9.3 Internet art

Internet art emerged in the 1990s as a new form of artistic expression, reflecting rapid technological advancements. It explored the intersection of art, technology, and networked communication, challenging traditional notions of creation and distribution.

This digital art movement represented a significant shift from physical to virtual spaces. It embraced online tools and platforms, fostering new forms of interactivity, collaboration, and digital aesthetics that continue to shape contemporary art practices.

Origins of internet art

• Internet art emerged in the 1990s as a new form of artistic expression in the postwar era, reflecting the rapid technological advancements of the time
• Explores the intersection of art, technology, and networked communication, challenging traditional notions of artistic creation and distribution
• Represents a significant shift in artistic practices, moving from physical to virtual spaces and embracing digital tools

Early internet culture

Top images from around the web for Early internet culture

• 

  Ascii-Art Mapping: SyMAP (or Early Computer Generated Cartography) – SOCKS View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Ascii-Art Mapping: SyMAP (or Early Computer Generated Cartography) – SOCKS View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Art ASCII — Wikipédia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Ascii-Art Mapping: SyMAP (or Early Computer Generated Cartography) – SOCKS View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Ascii-Art Mapping: SyMAP (or Early Computer Generated Cartography) – SOCKS View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Early internet culture

• 

  Ascii-Art Mapping: SyMAP (or Early Computer Generated Cartography) – SOCKS View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Ascii-Art Mapping: SyMAP (or Early Computer Generated Cartography) – SOCKS View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Art ASCII — Wikipédia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Ascii-Art Mapping: SyMAP (or Early Computer Generated Cartography) – SOCKS View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Ascii-Art Mapping: SyMAP (or Early Computer Generated Cartography) – SOCKS View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Characterized by text-based communication and primitive graphics (ASCII art)
• Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) fostered online communities and creative exchanges
• Emergence of cyberpunk aesthetics influenced early internet art visuals and themes
• Early adopters experimented with hypertext literature and interactive storytelling

Net.art movement

• Coined in 1995 by Vuk Ćosić, term "net.art" describes art specifically created for and distributed through the internet
• Focused on browser-based works that explored the unique properties of the web
• Emphasized conceptual and often subversive approaches to internet technologies
• Key artists included Alexei Shulgin, Heath Bunting, and Natalie Bookchin

Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0

• Web 1.0 (1991-2004) characterized by static HTML websites and limited user interaction
  • Artists primarily created standalone web pages or simple interactive experiences
• Web 2.0 (2004-present) introduced user-generated content and social networking
  • Enabled more collaborative and participatory art projects
  • Shift from artist-created content to platform-based artistic practices

Key characteristics

Interactivity and participation

• Allows viewers to actively engage with and manipulate artworks
• Blurs the line between artist and audience, creating co-creative experiences
• Utilizes hyperlinks, clickable elements, and user input to shape the artwork
• Examples include Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's "Vectorial Elevation" and Scott Snibbe's "Boundary Functions"

Networked communication

• Leverages internet connectivity to create distributed and collaborative artworks
• Enables real-time interaction between geographically dispersed participants
• Explores themes of global connectivity and information flow
• Projects like "The World's First Collaborative Sentence" by Douglas Davis demonstrate networked art

Digital aesthetics

• Embraces glitches, pixelation, and low-resolution imagery as artistic elements
• Incorporates computer-generated graphics and animations
• Explores the visual language of user interfaces and operating systems
• Artists like Cory Arcangel use digital aesthetics to comment on technology and culture

Pioneering artists and works

Olia Lialina

• Russian artist known for her early net.art projects exploring online identity and narrative
• Created "My Boyfriend Came Back from the War" (1996), an influential hypertext narrative
• Experiments with GIF animations and web-based storytelling techniques
• Critiques the commercialization of the internet through works like "Online Newspapers"

Vuk Cosic

• Slovenian artist who coined the term "net.art" and helped establish the movement
• Known for ASCII art adaptations of famous films and artworks
• Created "Deep ASCII" (1998), transforming pornographic film clips into text-based animations
• Explores the intersection of art history and digital culture in works like "History of Art for Airports"

Jodi.org collective

• Dutch-Belgian duo Joan Heemskerk and Dirk Paesmans, pioneers of browser-based art
• Create deliberately confusing and glitchy websites that subvert user expectations
• "wwwwwwwww.jodi.org" (1995) presents seemingly broken code that reveals hidden images
• Explore the aesthetics of error and technological malfunction in their works

Technological foundations

HTML and web browsers

• Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) serves as the basic building block for web-based artworks
• Artists manipulate HTML code to create visual compositions and interactive experiences
• Web browsers act as the primary interface for viewing and interacting with internet art
• Evolution of browser capabilities (CSS, JavaScript) expands artistic possibilities over time

Software as artistic medium

• Artists use programming languages and custom software to create generative artworks
• Commercial software (Photoshop, Flash) repurposed for artistic creation and manipulation
• Open-source tools enable artists to modify and create their own software environments
• Examples include Casey Reas and Ben Fry's Processing language for visual artists

Open source principles

• Encourages sharing and modification of code and artistic concepts
• Collaborative development of tools and platforms for digital art creation
• Embraces transparency and accessibility in the artistic process
• Projects like "The GNU Image Manipulation Program" (GIMP) exemplify open-source art tools

Themes and concepts

Virtual identity

• Explores the construction and performance of online personas
• Examines the fluidity and multiplicity of digital identities
• Investigates avatar creation and role-playing in virtual environments
• Artists like Lynn Hershman Leeson explore virtual identity in works like "Life²"

Information overload

• Addresses the overwhelming abundance of data in the digital age
• Visualizes complex information flows and data structures
• Critiques the impact of constant connectivity on human cognition
• Works like Mark Napier's "The Shredder" deconstruct web content to comment on information overload

Digital divide

• Examines inequalities in access to technology and digital literacy
• Explores the impact of technological disparities on global communication and culture
• Addresses issues of digital colonialism and technological hegemony
• Projects like Heath Bunting's "BorderXing Guide" highlight disparities in freedom of movement and information access

Artistic strategies

Hacking and subversion

• Repurposes existing technologies and platforms for artistic expression
• Challenges corporate control of digital spaces and tools
• Exposes vulnerabilities in digital systems as a form of critique
• The "Toywar" project by etoy.CORPORATION exemplifies artistic hacking and corporate subversion

Collaborative creation

• Utilizes networked technologies to enable distributed artistic production
• Challenges traditional notions of authorship and individual artistic genius
• Creates platforms for crowd-sourced artworks and collective creativity
• "The Sheep Market" by Aaron Koblin demonstrates large-scale collaborative art creation

Generative art

• Employs algorithms and code to create evolving or procedurally generated artworks
• Explores the intersection of human creativity and machine intelligence
• Challenges notions of artistic control and intentionality
• Artists like Manfred Mohr pioneer computer-generated abstract art

Institutional recognition

Online exhibitions

• Virtual galleries and museums dedicated to showcasing internet-based artworks
• Challenges traditional curatorial practices and exhibition formats
• Enables global access to art exhibitions without physical limitations
• Platforms like Rhizome's "Net Art Anthology" preserve and present historical net art

Preservation challenges

• Addresses issues of technological obsolescence and changing web standards
• Develops strategies for archiving and emulating browser-based artworks
• Explores the tension between preserving original experience and updating for modern systems
• Projects like "Seeing Double" at the Guggenheim Museum highlight preservation challenges

Digital art collections

• Museums and institutions develop strategies for acquiring and maintaining digital artworks
• Challenges traditional notions of art ownership and authenticity
• Explores new models for valuing and selling internet-based art
• The Tate's "Intermedia Art" initiative exemplifies institutional collecting of digital art

Impact on contemporary art

Post-internet art

• Explores the influence of internet culture on artistic production and reception
• Blurs boundaries between online and offline artistic practices
• Addresses the ubiquity of digital imagery and information in everyday life
• Artists like Petra Cortright create works that reflect internet aesthetics in physical form

Social media as platform

• Utilizes popular social networks as sites for artistic creation and distribution
• Explores the attention economy and viral content as artistic strategies
• Examines the impact of social media on personal identity and social interactions
• Projects like Man Bartlett's Twitter-based performances leverage social media for art

NFTs and blockchain art

• Explores new models of digital ownership and scarcity through blockchain technology
• Challenges traditional art market structures and valuation methods
• Enables new forms of generative and interactive artworks
• Artists like Kevin Abosch create conceptual works that explore the nature of value in the digital age

Critical perspectives

Technological determinism

• Examines the belief that technology drives social and cultural change
• Critiques the uncritical embrace of new technologies in artistic practices
• Explores the relationship between technological innovation and artistic evolution
• Works like Zach Blas's "Facial Weaponization Suite" challenge technological determinism in art

Digital colonialism

• Addresses the dominance of Western technologies and cultural norms in global digital spaces
• Examines the impact of technological infrastructure on artistic production and distribution
• Explores alternative models of digital culture and creativity
• Artists like Tabita Rezaire critique digital colonialism through works addressing techno-spirituality

Surveillance capitalism

• Investigates the commodification of personal data and online behavior
• Examines the role of art in critiquing and exposing surveillance practices
• Explores artistic strategies for resisting or subverting digital tracking
• Projects like Trevor Paglen's "Autonomy Cube" address issues of privacy and surveillance in the digital age

Future directions

AI and machine learning

• Explores the creative potential of artificial intelligence in artistic production
• Examines the relationship between human and machine creativity
• Addresses ethical concerns surrounding AI-generated art and authorship
• Artists like Refik Anadol create data-driven artworks using machine learning algorithms

Virtual and augmented reality

• Investigates immersive technologies as new mediums for artistic expression
• Explores the blending of physical and virtual spaces in art experiences
• Examines the potential for embodied and spatially-aware digital artworks
• Projects like Rachel Rossin's VR installations push the boundaries of virtual art spaces

Decentralized web technologies

• Explores peer-to-peer networks and distributed systems for artistic creation and distribution
• Investigates blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies as artistic mediums
• Examines the potential for decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) in art
• Artists like Simon Denny create works that explore the social and political implications of decentralized technologies