Re: [-empyre-] Returning to bidimensionality & the body

[Brendan Howell <mute@netaxs.com>]

Ok.  I think my first post was poorly articulated or at least I did not
explain to the depth necessary.  Joseph is getting at some of the same
conclusions that I'm coming to.
  To expand... I was really meaning to say that the ontologies of digital
media are far more social, political and cultural than purely formal or
aesthetic.
  If we look at the technologies (and resultant mediums) involved, they
are never really defined or formalized.  Example: photography -> film ->
video.  photography + photomontage + photoshop filters = postmodern still
image.  And these in turn have branched off into various derivative and
hybrid forms that never stand still or follow any sort of linear
evolution.  These mediums also tend to emerge or more aptly, they are
stolen from mundane and practical industrial use.  They are then warped,
perverted and re-contextualized into artistic utility.
  I think it was Bruce Nauman that once said something about how each
medium has a grounding effect on his work and that he liked to keep
changing to avoid producing consistent or predictable work.
  Now if we look at the sources and methodology of producing the digital
image, appropriation and mechanical image capture are fundamental.
Opposite of these techniques we have the more pure, abstract forms of 3D
geometry (CGI,VRML) and 2D vector (flash, illustrator) images.
  The goal of the 'modern project' is to create idealized and universal
forms.  This is a sort of heirarchical mode where the image is 'handed
down' to people.  Digital media contrasts (possibly as a reaction) by
producing the custom, contextualized image.  The result is more democratic
and adaptive.
  So when someone mentions the "digital sublime", I get images of
mathematically perfect forms and minimalist VR architectures.  It's
beautiful but it leaves me cold when it says "the meat is weak!" and "the
engineer is god!".  Digital media on the other hand feels messy and
incomplete but it lets me hug my mom and watch madonna videos without
having to abstract or exclude it from my art practice.

-Brendan