RE: [-empyre-] race, net-art, strategy

[<keith@blacknetart.com>]

David,

I would be interested to know what "avantguard" you
speak of. I would hate to make any false assumptions
about center of this discourse.

Keith Obadike 

> I think Ian Stevenson's slightly provocative
> comments are more challenging than the ideology and
> presumptions of the avantguard gatekeepers.
> 
> David O'Halloran
> 
> > ----------
> > From: 	Ian Stevenson[SMTP:audile@bigpond.com]
> > Reply To: 	Ian Stevenson;soft_skinned_space
> > Sent: 	Thursday, 31 July 2003 16:18
> > To: 	soft_skinned_space
> > Subject: 	Re: [-empyre-] race, net-art, strategy
> > 
> > Dear List,
> > 
> > I am glad I provoked some reasoned response.
> > 
> > Claudia wrote:
> > >in my humble just blah blah blah ...
> > 
> > I guess perhaps you thought I was not being
> constructive in my response
> > about evaluation and the potentialities of net
> art. I am quite serious about
> > finding ways to objectively validate my aesthetic
> responses or at least to
> > find ways to talk about them.
> > 
> > Keith wrote:
> > >All art is political. Work which unconsciously or
> > >carelessly engages with the political structures
> > >around it is often bad and therefore boring.
> > 
> > I agree, and I would add to unconsciously and
> carelessly - over
> > simplistically, although I have no specific
> examples to hand to back this up
> > with.
> > 
> > >Perhaps it is a mistake for you to look for
> work(especially
> > >about race) that makes you feel positively or
> work
> > >which less than difficult.
> > 
> > Not "feel positively", I meant respond to
> positively in an evaluative sense.
> > Difficult is often most challenging and therefore
> most rewarding.
> > 
> > >I certainly hope that anyone who considers
> themselves to be invested in
> > >racism finds my work about race disturbing.
> > 
> > My point about being a racist (I don't know what
> you mean by "invested in
> > racism") is that I am situated within power
> structures. To be racist is to
> > be prejudiced, to pre-judge based on race alone.
> No matter how self aware I
> > attempt to be in my engagement with the world, I
> still react to people and
> > situations in a prejudiced way. I attempt not to
> act on this prejudice but
> > it is there. It is part of who I am, which,
> although my identity evolves
> > with experience, I attempt to be aware of.
> > 
> > When I see this darker, unreasoning part of myself
> represented within an
> > artwork I recoil. This is a successful work, in my
> evaluation. On the other
> > hand, when I see this complex relationship with my
> own identity represented
> > in simplistic and bombastic terms, I do not
> respond positively to the work
> > and I get the sense that it does not have much to
> offer me.
> > 
> > Danny wrote more about POV. This is what I am
> trying to offer those working
> > in this field - an idea of what my POV as a white
> male is to works involving
> > race politics. We should not just see these works
> as holding up mirrors to
> > society but as mirrors to ourselves.
> > 
> > Damali wrote:
> > >art isn't meant to make us feel any one
> particular emotion, or make
> > >us think any one particular thing, but i do
> believe that art is made
> > >to make us think and feel. if it doesn't get rid
> of it.
> > 
> > My sentiments exactly!
> > 
> > Thanks for your comments.
> > 
> > Ian S
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > empyre forum
> > empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> > http://www.subtle.net/empyre
> > 
>
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