Dear CRUMB list,
I would like to invite you to join me online at FurtherStudio at
Furtherfield.org. This virtual residency is a innovative new model for new
media curating and I am privileged to be the first [virtual] artist-in
residence. Information regarding the residency itself can be found on the
site but I wanted to bring it to your attention as curators in regards to
a specific potential in new media.
Although, I have been an established digital and net artist for a few
years now, what is is not widely known is my position as a disabled artist
( I was in a car crash which resulted in my becoming paraplegic). It has
always been one of the joys of working on the internet that I found myself
as an equal to my contemporaries in terms of exhibiting freely without
the double-edged sword of the label 'disabled artist' ( with regards to
the conditions this often puts of the viewing of my work). Although my
position as a disabled person is intrinsic to my work it is no more so
than my other positions such as a mother, a female or a british onlooker
and I use it as a metaphor for human frailty rather than any specific
agenda. However, I have found it ironic that although I am working daily
in a translocal environment (very little of my virtual time takes place
within the UK) it is my physical and geographical positioning that has
limited my practice in regards to residency and research opportunities.
Limited to my geographical area by my position as firstly, a disabled
person and secondly, a mother of three small children I have been unable
to apply for many of the innovative and exciting opportunities that have
come out of the UK in recent years. There are some excellent initiatives
for disabled artists but so often constrained by funding, these frequently
have a 'disability agenda' which is not always as liberating as it sounds.
Recently a number of institutions have improved access and facilities to
allow disabled artist to submit for residencies (my observation is that
many of the best of these are currently coming out of the north of
England) but these are often both physically and practically inaccessible
outside their own locality and I often wonder how many artists with
disabilities actually apply. I do accept the three small children is
nobodys fault but my own:- ) Although, I read with amusement critical
suggestions that the reasons 'stars' of digital work are so often male is
because of an inherent affinity with the technology. This is an illusion -
its just they have less difficulty getting into their cars...
FurtherStudio was never designed as a deliberate facilitator for disabled
artists but in both its use of technology and attitude it has allowed me
to embark on my fist residency - without even the necessity to put shoes
on:-) Looking wider - although the funding during this initial stage has
limited involvement to UK artists - the technology has the potential to
allow residencies to take place in real-time both globally with with
multiple participants. The potential (i think) of this model is enormous.
The Studio allows visitors to view my desktop at specific times (as well
as randomly as I work during the week) and chat with myself and the
Furtherfield team - akin to a local Open Studio. A visitors studio (which
allows real-time mixing and playing by visitors to the studio of their own
work)is well developed and a beta-version is currently being tested
online. The curatorial theme of'appropriation and ownership of ideas,
services, products and images' is being outworked in my residency by using
the furtherfield.org site itself as a palate. I have even pinched their
icons:-)
I would like to invite you to join us in the beta-testing of the residency
which will be launched publicly at the beginning of October. The Studio is
open
Mondays 11am - 12pm, Tuesdays 8pm-9pm and Fridays 1pm-2pm (Times in BST, -
1 hour for GMT to convert to international time zones) If I am not 'in'
the studio you can email me at [log in to unmask] If I am online I can
come into the studio to chat.
FurtherStudio - http://www.furtherfield.org/furtherstudio/
++++++
About FurtherStudio
FurtherStudio is an exploratory, year long project, set up to create
online, real-time, net art residencies during which time the artists
need not leave their studio or home environments, as the FurtherStudio
web facility offers a public window on the artist's PC desktop as they
work.
The curatorial theme of 'appropriation and ownership of ideas, services,
products and images' is explored with the artist through a programme of
open studio events and discussions between artists, net art critics and
anyone interested in exploring creativity on the Internet. More about
FurtherStudio at
http://www.furtherfield.org/furtherstudio/docs/about.html
We are very pleased to announce that digital/ net artist, Jess Loseby
will be kicking off FurtherStudio with her project, [log in to unmask]
During the course of the 3 month long virtual residency Jess will send
emails to 'Bob' with html, flash and video artworks attached. These
emails will take the form of love letters, hate mail and trivial musings
and will be constructed from the artist's emotional take-over and
transformation of artists works archived within the furtherfield.org
website.
The online real-time open studio events are timetabled to take place
three times a week for the next 3 months. Please visit the FurtherStudio
calendar for dates of future events. There should be at least one event
a week that is friendly to your specific time zone. Visit the
FurtherStudio Calendar at
http://www.furtherfield.org/furtherstudio/docs/calendar.html
FurtherStudio is a Furtherfield project.
-concept, design and project co-ordination by Marc Garrett and Ruth
Catlow
-programming and design by Neil Jenkins (www.furtherfield.org &
www.devoid.co.uk)
-supported by the Furtherfield team
-funded by the Arts Council of England
-in kind sponsorship:
---server, by Ivan Pope (www.ivanpope.com) (also thanks to Steve Hanlon)
--- Untangled Web Solutions
FurtherStudio - http://www.furtherfield.org/furtherstudio/
Furtherfield - http://www.furtherfield.org/
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