http://vimeo.com/65854980

part of this conversation

http://vimeo.com/groups/190297

other voices welcome

cheers
michael

well said, Michael.
m.

This looks great. I'd lost touch a bit with what Rick Silva was doing - we used to post his work regularly on DVblog and I always found it fascinating, especially the videos he made four or five years ago, which were clearly the first feelings of the way towards this. I love the cool,stripped -down orderliness of these, which at the same time are ravishingly beautiful. It's the austerity behind which gorgeousness hides that is so very winning. Nice to see gifs eschewing their down and dirtyness for something altogether more elegant. And how pleasant to both have to think and be moved at the same time, and don't even get me started on how wonderful that they are made then and there..

I'm intrigued by this response after having given it a good deal of thought. Do you think that your role, Michael, is to "foster a tone" ?
Rob Myers is a fluffy bunny who wouldn't hurt a fly but he also has very highly developed bullshit detection installed. His reply (which appropriates lines from "Alien") was extremely rude but funny and to the point. If people write drivel they must expect to be called on it.
It also seems from their reply that the victim of Rob's ire is perfectly capable of taking care of themselves.
I don't want to pull too much of an "in the old days" but, quite honestly, those of us who remember the bracingly toxic environment the RAW could at times be (Kandinsky/Death anyone?) really would not even be moved to raise half a lazy eyebrow at this.
Discussion is not a mutual appreciation society -it is a struggle for understanding and for meaning and against obfuscation and the kind of dumbing down that comes with money, ambition and the kind of neo-liberalised art market we have today. Ideas things *matter*, they have *consequences* so people get passionate and sometimes even reply sharply. Good thing, not bad thing.
In a kind of circle with my first post on this I want to repeat: the whole point about RAW, about unmoderated e mail lists is that they are democratic in an as yet unparalleled way. No one individual"fosters a tone" on them and a good thing too.
cheers
michael

Dyske
In a huge break with our history and with precedent I have to say I agree with almost all of what you write here. The last two paras, in particular, are glorious and could serve as a kind of keynote for any process of reviving involvement in Rhizome whilst maintaining its other virtues.
warmest wishes
michael