Secret Fluxus and Tom (forgive my responding simultaneously)
Thank you for both your interesting perspectives which I believe you pose
some challenging and perceptive questions.
In response to SF particular question regarding my comments;
"One must ask, therefore, whether your complaint is a plea for genuine
broad inclusiveness with a full overview of past and present new media
practice, or a form of special pleading to give British artists a place in
the American sun."
I think all independent artists must ask that of themselves occasionally,
(although working [virtually] internationally I would question SF talk of
any American or potential UK 'sun') or else the debate turns quickly into
a 'them and us' exchange. From my perspective, I hope that my comments are
consistant with the 'plea for genuine broad inclusiveness' but I need to
be clear than here I am commenting on a specific response to geographical
event.
My observation is that the method of 'borrowing' context from (primarily)
America seems to exists only in recent UK new media events.
Beyond this conference, I would absolutely call on a broader perspective in
the genre internationally - alongside a wish for broader explorations into
the use and development of a new critical language and a realization of new
media informed by multi-disciplinary visionaries (as SF seem to be
indicating) and greater facilitation of the development visionaries of its
own.
(I don't want much really:)
However, it is possible to be translocal artist working in the
many 'digital pockets' where conferences like this come and go on a daily
basis - yet, still be local. I don't think that the arguments that 'you
work in the internet/new media and thus are not tied by geographical
debates' [para] absolves either an artist or curator of
local 'responsibilities' (for want of a better word) or that what is and
what is not being documented in this way is somehow irrelevant to new media
or individual new media arts practice. Such arguments, often lead away from
new media's contexualisation within fine art (here's where SF comments are
very significant) and suddenly the NEW in new media becomes problematic to
its own development. I am of the view that new medias context as a fine
art genre is vital to its diversity and self-discovery in which case art
institutional responses are also vital. From this local perspective (in
this case of a conference on British New Media) it really does come down
to 'adding a few more Brits to the Speakers'
cheers,
jess.
o
/^\
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