[-empyre-] Gross materiality

[Simon Biggs]

It is true that the paraphenalia of computing largely derives from the
petro-chemical industries. As I point out in my last post though, you should
cannot conflate the digital with what we today understand to be a computer.
The computer is, first and foremost, an idea, an abstract process ­ like
language ­ it is arguably pure language. The digital is not obliged to
employ computers ­ although computers make it a trivial exercise to do
things digitally.

It can also be pointed out that painting depends on a gross materiality
founded on questionable ethics. Acrylic paints are petro-chemicals. Most oil
paints involve the use of heavy or rare metals which are highly damaging to
the environments where they are mined and employed. Canvas is made of
industrially farmed cotton, as is artists¹ quality acid free paper.
Paintbrushes are made of the furs of rare and endangered animals and
hardwood trees that are being cut down faster than they can grow. The
electric lights we use to illuminate our studios are powered by carbon and
nuclear fuels. Bla bla bla...

In the same manner that visual art is effected but, paradoxically,
unconstrained by the materiality of paint and canvas, digital art cannot be
constrained by the materiality of computer hardware, even whilst it is
profoundly effected by it.

Regards

Simon


On 17/1/09 01:00, Julian Oliver wrote:

> 'Digital Artwork' is very much non-digital. the metal and plastic computer, in
> all it's gross materiality, is more than the frame, even the support (canvas).
> it is, for the most part, a physical context that cannot be separated from the
> digital content, critically, functionally and historically.



Simon Biggs
Research Professor
edinburgh college of art
s.biggs at eca.ac.uk
www.eca.ac.uk
www.eca.ac.uk/circle/

simon at littlepig.org.uk
www.littlepig.org.uk
AIM/Skype: simonbiggsuk


Edinburgh College of Art (eca) is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC009201


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