Re: <eyebeam><blast> net criticism

[Chris Byrne <postmaster@cryptic.demon.co.uk>]

Having just joined this list, and at the risk of leaping in with both
feet into a partly-missed debate, I'm going to anyhow!

I'd like to add my support to Mike Stubbs' views: I think it is easiest
to understand from a peculiarly British perspective, where for most of
the 1980's during the Thatcher regime, the new media arts, video,
conceptual art, performance were obscured from view by an
ultra-reactionary "new painting". The practices and processes of (neo-)
conceptualism have been in vogue with the art world since then, but
inevitably the artists are grouped under meaningless labels (Neo Geo,
Young British Artists) to assist the dealers' requirements for new
fashion products.

I think it is necessary to separate the workings of the commercial art
world from the interests and aspirations of artists or artists'
organisations. Hull Time Based Arts, V2, and other artist-run
organisations are something different from ISEA, ZKM, Ars Electronica.
All these organisations operate in another arena, not that of the
commercial art dealers.

It might be argued that during the past couple of years the activities
of ZKM, ISEA, Ars Electronica and so on have meshed more with those of
the commercial art market. There is evidence to suggest that this may be
happening. However there are still many artists operating outside these
charmed circles, and many of them are using the net. After all, to
produce a high quality video installation for a festival or gallery may
take a large amount of money: to produce and maintain a web site is
comparitively cheap.

I am witnessing many artists who have been active in performance, video
or painting moving into the fields of net or computer art. Most see the
technologies as opportunities to reach new audiences, on their own
terms, and to try new possibilities which would be expensive to realise
in other media.

Where I agree with Geert is in his stress on economic analyses in net
criticism, as well as aesthetics and semiotics. I think this is being
addressed, for example in the mailing list "nettime".


Chris Byrne




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