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

["David O'Halloran" <DOhalloran@gleneira.vic.gov.au>]

precisley , more poetry and less didacticism.

> ----------
> From: 	keith@blacknetart.com[SMTP:keith@blacknetart.com]
> Reply To: 	soft_skinned_space
> Sent: 	Friday, 1 August 2003 2:53
> To: 	Ian Stevenson; soft_skinned_space
> Subject: 	Re: [-empyre-] race, net-art, strategy
> 
> 
> 
> "When I see this darker, unreasoning part of myself
> represented within an artwork I recoil."
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- Ian Stevenson <audile@bigpond.com> wrote:
> > 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
> 
> _______________________________________________
> empyre forum
> empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> http://www.subtle.net/empyre
> 
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