey boarder that is never obscured. Search bars, advertisements and social media connections are placed properly, easily understood, function properly and are up to date with todays internet culture. This creates an inviting setting that keeps one interested and on the website for hours. This modern layout and modern features reflect the culture it presents.
            Unfortunately the cultural aspects of Juxtapoz.com appear to have been an after thought. Gallery and event posting are hard to explore and have no way to distinguish events in specific areas. What is done instead is a clumping of every event into a calendar. On top of this, animated gifs, which is usually a comical moving picture, are shoved into a corner and advertisements do not appear to relate to the viewer base. Finally, the Violent Uprising tab needs a name change as it does not describe its content well, albeit it offers great content.
            The only well thought out culture related section is one on the 99 percent movement and other turmoils around the world. The 99 percent coverage is exceptional because offers a different perspective on the protests, one that is not biased toward the institutions against them (of course media giants will spin the protests negatively people!). All these unconventional topics tie-in well and in an interesting fashion. However as mentioned earlier, the tab needs a name change to better reflect the section.
           Overall Juxtapoz has an enthralling array of unorthodox material with a layout that compliments it, thus making everything easy to access and share with others. Furthermore, Juxtapoz.com provides quality free material that will most likely invoke interest in purchasing a subscription. The site’s cultural content needs work but otherwise touches on unique subjects and interesting events. In the end, looking at this site will most likely have one’s perceptions on art obscured or redefined. Maybe in the future artists like Bansky, Amuse 147, Lango, Jeremy Clark or others could hold the same prestige as we hold artists like Van Gogh.