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

["claudia raddatz" <claudia@anat.org.au>]

probably {;-)


----------
>From: "David  O'Halloran" <DOhalloran@gleneira.vic.gov.au>
>To: "Ian Stevenson" <audile@bigpond.com>, "soft_skinned_space"
<empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au>
>Subject: RE: [-empyre-] race, net-art, strategy
>Date: Thu,  16:28
>

> 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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