query here
6digit _______
lecturer, one could argue that I'm at least partly related to the issue, but
it's simply not the right environment for the kind of work I do online.
Otherwise, I have been deeply involved in a network of alternative spaces,
public intervention projects, creative experiments, performance art events,
etc., here in Spain. I can hardly say I'm isolated, at least in the
traditional sense of the term (i.e., no one to talk to about what i like, no
one would join me for a gig or a film, etc.).
You see, networking has these things. I first encountered that in mail-art.,
and it's even more obvious online. If a lot of your creative activity
implies live events, direct presence in front of an "audience"... It's easy
to get burnt out pretty quickly. Remember Bruce Nauman: "People Die from
Overexposure". Exactly. I find the possibility of working from here (yes,
Alan, stuck to the screen, until someone has a better idea) to be strangely
relaxing and motivating. It's obviously more than just _my_ position here,
being part of a network, receiving, manipulating and posting, etc., has
other benefits too, but...
I think creativity _requires_ isolation. So it could be someone stuck in a
room with a typewriter, or someone scribbling away in a public library.
Despite the constant I/O, it愀 clear that each node in this network is
perfectly alone (if not lonely), and I think creativity has required this
kind of loneliness and isolation since time immemorial. I惴 not here because
there愀 no one else to talk to. I惴 here because there愀 no one else to talk
to in this manner.
In a message dated 11/24/01 2:19:21 AM, sond...@PANIX.COM writes:
<<
There's something I've been curious about - more than that, actually. I
tend to do my work in total (physical) isolation; no one in Miami knows
what I do (the work would be hated here), and there are no multimedia/
newmedia/netart/whatever artists/theorists/writers/whatever with whom I
have any kind of discussion. My contacts are all online.
I wonder how true this is for the rest of you - how many of you might work
in other sorts of groups/collaborations - might have "real life" - i.e.
offline - contacts or friends or collaborators or fellow group-members,
whatever - with whom you work or discuss work in one form or another? In
other words, how many of us are isolated, contacting others, finding our
community, online - not just primarily online, but entirely so?
When I was in New York, there were a few people - Tom Zummer, Leslie
Thornton, Keith Sanborn, Ellen Zweig - with whom I could discuss things,
but that was the extent of it. All of my collaborations have been online;
none of my collaborators have even been in the same state I've lived in.
When I was in New York, I was able to attend the Linux conventions - about
the only place I felt at home. I was also teaching Internet Culture and
Community at the School of Visual Arts - MFA computer art program - and
found even there at the students had little or no real knowledge of the
Net.
I was also able to go to maybe 2-3 conventions a year of computer writers/
artists/etc. - like the Buffalo electronic literature or Albany Book/Ends
ones - since I've been down here, I haven't been to anything. (It's been
miserable.)
This of course "does something" to the psyche - if nothing else, appears
to enlarge the consequences of online life, turn one into an adjunct of
the screen, overly neuroticized, etc. (I'm speaking of myself of course).
Anyway, apologies for cross-posting, but I think these are relatively
important issues -
Alan
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
schwartzgk
n. I
feel it immense because it seems immense everywhere. Immense, and witho=
ut
mercy.
But I often desire it to be other...to anchor onto a geography, contain=
ing
vectors, etc.I desire Others to gather with...to make a story of it.
Something else to make a stretch of it all. I have that desire, that
restlessness. I do desire for the logic and civilization to lead me awa=
y
from isolation. And to that end I want to believe we "contain
multitudes" -- that company -- that can save us from scraping dry in
isolation.
bst, Gerald
> Isolation is relative - and hardly the case with me. As an Art Histor=
y
> lecturer, one could argue that I'm at least partly related to the iss=
ue,
but
> it's simply not the right environment for the kind of work I do onlin=
e.
> Otherwise, I have been deeply involved in a network of alternative sp=
aces,
> public intervention projects, creative experiments, performance art
events,
> etc., here in Spain. I can hardly say I'm isolated, at least in the
> traditional sense of the term (i.e., no one to talk to about what i l=
ike,
no
> one would join me for a gig or a film, etc.).
>
> You see, networking has these things. I first encountered that in
mail-art.,
> and it's even more obvious online. If a lot of your creative activity
> implies live events, direct presence in front of an "audience"... It'=
s
easy
> to get burnt out pretty quickly. Remember Bruce Nauman: "People Die f=
rom
> Overexposure". Exactly. I find the possibility of working from here (=
yes,
> Alan, stuck to the screen, until someone has a better idea) to be
strangely
> relaxing and motivating. It's obviously more than just _my_ position =
here,
> being part of a network, receiving, manipulating and posting, etc., h=
as
> other benefits too, but...
>
> I think creativity _requires_ isolation. So it could be someone stuck=
in a
> room with a typewriter, or someone scribbling away in a public librar=
y.
> Despite the constant I/O, it愀 clear that each node in this network=
is
> perfectly alone (if not lonely), and I think creativity has required =
this
> kind of loneliness and isolation since time immemorial. I惴 not her=
e
because
> there愀 no one else to talk to. I惴 here because there愀 no one=
else to
talk
> to in this manner.
>
>
> In a message dated 11/24/01 2:19:21 AM, sond...@PANIX.COM writes:
>
> <<
>
> There's something I've been curious about - more than that, actually.=
I
> tend to do my work in total (physical) isolation; no one in Miami kno=
ws
> what I do (the work would be hated here), and there are no multimedia=
/
> newmedia/netart/whatever artists/theorists/writers/whatever with whom=
I
> have any kind of discussion. My contacts are all online.
>
> I wonder how true this is for the rest of you - how many of you might=
work
> in other sorts of groups/collaborations - might have "real life" - i.=
e.
> offline - contacts or friends or collaborators or fellow group-member=
s,
> whatever - with whom you work or discuss work in one form or another?=
In
> other words, how many of us are isolated, contacting others, finding =
our
> community, online - not just primarily online, but entirely so?
>
> When I was in New York, there were a few people - Tom Zummer, Leslie
> Thornton, Keith Sanborn, Ellen Zweig - with whom I could discuss thin=
gs,
> but that was the extent of it. All of my collaborations have been onl=
ine;
> none of my collaborators have even been in the same state I've lived =
in.
>
> When I was in New York, I was able to attend the Linux conventions - =
about
> the only place I felt at home. I was also teaching Internet Culture a=
nd
> Community at the School of Visual Arts - MFA computer art program - a=
nd
> found even there at the students had little or no real knowledge of t=
he
> Net.
>
> I was also able to go to maybe 2-3 conventions a year of computer wri=
ters/
> artists/etc. - like the Buffalo electronic literature or Albany Book/=
Ends
> ones - since I've been down here, I haven't been to anything. (It's b=
een
> miserable.)
>
> This of course "does something" to the psyche - if nothing else, appe=
ars
> to enlarge the consequences of online life, turn one into an adjunct =
of
> the screen, overly neuroticized, etc. (I'm speaking of myself of cour=
se).
>
> Anyway, apologies for cross-posting, but I think these are relatively
> important issues -
>
> Alan
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/int=
l.asp
>
Tony Green
-----Original Message-----
From: WRYTING-L : Writing and Theory across Disciplines
[mailto:WRYT...@listserv.utoronto.ca] On Behalf Of schwartzgk
Sent: Tuesday, 27 November 2001 07:59
To: WRYT...@listserv.utoronto.ca
Subject: Re: query here
I take isolation to be a central fact to us, from inception to
depostion. I
feel it immense because it seems immense everywhere. Immense, and
without
mercy.
But I often desire it to be other...to anchor onto a geography,
containing
vectors, etc.I desire Others to gather with...to make a story of it.
Something else to make a stretch of it all. I have that desire, that
restlessness. I do desire for the logic and civilization to lead me away
from isolation. And to that end I want to believe we "contain
multitudes" -- that company -- that can save us from scraping dry in
isolation.
bst, Gerald
> Isolation is relative - and hardly the case with me. As an Art History
> lecturer, one could argue that I'm at least partly related to the
issue,
but
> it's simply not the right environment for the kind of work I do
online.
> Otherwise, I have been deeply involved in a network of alternative
spaces,
> public intervention projects, creative experiments, performance art
events,
> etc., here in Spain. I can hardly say I'm isolated, at least in the
> traditional sense of the term (i.e., no one to talk to about what i
like,
no
> one would join me for a gig or a film, etc.).
>
> You see, networking has these things. I first encountered that in
mail-art.,
> and it's even more obvious online. If a lot of your creative activity
> implies live events, direct presence in front of an "audience"... It's
easy
> to get burnt out pretty quickly. Remember Bruce Nauman: "People Die
from
> Overexposure". Exactly. I find the possibility of working from here
(yes,
> Alan, stuck to the screen, until someone has a better idea) to be
strangely
> relaxing and motivating. It's obviously more than just _my_ position
here,
> being part of a network, receiving, manipulating and posting, etc.,
has
> other benefits too, but...
>
> I think creativity _requires_ isolation. So it could be someone stuck
in a
> room with a typewriter, or someone scribbling away in a public
library.
> Despite the constant I/O, it愀 clear that each node in this network =
is
> perfectly alone (if not lonely), and I think creativity has required
this
> kind of loneliness and isolation since time immemorial. I惴 not here
because
> there愀 no one else to talk to. I惴 here because there愀 no one =
else
to
talk
> to in this manner.
>
>
> In a message dated 11/24/01 2:19:21 AM, sond...@PANIX.COM writes:
>
> <<
>
> There's something I've been curious about - more than that, actually.
I
> tend to do my work in total (physical) isolation; no one in Miami
knows
> what I do (the work would be hated here), and there are no multimedia/
> newmedia/netart/whatever artists/theorists/writers/whatever with whom
I
> have any kind of discussion. My contacts are all online.
>
> I wonder how true this is for the rest of you - how many of you might
work
> in other sorts of groups/collaborations - might have "real life" -
i.e.
> offline - contacts or friends or collaborators or fellow
group-members,
> whatever - with whom you work or discuss work in one form or another?
In
> other words, how many of us are isolated, contacting others, finding
our
> community, online - not just primarily online, but entirely so?
>
> When I was in New York, there were a few people - Tom Zummer, Leslie
> Thornton, Keith Sanborn, Ellen Zweig - with whom I could discuss
things,
> but that was the extent of it. All of my collaborations have been
online;
> none of my collaborators have even been in the same state I've lived
in.
>
> When I was in New York, I was able to attend the Linux conventions -
about
> the only place I felt at home. I was also teaching Internet Culture
and
> Community at the School of Visual Arts - MFA computer art program -
and
> found even there at the students had little or no real knowledge of
the
> Net.
>
> I was also able to go to maybe 2-3 conventions a year of computer
writers/
> artists/etc. - like the Buffalo electronic literature or Albany
Book/Ends
> ones - since I've been down here, I haven't been to anything. (It's
been
> miserable.)
>
> This of course "does something" to the psyche - if nothing else,
appears
> to enlarge the consequences of online life, turn one into an adjunct
of
> the screen, overly neuroticized, etc. (I'm speaking of myself of
course).
>
> Anyway, apologies for cross-posting, but I think these are relatively
> important issues -
>
> Alan
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at