Paris Connection in relation to early net.art

Hi jim,
You raised some really interesting points and I do particularly agree your thoughts on
with the alex galloway article. A kind of nostalgia does seem to permeate this kind of text
(although I have to say that I am not particularly fond of introductions at all) but this
could very well be to do with the NY scene that I have no real handle on.

I do think the paris connection is incredibly interesting and stimulating, but I admit I
haven't spent enough time on all the artists as I rarely get past nicolas claus, as his work
just intrigues and delights me on so many levels (funnily enough I passed the url of dark
matter on to takeo the other day as something he could look at as an example of how
video is being used in experimental and absorbing ways)

I am obviously biased towards turbulence.org as they gave me my own little soapbox
through the artist studio which was a buzz (I'd had them bookmarked since discovering
net.art) but yes, they are bringing many different approaches together and vitally, doing
this without dictating a style or form of 'what is net.art' but just what feels like a real
interest and pleasure in all the works…
cheers,
j.



> thanks, jess, for the link to takeo at http://www.takeo.org/nspace/ns00.htm , which you maintain
> is highly related to and more notable than the arcangel work. i would agree with what you say
> about takeo vs arcangel.
>
> i recall a post from a while ago by curt cloninger in which he pointed out that early computer
> art was more or less necessarily almost solely conceptual, given the technological constraints
> upon it in terms of visuals, sound, and bandwidth. and he posed the question as to whether this
> needed to continue as the predominant modus of net.art, given that though there are still
> constraints on tech and bandwidth, both have advanced to a state where such an aesthetic is not
> necessarily required.
>
> also, i would point out that the rectilinear, often purposefully 'pixelated' style we associate
> with the arcangel piece is very new york - eastern european early net.artish in its
> associations. to me, it's less interesting as something to look as contemplate as a reiteration
> of the style of early net.art. to me, the discussion about it and the galloway essay read like
> ads for 'classic' net.art. want a piece to be championed by the early net.artists? do it in
> their style. pay tribute. meet good guys.
>
> the 'paris connection' project at http://turbulence.org/curators/Paris is an attempt to discuss
> work that does not reiterate this style but, instead, has proceeded into a shift in net art that
> i find appealing and relates to yours and curt's observations. it is not new york. it is paris.
> the work is often wonderfully conceptual and philosophical, even minimal, as in the work of
> Antoine Schmitt and servovalve, but it is also capable of what is to me a more fecund
> exploration of video–in the work of clauss and birge, for instance–than the arcangel work. and
> the explorations of audio, for instance, in the work of servovalve, lamarque, and birge combine
> tech with the sensual and experiential.
>
> something beautiful is unfolding in paris. though there are, among the six parisians, some top
> art-programmers, birge, for instance, is not a programmer but is known for his work in
> multimedia audio in france, is the king of multimedia audio there, and is a full collaborator
> with the others. we see in this loosely-knit group a strong modus of collaboration between
> programmers, audio guys, people involved in dance–and a range of other media and arts. we see a
> tremendous synthesis of arts, media, and programming in their collaborative work together.
> toward an art for the net that is as good as any art on the planet. and an art in which there is
> no axe through the middle of the brain between experience and concept. it is rich in both.
>
> paris connection is an attempt in english, french, spanish, and portuguese to tell the world
> about their work, related work, and these larger contexts in which net.art is proceeding beyond
> the solely conceptual cerebrations of early net.art. there is a strong tradition in french
> culture toward synthesis of arts and media. here is a quote from guillaume apollinaire from
> 1917:
>
> "These artifices can still go much further and achieve the synthesis of the arts, of music,
> painting, and literature … One should not be astonished if, with only the means they have now
> at their disposal, they set themselves to preparing this new art (vaster than the plain art of
> words) in which, like conductors of an orchestra of unbelievable scope they will have at their
> disposal the entire world, its noises and its appearances, the thought and language of man,
> song, dance, all the arts and all the artifices, still more mirages than Morgane could summon up
> on the hill of Gibel, with which to compose the visible and unfolded book of the future…. "
> "L'Esprit Nouveau et les Poetes" Apollinaire, 1917
>
> interesting and encouraging that both the arcangel and paris connection are published on
> turbulence. turbulence at turb. that's what we like to see. turbulence and synthesis. many
> thanks to helen thorington and jo for publishing and encouraging both.
>
> ja
>
o
/^ rssgallery.com
][

I could say loads, in fact I wrote a more compelling statement regarding
Alex's intro but I do not wish to cause upset; I'm not interested in being
too sceptical, must remain calm. So I am rethinking my txt and leaving it in
my drafts folder for a little while to see if I was being too hot headed,
along with loads of other noisy txt's rumbling, screaming to be let out.

in respect of Cory's…

positve - It's ok.

negative - It ain't punk.

respect from marc (caught in a dualistic loop today)




> Hi jim,
> You raised some really interesting points and I do particularly agree your
thoughts on
> with the alex galloway article. A kind of nostalgia does seem to permeate
this kind of text
> (although I have to say that I am not particularly fond of introductions
at all) but this
> could very well be to do with the NY scene that I have no real handle on.
>
> I do think the paris connection is incredibly interesting and stimulating,
but I admit I
> haven't spent enough time on all the artists as I rarely get past nicolas
claus, as his work
> just intrigues and delights me on so many levels (funnily enough I passed
the url of dark
> matter on to takeo the other day as something he could look at as an
example of how
> video is being used in experimental and absorbing ways)
>
> I am obviously biased towards turbulence.org as they gave me my own little
soapbox
> through the artist studio which was a buzz (I'd had them bookmarked since
discovering
> net.art) but yes, they are bringing many different approaches together and
vitally, doing
> this without dictating a style or form of 'what is net.art' but just what
feels like a real
> interest and pleasure in all the works…
> cheers,
> j.
>
>
>
> > thanks, jess, for the link to takeo at
http://www.takeo.org/nspace/ns00.htm , which you maintain
> > is highly related to and more notable than the arcangel work. i would
agree with what you say
> > about takeo vs arcangel.
> >
> > i recall a post from a while ago by curt cloninger in which he pointed
out that early computer
> > art was more or less necessarily almost solely conceptual, given the
technological constraints
> > upon it in terms of visuals, sound, and bandwidth. and he posed the
question as to whether this
> > needed to continue as the predominant modus of net.art, given that
though there are still
> > constraints on tech and bandwidth, both have advanced to a state where
such an aesthetic is not
> > necessarily required.
> >
> > also, i would point out that the rectilinear, often purposefully
'pixelated' style we associate
> > with the arcangel piece is very new york - eastern european early
net.artish in its
> > associations. to me, it's less interesting as something to look as
contemplate as a reiteration
> > of the style of early net.art. to me, the discussion about it and the
galloway essay read like
> > ads for 'classic' net.art. want a piece to be championed by the early
net.artists? do it in
> > their style. pay tribute. meet good guys.
> >
> > the 'paris connection' project at http://turbulence.org/curators/Paris
is an attempt to discuss
> > work that does not reiterate this style but, instead, has proceeded into
a shift in net art that
> > i find appealing and relates to yours and curt's observations. it is not
new york. it is paris.
> > the work is often wonderfully conceptual and philosophical, even
minimal, as in the work of
> > Antoine Schmitt and servovalve, but it is also capable of what is to me
a more fecund
> > exploration of video–in the work of clauss and birge, for
instance–than the arcangel work. and
> > the explorations of audio, for instance, in the work of servovalve,
lamarque, and birge combine
> > tech with the sensual and experiential.
> >
> > something beautiful is unfolding in paris. though there are, among the
six parisians, some top
> > art-programmers, birge, for instance, is not a programmer but is known
for his work in
> > multimedia audio in france, is the king of multimedia audio there, and
is a full collaborator
> > with the others. we see in this loosely-knit group a strong modus of
collaboration between
> > programmers, audio guys, people involved in dance–and a range of other
media and arts. we see a
> > tremendous synthesis of arts, media, and programming in their
collaborative work together.
> > toward an art for the net that is as good as any art on the planet. and
an art in which there is
> > no axe through the middle of the brain between experience and concept.
it is rich in both.
> >
> > paris connection is an attempt in english, french, spanish, and
portuguese to tell the world
> > about their work, related work, and these larger contexts in which
net.art is proceeding beyond
> > the solely conceptual cerebrations of early net.art. there is a strong
tradition in french
> > culture toward synthesis of arts and media. here is a quote from
guillaume apollinaire from
> > 1917:
> >
> > "These artifices can still go much further and achieve the synthesis of
the arts, of music,
> > painting, and literature … One should not be astonished if, with only
the means they have now
> > at their disposal, they set themselves to preparing this new art (vaster
than the plain art of
> > words) in which, like conductors of an orchestra of unbelievable scope
they will have at their
> > disposal the entire world, its noises and its appearances, the thought
and language of man,
> > song, dance, all the arts and all the artifices, still more mirages than
Morgane could summon up
> > on the hill of Gibel, with which to compose the visible and unfolded
book of the future…. "
> > "L'Esprit Nouveau et les Poetes" Apollinaire, 1917
> >
> > interesting and encouraging that both the arcangel and paris connection
are published on
> > turbulence. turbulence at turb. that's what we like to see. turbulence
and synthesis. many
> > thanks to helen thorington and jo for publishing and encouraging both.
> >
> > ja
> >
> o
> /^ rssgallery.com
> ][
>
>
>
> + ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gniht ym tup
> -> post: [email protected]
> -> questions: [email protected]
> -> subscribe/unsubscribe: http://rhizome.org/preferences/subscribe.rhiz
> -> give: http://rhizome.org/support
> +
> Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to the terms set out in the
> Membership Agreement available online at http://rhizome.org/info/29.php
>
>

> I do think the paris connection is incredibly interesting and stimulating, but I admit I
> haven't spent enough time on all the artists as I rarely get past nicolas claus, as his work
> just intrigues and delights me on so many levels (funnily enough I passed the url of dark
> matter on to takeo the other day as something he could look at as an example of how
> video is being used in experimental and absorbing ways)

Yes. Dark Matter, a marvelous piece (http://www.flyingpuppet.com/shock/darkmatt.htm ), is a
collaboration with two of the other artists featured in Paris Connection: Jean-Jacques Birge,
who did the audio, and Frederic Durieu, who did some Lingo programming (they all use Director,
except Birge).

Some of Clauss+ I like in video is Before the Night
(http://www.flyingpuppet.com/shock/avant.htm ) and a recent piece called Scalpel at
http://www.flyingpuppet.com/shock/scalpel.htm . Nicolas has launched two new pieces in the last
couple of weeks, one of them being Scalpel.

Ana Maria Uribe, who did the Spanish translation of Paris Connection, tells me she saw
Clauss++'s work the other day on TV in Buenos Aires. Nicolas is a brilliant artist. He is also a
superb collaborator.

I find that the coherence of their work as a loosely-knit group is fascinating. All six are,
individually, doing excellent work, but taken as a group (most of them collaborate with one
another anyway), the beauty and poetry of the 'statement' is surpassingly beautiful, I find. The
one who collaborates most with the others in the group is Birge; he also is the only one who
does not create with Director; yet he is a full collaborator in the sense that he imagines and
creates with them from start to end not solely concerning audio but concerning interactivity,
visuals, etc. Birge also worked with me throughout the making of Paris Connection doing
corrections of the French translations; he is a writer as well as an audio guy.

Part of the beauty of what is unfolding in Paris is what they are doing together, and Paris
Connection tries to understand that, as well as treating their work individually.

> I am obviously biased towards turbulence.org as they gave me my own little soapbox
> through the artist studio which was a buzz (I'd had them bookmarked since discovering
> net.art) but yes, they are bringing many different approaches together and vitally, doing
> this without dictating a style or form of 'what is net.art' but just what feels like a real
> interest and pleasure in all the works…

Turbulence has been strong on synthesis and range from day one, as has rhizome. I first
encountered Helen Thorington's work in the 80's when I was working in radio. She was then
producing the New American Radio series that aired on NPR and occassionally elsewhere around the
globe. She was commissioning audio art/audio writing/radio art at that point (which was also
broad in synthesis) and sometimes edited critical writing about the art for EAR mag out of New
York. She commissioned many works by Gregory Whitehead, Susan Stone, Douglas Kahn, Jay Alison,
Matt Fair, Dan Lander, blackhumour, Jacki Apple and produced her own work, then as now…

ja
http://turbulence.org/curators/Paris

This one i thought was excellent…

marc


http://www.flyingpuppet.com/shock/oneday.htm


> Hi jim,
> You raised some really interesting points and I do particularly agree your
thoughts on
> with the alex galloway article. A kind of nostalgia does seem to permeate
this kind of text
> (although I have to say that I am not particularly fond of introductions
at all) but this
> could very well be to do with the NY scene that I have no real handle on.
>
> I do think the paris connection is incredibly interesting and stimulating,
but I admit I
> haven't spent enough time on all the artists as I rarely get past nicolas
claus, as his work
> just intrigues and delights me on so many levels (funnily enough I passed
the url of dark
> matter on to takeo the other day as something he could look at as an
example of how
> video is being used in experimental and absorbing ways)
>
> I am obviously biased towards turbulence.org as they gave me my own little
soapbox
> through the artist studio which was a buzz (I'd had them bookmarked since
discovering
> net.art) but yes, they are bringing many different approaches together and
vitally, doing
> this without dictating a style or form of 'what is net.art' but just what
feels like a real
> interest and pleasure in all the works…
> cheers,
> j.
>
>
>
> > thanks, jess, for the link to takeo at
http://www.takeo.org/nspace/ns00.htm , which you maintain
> > is highly related to and more notable than the arcangel work. i would
agree with what you say
> > about takeo vs arcangel.
> >
> > i recall a post from a while ago by curt cloninger in which he pointed
out that early computer
> > art was more or less necessarily almost solely conceptual, given the
technological constraints
> > upon it in terms of visuals, sound, and bandwidth. and he posed the
question as to whether this
> > needed to continue as the predominant modus of net.art, given that
though there are still
> > constraints on tech and bandwidth, both have advanced to a state where
such an aesthetic is not
> > necessarily required.
> >
> > also, i would point out that the rectilinear, often purposefully
'pixelated' style we associate
> > with the arcangel piece is very new york - eastern european early
net.artish in its
> > associations. to me, it's less interesting as something to look as
contemplate as a reiteration
> > of the style of early net.art. to me, the discussion about it and the
galloway essay read like
> > ads for 'classic' net.art. want a piece to be championed by the early
net.artists? do it in
> > their style. pay tribute. meet good guys.
> >
> > the 'paris connection' project at http://turbulence.org/curators/Paris
is an attempt to discuss
> > work that does not reiterate this style but, instead, has proceeded into
a shift in net art that
> > i find appealing and relates to yours and curt's observations. it is not
new york. it is paris.
> > the work is often wonderfully conceptual and philosophical, even
minimal, as in the work of
> > Antoine Schmitt and servovalve, but it is also capable of what is to me
a more fecund
> > exploration of video–in the work of clauss and birge, for
instance–than the arcangel work. and
> > the explorations of audio, for instance, in the work of servovalve,
lamarque, and birge combine
> > tech with the sensual and experiential.
> >
> > something beautiful is unfolding in paris. though there are, among the
six parisians, some top
> > art-programmers, birge, for instance, is not a programmer but is known
for his work in
> > multimedia audio in france, is the king of multimedia audio there, and
is a full collaborator
> > with the others. we see in this loosely-knit group a strong modus of
collaboration between
> > programmers, audio guys, people involved in dance–and a range of other
media and arts. we see a
> > tremendous synthesis of arts, media, and programming in their
collaborative work together.
> > toward an art for the net that is as good as any art on the planet. and
an art in which there is
> > no axe through the middle of the brain between experience and concept.
it is rich in both.
> >
> > paris connection is an attempt in english, french, spanish, and
portuguese to tell the world
> > about their work, related work, and these larger contexts in which
net.art is proceeding beyond
> > the solely conceptual cerebrations of early net.art. there is a strong
tradition in french
> > culture toward synthesis of arts and media. here is a quote from
guillaume apollinaire from
> > 1917:
> >
> > "These artifices can still go much further and achieve the synthesis of
the arts, of music,
> > painting, and literature … One should not be astonished if, with only
the means they have now
> > at their disposal, they set themselves to preparing this new art (vaster
than the plain art of
> > words) in which, like conductors of an orchestra of unbelievable scope
they will have at their
> > disposal the entire world, its noises and its appearances, the thought
and language of man,
> > song, dance, all the arts and all the artifices, still more mirages than
Morgane could summon up
> > on the hill of Gibel, with which to compose the visible and unfolded
book of the future…. "
> > "L'Esprit Nouveau et les Poetes" Apollinaire, 1917
> >
> > interesting and encouraging that both the arcangel and paris connection
are published on
> > turbulence. turbulence at turb. that's what we like to see. turbulence
and synthesis. many
> > thanks to helen thorington and jo for publishing and encouraging both.
> >
> > ja
> >
> o
> /^ rssgallery.com
> ][
>
>
>
> + ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gniht ym tup
> -> post: [email protected]
> -> questions: [email protected]
> -> subscribe/unsubscribe: http://rhizome.org/preferences/subscribe.rhiz
> -> give: http://rhizome.org/support
> +
> Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to the terms set out in the
> Membership Agreement available online at http://rhizome.org/info/29.php
>
>

I agree with alex on cory's work and with much of what has been said in this thread.
one more work that I think is related to the discussion is alex work RSG-CPE0C-1 >

http://rhizome.org/RSG/RSG-CPE0C-1/RSG-CPE0C-1/index.htm

in my opinion ingenious and very much related to cory's.

sincerely,
doron golan

I think we can expect full agreement from the group on this matter, Doron. Baa baa etc etc, to
paraphrase Ivan.

Check out, on the other hand, http://turbulence.org/curators/Paris/servovalveenglish.htm .

ja

> —–Original Message—–
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of
> doron golan
> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 10:37 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: RHIZOME_RAW: Re: Paris Connection in relation to early net.art
>
>
> I agree with alex on cory's work and with much of what has been said in this thread.
> one more work that I think is related to the discussion is alex work RSG-CPE0C-1 >
>
> http://rhizome.org/RSG/RSG-CPE0C-1/RSG-CPE0C-1/index.htm
>
> in my opinion ingenious and very much related to cory's.
>
> sincerely,
> doron golan

true jim, servovalve et al and the PC project is magnifique.
funny, but I always feel the euro vs the american inheritance.
at the end it's comes down to personal taste and perhaps where-about we are.
anyway,
congra on the super project.
doron

> true jim, servovalve et al and the PC project is magnifique.
> funny, but I always feel the euro vs the american inheritance.
> at the end it's comes down to personal taste and perhaps where-about we are.
> anyway,
> congra on the super project.
> doron

on further reflection, the rectilinear style isn't new york at all, or eastern europe; it was,
formerly, a way of taking advantage of the restrictions of–but also the nature of–computers.
anti-aliasing and all that takes time and processing, enough resolution and colors to support
it, and so on. to deal with the full screen, it was expeditious to chuck that stuff and deal
with the rectilinear openly and even stylishly. given the constraints on the processing power,
such a style maximized visual energy and also related to painting and other arts in relevant,
contemporary ways.

and it also acknowledges the fundamentally rectilinear, pixelated nature of the monitor without
trying to turn it into a photographic display device, ie, the rectilinear style can acknowledge
and exploit the phenomenology of the pixel in ways that a photographic style must choke on or
not deal with, not exploit, possibly stumble on, be foreign in.

So one can see that there are good reasons why the history of computer art is populated with a
lot of strong work that is rectilinear in style.

That said, it's also true that, by now, given the processor, bandwidth, and other constraints
are much looser than they once were, the rectilinear style does not necessarily provide the
decisive advantages it once did concerning how to move the information quickly and with artful
energy. though it is always wise to observe the phenomenology of the medium.

By now, it is sometimes, as noted by others, a kind of brand rather than something that provides
an advantage in terms of function or form.

I have nothing against Cory or his work and wish him well, and the piece is not by any means a
calculation on his part in art styling, obviously.

I don't even care if people create brands of art and are able to market them successfully.
that's just the contemporary world being the contemporary world.

But I think we need to distinguish between branding and stylistic necessity that once, but no
more, necessarily, provided a decisive advantage in terms of form and function.

ja