New Medium: A Critical Distinction Between Using It and Exploring It

Exploring The Uses of the Medium vs. Exploring The Nature of the Medium

I fully agree with Mr. Salvaggio's statement that it is time for "an exploration of what can be said with the medium more so than exploring what the medium is" and "now that we have figured out how to mix paints it's only natural to start looking at what we can say with them."

I wouldn't call this impending focus on content or meaning a "wave." For me the communicative or functional use of a medium is more like the full body of water out of which the first wave of exploration comes. I hope the uses of the medium will remain the main focus of artists for all time.

It is natural that a medium be "about itself" in the beginning but if it stays that way or, like painting, reverts to that mode in a decadent age such as ours, it becomes sterile and of little value to humanity.

I pose this question: As a general standard for judging artwork on the web, can we give a higher value to work that says something WITH or THROUGH the medium than work that says something ABOUT the medium? Stated in terms of Mr. Salvaggio's comparison of the internet to a phone service, can we give a higher value to work that says something WITH or THROUGH the phone service than work that says something ABOUT the phone service? Substitute radio, television, cinema,or printing machine for phone service, if you like.

My purpose in asking these questions is to encourage the development of critical standards by means of which works of net art can be evaluated, distinctions between them clearly articulated, and the audience empowered to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Standard Disclaimer: Daniel Young has a strong bias in favor of his own work and thoughts.

Daniel Young

Comments

, august highland

Exploring The Uses of the Medium vs. Exploring The Nature of the Medium

or

Saying Something With the Medium vs. Saying Something About the Medium



A Critical Distinction Between Those That Are Doing And Those That Are
Watching


—– Original Message —–
From: "Daniel Young" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 4:44 AM
Subject: RHIZOME_RAW: New Medium: A Critical Distinction Between Using It
and Exploring It


> Exploring The Uses of the Medium vs. Exploring The Nature of the Medium
>
> I fully agree with Mr. Salvaggio's statement that it is time for "an
exploration of what can be said with the medium more so than exploring what
the medium is" and "now that we have figured out how to mix paints it's only
natural to start looking at what we can say with them."
>
> I wouldn't call this impending focus on content or meaning a "wave." For
me the communicative or functional use of a medium is more like the full
body of water out of which the first wave of exploration comes. I hope the
uses of the medium will remain the main focus of artists for all time.
>
> It is natural that a medium be "about itself" in the beginning but if it
stays that way or, like painting, reverts to that mode in a decadent age
such as ours, it becomes sterile and of little value to humanity.
>
> I pose this question: As a general standard for judging artwork on the
web, can we give a higher value to work that says something WITH or THROUGH
the medium than work that says something ABOUT the medium? Stated in terms
of Mr. Salvaggio's comparison of the internet to a phone service, can we
give a higher value to work that says something WITH or THROUGH the phone
service than work that says something ABOUT the phone service? Substitute
radio, television, cinema,or printing machine for phone service, if you
like.
>
> My purpose in asking these questions is to encourage the development of
critical standards by means of which works of net art can be evaluated,
distinctions between them clearly articulated, and the audience empowered to
separate the wheat from the chaff.
>
> Standard Disclaimer: Daniel Young has a strong bias in favor of his own
work and thoughts.
>
> Daniel Young
> + ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gniht ym tup
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