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MTAA-RR:
Jun 29, 2003
Global Net Art Show
posted at 11:13 GMT by T.Whid in /news/twhid
We need to make a big splash soon. We need a global net art show. The state of the net art isn’t so hot these days; the Walker’s actions and Thing and Rhizome both feeling a bit shaky it seems like we’re encountering a stall. Or it seems we’re encountering reverse momentum in the net art/new media art world.
A really huge show, global in nature would help in showing everyone that we’re not going to just roll over and take it. The show should be entirely online, but there should be global receptions which can function as walk-throughs, the local artists can will be present for the press, large projections of the art, and etc.
So far it’s a rather embryonic idea. I don’t know what would be in the show, or what the theme of the show would be. I just have this strong feeling that we need something strong, big, splashy, and undeniable which comes from the grass-roots as opposed to the institution. permanent link to this post
A really huge show, global in nature would help in showing everyone that we’re not going to just roll over and take it. The show should be entirely online, but there should be global receptions which can function as walk-throughs, the local artists can will be present for the press, large projections of the art, and etc.
So far it’s a rather embryonic idea. I don’t know what would be in the show, or what the theme of the show would be. I just have this strong feeling that we need something strong, big, splashy, and undeniable which comes from the grass-roots as opposed to the institution. permanent link to this post
Jun 26, 2003
Response From Kathy Halbreich, Walker Art Center Director, To The Open Letter
posted at 17:20 GMT by T.Whid in /news/twhid
Most of us are aware of The Walker’s decision to fire Steve Dietz which means that they’ve basically destroyed their new media art department. This is a great article regarding the whole affair.
Matt Mirapaul reported this in the NYTime’s.com: Ms. Halbreich said she intended to keep the projects online but could not commit to doing so until the cost was determined. Obviously, this position is unacceptable. So, Sarah Cook wrote a letter and MTAA posted it on our web site at “mteww.com/walker_letter/“. We had 689 people sign the letter in one week. We now have response from the Director, Kathy Halbreich, and also a response from Steve Dietz linked from the initial letter.
I personally found Kathy Halbreich’s response to be sorely lacking: Our philosophical and artistic commitment to New Media has not wavered, but the resources are not there to carry out that commitment as intensively or as quickly as we had hoped. Simply substitute “Photography” or “Video” for “New Media” in the quote above and you can see what an absurd statement it is. We all understand the hard economic times but the cuts should have been shared across the board. The statement also uses double talk. What does “carry out that commitment as intensively or as quickly as we had hoped” mean? To Ms. Halbreich it means disappearing the department that could carry out *any* commitment whatsoever. Blackhawk summed it up well on thingist, “They haven’t shot themselves in the foot, they’ve amputated it.”
She does go on to assure us that the works in Gallery 9 will continue to be accessible (which was my main concern) but I’m still feeling a bit nervous about this considering the NYTime’s article quoted above.
At any rate, this is a big step back for new media art in the USA. The Walker was *the* visionary institution for new media. Steve’s position at The Walker helped to push new media, web art, and net art into the mainstream of american art institutions and now they’ve dropped the ball. It’s a shame. permanent link to this post
Matt Mirapaul reported this in the NYTime’s.com: Ms. Halbreich said she intended to keep the projects online but could not commit to doing so until the cost was determined. Obviously, this position is unacceptable. So, Sarah Cook wrote a letter and MTAA posted it on our web site at “mteww.com/walker_letter/“. We had 689 people sign the letter in one week. We now have response from the Director, Kathy Halbreich, and also a response from Steve Dietz linked from the initial letter.
I personally found Kathy Halbreich’s response to be sorely lacking: Our philosophical and artistic commitment to New Media has not wavered, but the resources are not there to carry out that commitment as intensively or as quickly as we had hoped. Simply substitute “Photography” or “Video” for “New Media” in the quote above and you can see what an absurd statement it is. We all understand the hard economic times but the cuts should have been shared across the board. The statement also uses double talk. What does “carry out that commitment as intensively or as quickly as we had hoped” mean? To Ms. Halbreich it means disappearing the department that could carry out *any* commitment whatsoever. Blackhawk summed it up well on thingist, “They haven’t shot themselves in the foot, they’ve amputated it.”
She does go on to assure us that the works in Gallery 9 will continue to be accessible (which was my main concern) but I’m still feeling a bit nervous about this considering the NYTime’s article quoted above.
At any rate, this is a big step back for new media art in the USA. The Walker was *the* visionary institution for new media. Steve’s position at The Walker helped to push new media, web art, and net art into the mainstream of american art institutions and now they’ve dropped the ball. It’s a shame. permanent link to this post
Jun 23, 2003
It’s (not) A Secret
posted at 17:25 GMT by T.Whid in /news/twhid
For all the cool kids that read our little news & comment section (unofficially the MTAA blog, but we don’t like to call it that) let ME let YOU in on a little secret.
Come to think of it, not many people prolly give a shit, but anyway, our new project, called.. what’s it called again? The title is to long to remember and we neglected to give this one a short “AKA” name as is our practice. Let us call it AKA Hot Brooklyn Summer. (the real title is “In Preparation For The Summer Air In Brooklyn To Rise From The Concrete In A Manner Which Distorts One’s Ability To Judge Distance and Meaning (AKA Manual Zoom Mirage)”, OH shit, it DOES have an AKA title! OK, scratch that babble that came before this).
Now. Where was I?
So this postcard, AKA Manual Zoom Mirage (which all of you should be receiving in the mail shortly) is going to be released on the web as an Adobe Illustrator file with a creative commons license. We’ll release it near the opening date which is July 12th. We’ll announce it’s web presence here and elsewhere.
One more thing: G-fuckin’-5, FINALLY! we wants one, yes we do. permanent link to this post
Come to think of it, not many people prolly give a shit, but anyway, our new project, called.. what’s it called again? The title is to long to remember and we neglected to give this one a short “AKA” name as is our practice. Let us call it AKA Hot Brooklyn Summer. (the real title is “In Preparation For The Summer Air In Brooklyn To Rise From The Concrete In A Manner Which Distorts One’s Ability To Judge Distance and Meaning (AKA Manual Zoom Mirage)”, OH shit, it DOES have an AKA title! OK, scratch that babble that came before this).
Now. Where was I?
So this postcard, AKA Manual Zoom Mirage (which all of you should be receiving in the mail shortly) is going to be released on the web as an Adobe Illustrator file with a creative commons license. We’ll release it near the opening date which is July 12th. We’ll announce it’s web presence here and elsewhere.
One more thing: G-fuckin’-5, FINALLY! we wants one, yes we do. permanent link to this post
Jun 22, 2003
Rain again
posted at 10:13 GMT by M.River in /news/mriver
In Brooklyn it is raining again. It has rained all spring. It looks as if it will continue to pour this summer. I live two blocks from the East River in a second floor apartment. I have begun to build a raft out of plastic bags and Ikea furniture. What the hell is a cubit anyway?
permanent link to this post
Jun 21, 2003
Send Yer Snail Mail Address
posted at 16:17 GMT by T.Whid in /news/twhid
So, basically, I’m posting ‘coz I haven’t posted much lately and also to ask one more time for your snail mail address. Send it to twhid_at_mteww_dot_com (you can figure out how to use the email address if you’re a human.)
We need your snail mail address in order to send you a postcard for our show at Rome Arts in Brooklyn, NY. This is no ordinary postcard however, the postcard IS the show; the show IS the postcard.
Other than that, there isn’t much to report from here. I’ve been procrastinating updating my portfolio for about a week, it rains everyday in NYC now, I’m going to play poker next week, the Upgrade is next week, and there is an opening at Bitforms next week too. I’ll foot spam the Upgrade meeting and the Bitforms opening with the MTAA show/postcard; that should be fun. permanent link to this post
We need your snail mail address in order to send you a postcard for our show at Rome Arts in Brooklyn, NY. This is no ordinary postcard however, the postcard IS the show; the show IS the postcard.
Other than that, there isn’t much to report from here. I’ve been procrastinating updating my portfolio for about a week, it rains everyday in NYC now, I’m going to play poker next week, the Upgrade is next week, and there is an opening at Bitforms next week too. I’ll foot spam the Upgrade meeting and the Bitforms opening with the MTAA show/postcard; that should be fun. permanent link to this post
Jun 18, 2003
Better Days In Hell
posted at 18:26 GMT by M.River in /news/mriver
We’re pleased to announce that Patrick Lichty will be the proud owner of Website Unseen 9. Images From Our Better Days In Hell, 30 sec.loop. Here is the first random thought on how to make the artwork. 1. the Cyclone at Coney Island. 2. film of Twhid and I ridding in the back car looking sorta blank. 3. the time of one ride reduced to a 30 sec. loop. 4. viewer navigation runs us forward in time or back
permanent link to this post
Jun 14, 2003
We need your address
posted at 17:14 GMT by T.Whid in /news/twhid
You land address that is!
M.River and I are having a show at Rome Arts in good ole Brooklyn, NYC and we want to send YOU a postcard!
So, your land address and you’ll get a postcard. We might not send postcards to international addresses but we haven’t decided yet. permanent link to this post
M.River and I are having a show at Rome Arts in good ole Brooklyn, NYC and we want to send YOU a postcard!
So, your land address and you’ll get a postcard. We might not send postcards to international addresses but we haven’t decided yet. permanent link to this post
AIOTD: My Farts Are Benevolent
posted at 11:21 GMT by T.Whid in /news/twhid
That’s not really the name of the idea. I just thought that it was a really funny sentence.
Would it be art for me to record my farts and sell the recordings as stock audio? It’s kinda like an update of Manzoni’s shit cans.
And remember: AIOTD™ is a trademark of MTAA and stands for Art Idea Of The Day.
RANDOM STUFF
For some reason, this web site Gawker has a problem with Brooklyn. I don’t understand why. But they did report that according to Wallpaper mag Redhook has been discovered. So, you know what that means.. No media has reported on Long Island City yet. Also, Chris and Peggy are gonna hafta start lookin’ for a new place :-(
YES, I’m using BOLD tags and I DON’T CARE! It’s a helluva lot faster than typing
Really annoying thing: going out to a birthday dinner with a group and someone decides that everyone should pay per dish rather than simply splitting up the bill into equal shares and, yes, it’s immaterial that I ordered a $40 bottle of wine, coffee, and an expensive entree when everyone else ordered pasta dishes ;-) I decided I would enjoy my meal before I ordered, CHEAPSKATES BE DAMNED!
I’m happy to report that if you search Google in german for “leather pants stage pics” the MTAA-RR is THE NUMBER ONE WEB SITE returned! WOOOOO-HOOOOOO! permanent link to this post
Would it be art for me to record my farts and sell the recordings as stock audio? It’s kinda like an update of Manzoni’s shit cans.
And remember: AIOTD™ is a trademark of MTAA and stands for Art Idea Of The Day.
RANDOM STUFF
For some reason, this web site Gawker has a problem with Brooklyn. I don’t understand why. But they did report that according to Wallpaper mag Redhook has been discovered. So, you know what that means.. No media has reported on Long Island City yet. Also, Chris and Peggy are gonna hafta start lookin’ for a new place :-(
YES, I’m using BOLD tags and I DON’T CARE! It’s a helluva lot faster than typing
style="font-weight: bold;"
Really annoying thing: going out to a birthday dinner with a group and someone decides that everyone should pay per dish rather than simply splitting up the bill into equal shares and, yes, it’s immaterial that I ordered a $40 bottle of wine, coffee, and an expensive entree when everyone else ordered pasta dishes ;-) I decided I would enjoy my meal before I ordered, CHEAPSKATES BE DAMNED!
I’m happy to report that if you search Google in german for “leather pants stage pics” the MTAA-RR is THE NUMBER ONE WEB SITE returned! WOOOOO-HOOOOOO! permanent link to this post
Jun 11, 2003
MTAA Art Idea of the Day
posted at 20:36 GMT by M.River in /news/mriver
an email that self destructs
permanent link to this post
Jun 09, 2003
MTAA Art Idea Of The Day: “Fictional” Art
posted at 16:49 GMT by T.Whid in /news/twhid
idea: Create “real” art out of “fictional” art.
This is a fairly simple idea but there may be copyright issues. The idea is to take images of fictional “High Art” in popular culture and re-contextualize them into a “High Art” context. That is, take an image of art from, say, the gallery scene in Beverly Hills Cop 1, create an actual work which is a replica and exhibit it in a museum or fine art gallery.
How one goes about re-creating a piece is another interesting part of this work. I’m inclined to take the actual image of a fictive artwork from a DVD and create a new 2d still image of the fictional artwork regardless of it’s dimensions in the fictive version. Or, one could take one of the sculptures from Beetlejuice and re-fabricate it. Or, you could mix-n-match depending on the fictional artwork.
I think someone with more time or ambition than MTAA could probably make an entire early career from this idea.
Of course, the problem is, sometimes producers hire “real” artists to either fabricate or loan art for films and television. permanent link to this post
This is a fairly simple idea but there may be copyright issues. The idea is to take images of fictional “High Art” in popular culture and re-contextualize them into a “High Art” context. That is, take an image of art from, say, the gallery scene in Beverly Hills Cop 1, create an actual work which is a replica and exhibit it in a museum or fine art gallery.
How one goes about re-creating a piece is another interesting part of this work. I’m inclined to take the actual image of a fictive artwork from a DVD and create a new 2d still image of the fictional artwork regardless of it’s dimensions in the fictive version. Or, one could take one of the sculptures from Beetlejuice and re-fabricate it. Or, you could mix-n-match depending on the fictional artwork.
I think someone with more time or ambition than MTAA could probably make an entire early career from this idea.
Of course, the problem is, sometimes producers hire “real” artists to either fabricate or loan art for films and television. permanent link to this post
Jun 07, 2003
MTAA Art Idea of the Day
posted at 15:26 GMT by M.River in /news/mriver
Okay, you may remember this AIOTD from earlier this month -
4 sheets of 4 x 8 plywood are cut to create the letters HTML. The letters are then painted white and hung on a 2 x 4 framework like the Hollywood sign.
This idea was somewhat inspired by Cory. I ran into him a few days ago and told him about the idea. He suggested using DHTML. This is another example of why he rules. permanent link to this post
4 sheets of 4 x 8 plywood are cut to create the letters HTML. The letters are then painted white and hung on a 2 x 4 framework like the Hollywood sign.
This idea was somewhat inspired by Cory. I ran into him a few days ago and told him about the idea. He suggested using DHTML. This is another example of why he rules. permanent link to this post
Jun 05, 2003
Wolfowitz Retraction by The Guardian
posted at 12:14 GMT by T.Whid in /news/twhid/politics
The article sited in my post yesterday regarding Wolfowitz has been retracted by The Guardian:
A report which was posted on our website on June 4 under the heading “Wolfowitz: Iraq war was about oil” misconstrued remarks made by the US deputy defence secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, making it appear that he had said that oil was the main reason for going to war in Iraq. He did not say that. He said, “The most important difference between North Korea and Iraq is that economically we just had no choice in Iraq. The country swims on a sea of oil.” The sense was that the US had no economic options by means of which to achieve its objectives, not that the economic value of the oil motivated the war. The report appeared only on the website and has now been removed.
I guess you CAN’T believe everything you read on the Web :-)
permanent link to this post
Jun 04, 2003
It WAS all about oil afterall
posted at 17:37 GMT by T.Whid in /news/twhid/politics
The Guardian is reporting that loose-lipped Wolfowitz has done it again. He’s actually telling the truth! It’s hard to believe, but evidentally it’s true!
In a story posted today, Wolfowitz: Iraq war was about oil, the deputy defense secretary is quoted as telling an Asian security summit in Singapore, when asked why the US is treating North Korea differently than Iraq: Let’s look at it simply. The most important difference between North Korea and Iraq is that economically, we just had no choice in Iraq. The country swims on a sea of oil. Finally, someone is being honest in the Bush Administration.
I’m thinking that old Wolfowitz may have talked himself out of a job, but at least we’re finding out the actual agenda behind the Bush Admin’s war in Iraq before he goes. permanent link to this post
In a story posted today, Wolfowitz: Iraq war was about oil, the deputy defense secretary is quoted as telling an Asian security summit in Singapore, when asked why the US is treating North Korea differently than Iraq: Let’s look at it simply. The most important difference between North Korea and Iraq is that economically, we just had no choice in Iraq. The country swims on a sea of oil. Finally, someone is being honest in the Bush Administration.
I’m thinking that old Wolfowitz may have talked himself out of a job, but at least we’re finding out the actual agenda behind the Bush Admin’s war in Iraq before he goes. permanent link to this post
Jun 03, 2003
Lies, Lies, Lies
posted at 09:33 GMT by T.Whid in /news/twhid/politics
I’m just going to quote some Krugman today. The fact that the Bush Administration lied to sell the Iraq war to the American people shouldn’t really surprise anyone. What’s really surprising, and hopelessly depressing, is that the American media is once again bending over and letting the Bushies do them from the rear. Where is the outrage? Seems the British have a more truthful media, from Krugman today:
In Britain, the news media have not been shy about drawing the obvious implications, and the outrage has not been limited to war opponents. The Times of London was ardently pro-war; nonetheless, it ran an analysis under the headline “Lie Another Day.” The paper drew parallels between the selling of the war and other misleading claims: “The government is seen as having `spun’ the threat from Saddam’s weapons just as it spins everything else.”
And for those ‘loyal’ Americans who might say, “Hey, it’s OK, we took out a nasty Dictator.” I’ll post some more of Krugman’s opinion:
But here’s the thought that should make those commentators really uncomfortable. Suppose that this administration did con us into war. And suppose that it is not held accountable for its deceptions, so Mr. Bush can fight what Mr. Hastings calls a “khaki election” next year. In that case, our political system has become utterly, and perhaps irrevocably, corrupted.
Link to Krugman’s June 3rd column
permanent link to this post
Jun 02, 2003
blog on
posted at 20:31 GMT by M.River in /news/mriver
blog blog blog
blog blog blog
blog blog blog
and blog…
i dont want to have a blog, best jimpunk permanent link to this post
blog blog blog
blog blog blog
and blog…
i dont want to have a blog, best jimpunk permanent link to this post
MTAA Art Idea of the Day
posted at 18:53 GMT by M.River in /news/mriver
A small wood shack for a solar power server. Very cool eh?
What? You don’t think we can make a solar server? This very cool geek already did one. So did this very cool kid
Yes, I know you will want to steal this AIOTD. That is okay cuz we are copy left and we got the idea from our friend Kate anyway. Although the idea is only in a rough blog ready state right now, we are acutely going to try to get a gallery to let us build it on their roof in the fall.
permanent link to this post
What? You don’t think we can make a solar server? This very cool geek already did one. So did this very cool kid
Yes, I know you will want to steal this AIOTD. That is okay cuz we are copy left and we got the idea from our friend Kate anyway. Although the idea is only in a rough blog ready state right now, we are acutely going to try to get a gallery to let us build it on their roof in the fall.
permanent link to this post