[Nettime-bold] 'the net.artists' - what Vuk had to say about it in early 96

["Lachlan Brown" <lachlan@london.com>]

THE NET.ARTISTS

On a tiny site, Site http://web.archive.org/web/19961101212553/http://lois.kud-fp.si/naps, 
are the works of a few activists 
known by the name of net.artists. 
Net.art is not, as is generally 
thought, the art of putting 
everything in the form of a net. 
In 1995, Bunting showed a few www 
art works in which there were
some simply and firmly woven webs 
that gave the public the illusion
of these nets, whence the name of 
our youngest school of www art
works. This school has already 
aroused passionate discussion. 
Net.art can in no way be considered 
a systematic doctrine; 
it does, however, constitute a 
school, and the activists who make 
up this school want to transform 
their www art works by returning 
to first principles with regard to 
online inspiration, just as the 
media.artists - and many of the 
net.artists were at one time 
media.artists 
- returned to first principles 
with regard to interface composition. 
However, the public, accustomed as 
it is to the brilliant but practically formless daubs of the post-modernists, 
refused to recognize at first glance 
the greatness of the formal conceptions 
of the net.artists. 
People were shocked to see contrasts 
between dark backgrounds and light 
hotlinks, because they were used to 
seeing only www art works without shadows. 

In the monumental appearance of 
compositions that go beyond
the frivolities of contemporary art, 
the public has refused to see
what is really there: a noble and 
restrained art ready to undertake
the vast subjects for which post-modernism 
had left media artists totally unprepared. 
Net.art is a necessary reaction that will 
give rise to great works, 
whether people like it or not. For is 
it possible, can anyone believe 
for an instant, that the undeniable efforts 
of these young artists 
will remain sterile? I will even go 
further, and without underestimating 
the talents of all sorts that are manifest at the net.art per se, 
I will say that net.art is the most noble undertaking in www art today. 
vuk@kud-fp.si
akke@khm.de
guillaume@apollinaire.org


Lachlan Brown
difference engine 1994-2001

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