art and tech | implicit art

Archives

13 May 2005 by nathaniel

anyone at all interested in guest writing here? I’m TOTALLY into it!

There’s been so much great stuff going on in Joburg – from shows at the JAG and Muti, to Dance pieces with Robyn Orlin and viewings of work/films by Aryan Kaganof. Monna Mokoena (Gallery Momo) was even on the cover of Blink Magazine this month!

You haven’t heard from me cuz I’ve also been busy – making education-based sites, working with my students on their upcoming show, various freelance to pay the bills, and some upcoming project work with PJ Sabbagha (a dance piece – he was Standard Bank Young Artist for Dance this year) and William Kentridge (too difficult to explain, but will surely post any pictures I can as we progress).

But I hate to waste this space, and I’ve not nearly enough blogs lately! Anyone at all interested in guest blogging? I’d prefer people who are willing to write about South African art stuff, but rants and politics, whatever, even if they don’t gel with mine, are totally acceptable.

Blogging is as easy as using webmail, and posting images just like adding attachments. I can’t offer money (I have none), but it’s not that much work and can be kind of fun – my readership has averaged at about 1000 page visits per day over the last six months (more when I post more, less when I don’t)!

Any takers should contact me. I’ll carry on writing now and again, and give passwords to anyone who can promise about at least one blog / week (if I like them). No experience necessary, but opinions are a must. Obviously, whenever you post, you’ll get your name under the title, and I’ll also give you your own li’l page on my web site, with bio info, pictures, whatever you like (if you have your own site, we’ll link to that instead)….

Seriously. I’m into it.

Archives

01 May 2005 by nathaniel

in excess of the already constituted

First up:
Now and again I decide it may be time to explore new things. Well, theory is not exactly new to me, but I don’t plan on going back and re-categorizing every post in my whole blog (nearly 600 entries to date!). Point? New category of posts on this blog is “theory,” and this here is the first entry.

WSOA (Wits School of the Arts) paper. Clockwise from left, around table: Natasha Christopher (artist), Professor Jane Taylor, Nicole Ridgway and Marc Edwards (artist)

at WSOA (Wits School of the Arts) seminar. Clockwise from left, around table: Natasha Christopher (artist), Professor Jane Taylor, Nicole Ridgway and Marc Edwards (artist)

Local scholar (OK, she’s also my wife) Nicole Ridgway presented this week’s WSOA paper, entitled in excess of the already constituted: interaction as performance. It was a fake debate, as provocation, between the two most prolific (in my not so humble opinion) new media philosopher / theorists around today – Brian Massumi and Mark Hansen.

Aside from the case studies of Bill Viola, in order to take a look at the performed vs the preformed in the “emerging space” of interaction, the most interesting thing Nicole did was in and around her respondents. Rather than asking for the standard academic response, she got local artists to talk about how they might apply its concepts in their work.

A great discussion ensued, and even carried on into a bar through much later that evening. A short version of said paper will eventually be online at http://inter-disciplinary.net/, and the full chapter will be published by Rodopi press later this year.

Archives

27 April 2005 by nathaniel

artthrobs back!!!!

Altho Mr Lamprecht is a clever chap, and fun to drink with, he’s admitted that artthrob was a bit too much for him, and will be handing over the editorship to someone else. The real treat, of course, is that founding editor Sue Williamson will be taking over during the transitional period… Sue! Make your diary a blog! I’ll help! More frequent visits! Woot!

So, the newly updated issue is not exactly as fleshed out as we are used to, but those of us up in Joburg that are curious about the Cape Arts can see what’s been going on down there, more or less, which was sorely missed by at least one avid reader (me). I’ve only skimmed so far, but to me, the highlights are Kim Gurney’s review of (Standard Bank Young Artist) Wim Botha, @ Michael Stevenson Contemporary, and this amazing-looking opening (TODAY!, started an hour and a half ago, actually) of Mikhael Subotzky at Pollsmoor (part of freedom day).

And, of course, I gotta plug my students:

digital arts MA students @ the drift between

via artthrob…. Members of the interactive media department, Wits School of the Arts, from left: Nathaniel Stern [(lecturer)], Nicholas Nesbitt, Colleen Alborough, Professor Christo Doherty, Elmi Dixon, Sue van Zyl and Richard Kilpert.

Here’s a fantastic review of the WSOA digital arts final exhibition, by James Sey. This was a group exhibition of their final projects last year, supervised / managed by me and Christo, curated, produced and installed by the students (so I helped a little). Watch this space for the next batch of digital arts MAs, who will have a show opening at Franchise Gallery on 25 June!!!!

Archives

25 April 2005 by nathaniel

commons sense

creatice commons sense Well, the commons sense conference, by creative commons SA, is coming up (25-27 May), so Christo and I had a great meeting with Heather and Sylvia today, to discuss possible connections, presenters, artworks, blogs, etc. For those of you unaware, Creative Commons is a great new way of dealing with digital copyright, and share licenses…. For example, this blog is under a creative commons "non-commercial share-alike" license, which means you can copy, edit, change and use anything I publish, so long as you credit me, and don’t make money (if you make money, you gots to negotiate with me to gimme some). It’s kind of an arts and information-based open source, um, thing. And the digital copyright man, himself (larry lessig), will be hangin’ out in joburg, giving talks, and generally spreading creative commons cheer. There are also blog and artwork contests, with cash prizes – so get involved! Follow any of the many CC links for more….

Archives

17 April 2005 by nathaniel

compressionism and experiment02

A couple of days ago, I posted the invite to experiment02, my second duo show – and third, large-scale collaboration – with marcus neustetter. My half of the show, the beginning of a new body of work, has now been added to this site, as well as launched its own! For more information on Compressionism, you can head on over to http://compressionism.net, or just use the "concepts" link on my top, flash menu (above), to see it in relation to the rest of my work. There will be video documentation on the main Compressionism site by this Thursday, so keep an eye out. Yes, it’s cheeky. Hee. Anywho, here’s a press release about the show, which opens (with free drinks) next Friday (22 April) @ Franchise, in Johannesburg. Hope it gets you excited….

experiment02 at franchise

nathaniel stern | marcus neustetter experiment02 stern + neustetter invite 22 April 2005 – 14 May 2005 Opening: 18h00 Friday 22 April by Stephen Hobbs Walkabout: 10h30 Saturday 30 April http://onair.co.za/mn | http://nathanielstern.com | http://compressionism.net *********************************************** In their second duo show, marcus neustetter and nathaniel stern will use simple technologies to explore different ways of looking. With experiment02, Neustetter continues on his Digital Frottage track, while Stern embarks on what he has been ironically calling Compressionism. Both artists are using various capture and display modes, sending physical objects and bodies, over time, through digital and analogical mediations. The work is intended to ask us all to "look again". This dialogue developed out of their first exhibition, The Getaway Experiment, at The Artspace, and getawayexperiment.net, a commissioned project for Turbulence ( http://www.turbulence.org ). ***********************************************

neustetter’s experiments

neustetter experiments @ franchise

"scanning" franchise process documentation (photo by nathaniel stern)

Continuing experimentation with his Digital Frottage, scanning, photocopying and photographically exposing his laptop screen, Marcus Neustetter is exploring the concept of "scanning" space without the use of digital technology. What could the analogue equivalent be for the capturing of light and space? Using sensitized paper and a development process with ammonia fumes, Neustetter’s site-specific work is scanning physical space at Franchise. This visual outcome continues to explore his interest in the aesthetic translation and abstraction of experimental digital and analogue inputs and outputs. experiment02: neustetter print

detail from a neustetter artwork

Compressionism

http://Compressionism.net

nathaniel stern compressing franchise

compressing franchise performance (photo by Lara Rivera)

Compressionism is a digital performance, and an analog archive; it utilizes various "perform and capture," "edit and exhibit" modes, and the resulting art-objects-as-evidence ask viewers to explore different ways of looking. The first Compressionist studies use the reflective beam of a moving digital scanner, over time, to compress large spaces or objects into images the size of a small sheet of paper. Once a performance is digitized and compressed, the computer acts as multiple frames for its subject; it’s used to process, clarify, and unpack the study – both literally, and metaphorically. The resulting prints are intended to provoke a complex conversation between artist, performance, mediation tool, art-object(s) and viewer.

More info: http://Compressionism.net

c.table: compressed table by nathaniel stern

c.table (compressed table) 29.7 x 22 cm, april 2005, mounted archival print

***********************************************

about the artists

marcus neustetter has been developing projects addressing the relationship between art and technology. These take the form of mobile, installation, and web artworks tackling the translation of data through different online and offline platforms. In this process he has been exploring the digital and analogue ways of representing virtual experiences. Marcus Neustetter has exhibited and has been actively involved in developing opportunities and platforms for local digital art through projects in South Africa and Europe, these include ARS Electronica (Austria), Transmediale.03 (Germany) and E-tester (Spain). As director (with Stephen Hobbs) of The Trinity Session and sanman (southern african new media art network) and The Gallery PREMISES, Marcus Neustetter is actively involved in developing cultural strategies through a range of projects. Currently he is consulting to UNESCO DigiArts Africa. http://onair.co.za/mn nathaniel stern is an internationally exhibited installation artist, net.artist and performance poet. His interactive installations have won awards in New York, South Africa and Australia, and his net.art, recently commissioned by turbulence.org, has been featured in festivals all over Europe, Asia and the US. nathaniel’s collaborative physical theatre and multimedia performance work has won three FNB Vita Awards – including Best Presentation of a New Contemporary Work – and has been featured on the main stage at the Grahamstown Festival (South Africa). His poetry repertoire includes the US National Poetry Slam competition and the RSA HIV/AIDS Arts, Media & Film Festival. http://nathanielstern.com

Archives

11 April 2005 by nathaniel

experiment02

e x p e r i m e n t 0 2ï¿½ï¿½ at franchise nathaniel stern | marcus neustetter experiment02: nathaniel stern and marcus neustetter @ franchise gallery 22 April 2005 – 14 May 2005 | Opening: 18h00 Friday 22 April by Stephen Hobbs | Walkabout: 10h30 Saturday 30 April http://onair.co.za/mnï¿½ï¿½ | ï¿½ï¿½http://nathanielstern.comï¿½ï¿½ |ï¿½Ý¬ï¿½http://compressionism.net Gallery hours: Tuesday – Friday 11h00 – 18h00 | Saturday 10h00 – 16h00 44 stanley avanue milpark johanesburg | phone +27 11 482 7995 fax +27 11 482 1207 | franchiseart[AT]44stanley.co.za