File spoon-archives/avant-garde.archive/avant-garde_1998/avant-garde.9810, message 31


Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 10:15:57 -0800
From: Damon Holzborn <damon-AT-im.gte.com>
Subject: Re: News: WebArt Manifesto


>>A quick response: isn't defining "web art" solely in
>>relation to HTML too limiting to describe the WWW and the internet? This
>>limits it solely to the mark-up language of the contents and overlooks
>>all the interactive and communicative dimensions of the net.
>>
>>George

>It is a point we debated long hard. Eventually the view prevailed that,
>since HTML is capable of enacapsulating the widest variety of
>interactive routines through links, forms etc.; and because
>communicability is contextually inherent to HTML's formulation,  the
>definition holds good.
>
>Incidentally, you missed something:  "web art", as you put it, is not
>what we were trying to define (that term will cover ANY art communicated
>via the WWW, but which doesn't depend on HTML for its existence); we
>think the nomenclature 'WebArt' is an important step in identifying a
>new artform that DOES depend on HTML as its medium.
>
>Broad adoption of this nomenclature is something that we hope to
>promulgate....

I agree that an attempt at defining a term to apply this emerging artform
is and important step. Separating 'art on the web' from 'WebArt' is
important but I agree with George that this is too limited. If WebArt
depends on HTML for it's existance what about, for example, email art or
internet broadcasts? Both of these can be unique to the internet, but not
necessarily the web, and like WebArt need to be differentiated from art
from other mediums using the internet for transmission only.

I know this is kind of bickering about semantics, but basically what I'm
thinking is that we need a bigger umbrella. The term Netart could include
all these things and anything new that comes along. Art that takes
advantage of any the internet's unique characteristics or enhanced
capabilities would be a part of this new art form, WebArt would be a subset
of this.

-Damon



==========================Damon Holzborn
damon-AT-im.gte.com
damon-AT-zucasa.com

Zu Casa es su casa...
http://www.zucasa.com
==========================



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