Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 17:35:57 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: News: WebArt Manifesto


On Fri, 30 Oct 1998, Gerald O'Connell wrote:

> by the comment 'it's just art made using a particular medium'. You
> appear to be unaware that classification by medium is a universally
> accepted means of distinguishing and defining different forms of art. So
> we do not need terms like 'painting' or 'etching' or 'watercolour' any
> more because 'it's just art made using a particular medium' ?
> 
> That is why I made the ironic comments about RailArt and BoatArt - the
> viewres mode of access access to the work just does not stand up as a
> defining characteristic or criterion for a typology of art. Thus,
> artists who have become excited about 'the intrinsic nature of the web'
> as a communications medium, have become excited about the wrong thing if
> they think that the communications medium is essential to the content of
> the art itself. What they are really excited about is the fact that they
> now have a new and unprecedentedly powerful way of communicating their
> art to others. That is an extremely exciting and important thing, but it
> has more to do with democratising the social construction of artistic
> taste than it has to do with the content of art itself.
> 
	I think its the process not the content that can be quite 
interesting. engaging people in an on-line activity for instance. this 
cannot be put into a file on your HD.
	Also, I find classifying art by medium to be very problematic. I
think what's crucial is the intention of the artist. I find that your
ecclectic approach tends to lump everything together, when what is at
issue is the differences between the different 'schools' or tendencies. 

	Thanks for raising these issues!

George



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