Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 11:49:30 +0100
From: Heiko Recktenwald <UZS106-AT-IBM.rhrz.uni-bonn.de>
Subject: A poem is a poem is a poem is a poem


Hi, there have been so many replies to the "netart" thing, or net.art or
.netart or or or as some like it, thanks. I think the point was clear. Its
a question of language. Language. What words mean. Usefull sense.

Lets take an example which isnt electronic art, a simple poem. I write a
poem for a girlfriend or for whoever you like.

If I say it to the person, spoken language, is it speakart ? If I speek to
a bigger audience, is it audience art ? If I write it down etc, is it paper
art ? Bookart? Publishinghouseart ? Copyshopart ? If I write it with a
wordprocessor, is it wordprocessorart ? Computerart ? So why should it ever
be "netart" ???????

I dont think there couldnt be netart in the strict sense. If Usenet, this
permanent flow of things, would be art, ok. Or etc.

We had this inflationiest use of the word radioart in the 70s and even 80s.
What some people did with microphones, taperecorders etc. Just to make some
radiostations more interesting. And some persons in those stations. Sotosay
pure propaganda. Roaratorio was a great piece also without this word. More
examples. Sateliteart.

We dont have to agree on this. Yes, all media have there special
connotations. A spoken poem is something else to a written poem. But if you
concentrate a little bit, the content is allways the same. And this kind of
concentration is important for all kind of art reception. Else...

So lets try to concentrate of the things. One could even doubt there is
much genuine electronic art.Compare it to music. Or cinema. Electronic
media, what else. Nobody would speak of CD music, or LP music, or mp3
music. Arte povera...

We should reserve the word "netart" to very special things, that are too
important to be mixed with things that are just, and I like this, it might
change a lot, distributed via internetcables. Otherwise, its just hype of
the AOL style.

Heiko







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