ARTBASE (2)
BIO
Jim Andrews does http://vispo.com . He is a poet-programmer and audio guy. His work explores the new media possibilities of poetry, and seeks to synthesize the poetical with other arts and media.
RE: netbehaviour: Jargon-busters pick top offenders after 25 years of rewriting history
very interesting. reminds me of George Orwell's 1946 essay "Politics and the
English Language" in which he argues for the politics of clear writing.
"In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defense of the
indefensible. Things like the continuance of British rule in India, the
Russian purges and deportations, the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan,
can indeed be defended, but only by arguments which are too brutal for most
people to face, and which do not square with the professed aims of political
parties. Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism,
question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness. Defenseless villages are
bombarded from the air, the inhabitants driven out into the countryside, the
cattle machine-gunned, the huts set on fire with incendiary bullets: this is
called pacification. Millions of peasants are robbed of their farms and sent
trudging along the roads with no more than they can carry: this is called
transfer of population or rectification of frontiers. People are imprisoned
for years without trial, or shot in the back of the neck or sent to die of
scurvy in Arctic lumber camps: this is called elimination of unreliable
elements. Such phraseology is needed if one wants to name things without
calling up mental pictures of them."
The phrases and countries have changed since 1946, yet official brutality is
still masked in euphemism. I put a copy of Orwell's essay up at
http://vispo.com/guests/GeorgeOrwell/PoliticsAndTheEnglishLanguage-GeorgeOrw
ell.html some time ago. It is still all too relevant.
ja
> Jargon-busters pick top offenders after 25 years of rewriting history John
> Ezard, arts correspondent Monday July 26 2004 The Guardian
English Language" in which he argues for the politics of clear writing.
"In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defense of the
indefensible. Things like the continuance of British rule in India, the
Russian purges and deportations, the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan,
can indeed be defended, but only by arguments which are too brutal for most
people to face, and which do not square with the professed aims of political
parties. Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism,
question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness. Defenseless villages are
bombarded from the air, the inhabitants driven out into the countryside, the
cattle machine-gunned, the huts set on fire with incendiary bullets: this is
called pacification. Millions of peasants are robbed of their farms and sent
trudging along the roads with no more than they can carry: this is called
transfer of population or rectification of frontiers. People are imprisoned
for years without trial, or shot in the back of the neck or sent to die of
scurvy in Arctic lumber camps: this is called elimination of unreliable
elements. Such phraseology is needed if one wants to name things without
calling up mental pictures of them."
The phrases and countries have changed since 1946, yet official brutality is
still masked in euphemism. I put a copy of Orwell's essay up at
http://vispo.com/guests/GeorgeOrwell/PoliticsAndTheEnglishLanguage-GeorgeOrw
ell.html some time ago. It is still all too relevant.
ja
> Jargon-busters pick top offenders after 25 years of rewriting history John
> Ezard, arts correspondent Monday July 26 2004 The Guardian
layers/intermingling
writing becomes an activity that comprehends the writing of code, the
creation of visual and sonic and programmed elements. even on and under
this screen. the fields of human knowledge become layered as the masking
proceeds and is simultaneously unmasked. writing extends through all the
dimensions of language. the net brings people and ideas/fields together even
as conflict arises in the meeting. the fields of human knowledge show
through one another.
ja
creation of visual and sonic and programmed elements. even on and under
this screen. the fields of human knowledge become layered as the masking
proceeds and is simultaneously unmasked. writing extends through all the
dimensions of language. the net brings people and ideas/fields together even
as conflict arises in the meeting. the fields of human knowledge show
through one another.
ja
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ruccas.org: Calling All Unconventional Computer Music Artists
> > A web site that makes this
> > sort of claim and delivers only mp3's, to me that is more 'typical'
> > than 'uncoventional' concerning music, digital or not.
>
> I strongly disagree. The medium used has nothing to do with how
> "conventional" the art is.
That isn't quite true, is it. mp3's are less exciting, regardless of the
content, on the net than they can be in other contexts. i suspect this is,
at least in part, because the net/web involves several media, ie, the medium
is plural. a radio station on the net is interesting because of the whole
venture of it, the interface and of course also, no doubt primarily, the mp3
or other (almost) strictly audio involved in the station. how do you do
radio on the net? how does that work? that is part of the interest of radio
on the net, which is somewhat additional to the audio material itself. which
kind of reminds me of gregory whitehead's saying somewhere that the
*material* of radio is the network.
> Most of the music I hear in online
> interactive works is actually very conventional, despite the fact
> that it is being used in a newer medium.
I suspect that's probably true. I take it you have then listened to a few,
which is encouraging, John.
just got back from my first trip to england. went to london for a few days
and loved it. i had some conversations with various folks about interactive
audio. the net/web, so far, has influenced the *distribution* of music more
profoundly at this point than it has influenced music *itself*. however,
anyone who is serious about interactive music for the web would, i presume,
aspire not simply to affect the distribution or other infrastructure
surrounding music and its culture but would wish to contribute something
radically different musically.
this can be in the actual music itself or in the form of the actual music
itself. and the form is more or less shaped or suggested by the nature of
the interactivity and the delivery system.
and, at least from my perspective, i see more undiscovered musical
possibility there than in innovative form via simply different instruments,
for instance.
> There is plenty of room
> left to be "unconventional" when working with music alone, I can
> assure you.
but of course. i don't mean to argue otherwise. and even on the net this is
true. yet the net's being plural in its media does change things a bit,
doesn't it, in not the same way but a way related to, say, music on tv.
sound alone on tv can of course be more interesting than many a tv program,
but we recognize that sound alone on tv avoids the whole visual dimension of
television, and that the visual dimension of tv is more or less crucial to
the tv medium.
the net/web has a visual dimension and also interactive dimensions, more
interesting textual dimensions than tv or film, and a whole network to it
that is really very different from tv networks, for instance, or radio
networks, typically.
> That being said, ruccas.org is accepting interactive and
> generative software works too, provided that the music is the
> main focus of the works.
accepting such work is good, but i would want to see that you were doing
interesting things with it before i sent you anything. you mentioned that
you were willing to accept it as long as it did not deflect focus from the
mp3s.
ja
> > sort of claim and delivers only mp3's, to me that is more 'typical'
> > than 'uncoventional' concerning music, digital or not.
>
> I strongly disagree. The medium used has nothing to do with how
> "conventional" the art is.
That isn't quite true, is it. mp3's are less exciting, regardless of the
content, on the net than they can be in other contexts. i suspect this is,
at least in part, because the net/web involves several media, ie, the medium
is plural. a radio station on the net is interesting because of the whole
venture of it, the interface and of course also, no doubt primarily, the mp3
or other (almost) strictly audio involved in the station. how do you do
radio on the net? how does that work? that is part of the interest of radio
on the net, which is somewhat additional to the audio material itself. which
kind of reminds me of gregory whitehead's saying somewhere that the
*material* of radio is the network.
> Most of the music I hear in online
> interactive works is actually very conventional, despite the fact
> that it is being used in a newer medium.
I suspect that's probably true. I take it you have then listened to a few,
which is encouraging, John.
just got back from my first trip to england. went to london for a few days
and loved it. i had some conversations with various folks about interactive
audio. the net/web, so far, has influenced the *distribution* of music more
profoundly at this point than it has influenced music *itself*. however,
anyone who is serious about interactive music for the web would, i presume,
aspire not simply to affect the distribution or other infrastructure
surrounding music and its culture but would wish to contribute something
radically different musically.
this can be in the actual music itself or in the form of the actual music
itself. and the form is more or less shaped or suggested by the nature of
the interactivity and the delivery system.
and, at least from my perspective, i see more undiscovered musical
possibility there than in innovative form via simply different instruments,
for instance.
> There is plenty of room
> left to be "unconventional" when working with music alone, I can
> assure you.
but of course. i don't mean to argue otherwise. and even on the net this is
true. yet the net's being plural in its media does change things a bit,
doesn't it, in not the same way but a way related to, say, music on tv.
sound alone on tv can of course be more interesting than many a tv program,
but we recognize that sound alone on tv avoids the whole visual dimension of
television, and that the visual dimension of tv is more or less crucial to
the tv medium.
the net/web has a visual dimension and also interactive dimensions, more
interesting textual dimensions than tv or film, and a whole network to it
that is really very different from tv networks, for instance, or radio
networks, typically.
> That being said, ruccas.org is accepting interactive and
> generative software works too, provided that the music is the
> main focus of the works.
accepting such work is good, but i would want to see that you were doing
interesting things with it before i sent you anything. you mentioned that
you were willing to accept it as long as it did not deflect focus from the
mp3s.
ja
visiting nottingham and london
i know there are a few brits on the list, so i thought i'd mention i'm
visiting nottingham and london. will participate in the trace symposium
happening monday to wednesday. i'll be showing an interactive audio piece
that's in progress, a piece called war pigs.
i barely know where the hell i'm going, but i guess i'll be there on the
10th, Sunday hopefully by mid or late afternoon.
there's info at http://trace.ntu.ac.uk/incubation/programme.cfm about the
symposium. looks like i'm on tuesday at 2:30. i'm doing something completely
different than what i said i'd do a few months ago, but that's probably par
for the course. the interactive audio piece i'll be showing is something
i've been working on for a while and has a ways to go yet, but i'd like to
show it and discuss with whomever's there where it is and where it's going,
the concept, the context, political and artistic. i also wrote an essay
called Digital Writing Circa 2004 that i'll bring some copies of. this also
is different from what i said i'd do.
i work with some musicians in canada, one of whom, steve gibson, is also
going to be at the symposium. he's going to perform quite a knockout piece
wednesday evening in a club in nottingham somewhere, a piece called Virtual
DJ, and he's going to give a talk on visual music at the symposium.
the trace thing winds up wednesday night and then i'm hoping to head down to
london (never been) and leave on the 18th. i may have accomodation in
london, but i'm not sure.
anyway, i hope to see some of you at trace in nottingham or later in london.
ja
http://vispo.com/vismu
visiting nottingham and london. will participate in the trace symposium
happening monday to wednesday. i'll be showing an interactive audio piece
that's in progress, a piece called war pigs.
i barely know where the hell i'm going, but i guess i'll be there on the
10th, Sunday hopefully by mid or late afternoon.
there's info at http://trace.ntu.ac.uk/incubation/programme.cfm about the
symposium. looks like i'm on tuesday at 2:30. i'm doing something completely
different than what i said i'd do a few months ago, but that's probably par
for the course. the interactive audio piece i'll be showing is something
i've been working on for a while and has a ways to go yet, but i'd like to
show it and discuss with whomever's there where it is and where it's going,
the concept, the context, political and artistic. i also wrote an essay
called Digital Writing Circa 2004 that i'll bring some copies of. this also
is different from what i said i'd do.
i work with some musicians in canada, one of whom, steve gibson, is also
going to be at the symposium. he's going to perform quite a knockout piece
wednesday evening in a club in nottingham somewhere, a piece called Virtual
DJ, and he's going to give a talk on visual music at the symposium.
the trace thing winds up wednesday night and then i'm hoping to head down to
london (never been) and leave on the 18th. i may have accomodation in
london, but i'm not sure.
anyway, i hope to see some of you at trace in nottingham or later in london.
ja
http://vispo.com/vismu
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: ruccas.org: Calling All Unconventional Computer Music Artists
> Well... I've gotten several emails so far asking if
> flash/shockwave works would be accepted. It seems there is more
> demand for this than I thought... I assumed a resource for this
> already existed. Perhaps not?
Yes, there are resources. www.turbulence.org (ny) continues to commission
and publish interesting net.art, some of which focusses on audio.
www.neural.it/english (italy) is an excellent source for learning about new
digital art of all sorts and is consistently good concerning its reporting
on audio art. www.soundtoys.net (uk), run by stanza is perhaps the most
prominent site that focusses exclusively on audio-oriented interactive
net.art. i published an article a while ago on interactive audio for the
web; the article has lots of links in it at
http://trace.ntu.ac.uk/Review/index.cfm?articleE .
Your original post said "It is a web site designed to provide exposure
exclusively to computer artists creating music via unconventional means. It
aims to be an important site in the world of computer music." Honestly, if
you're not really interested in shockwave/flash/java work, you should think
twice about getting involved in it. You won't be doing anybody any favors.
There are resources for this sort of work. I could not let your above quote
go, though, without mentioning this sort of work. A web site that makes this
sort of claim and delivers only mp3's, to me that is more 'typical' than
'uncoventional' concerning music, digital or not.
ja
> If not, then I will spring for some
> extra bandwidth and extend the site out, unless there are any
> objections about the flash works potentially overshadowing the
> audio works.
> flash/shockwave works would be accepted. It seems there is more
> demand for this than I thought... I assumed a resource for this
> already existed. Perhaps not?
Yes, there are resources. www.turbulence.org (ny) continues to commission
and publish interesting net.art, some of which focusses on audio.
www.neural.it/english (italy) is an excellent source for learning about new
digital art of all sorts and is consistently good concerning its reporting
on audio art. www.soundtoys.net (uk), run by stanza is perhaps the most
prominent site that focusses exclusively on audio-oriented interactive
net.art. i published an article a while ago on interactive audio for the
web; the article has lots of links in it at
http://trace.ntu.ac.uk/Review/index.cfm?articleE .
Your original post said "It is a web site designed to provide exposure
exclusively to computer artists creating music via unconventional means. It
aims to be an important site in the world of computer music." Honestly, if
you're not really interested in shockwave/flash/java work, you should think
twice about getting involved in it. You won't be doing anybody any favors.
There are resources for this sort of work. I could not let your above quote
go, though, without mentioning this sort of work. A web site that makes this
sort of claim and delivers only mp3's, to me that is more 'typical' than
'uncoventional' concerning music, digital or not.
ja
> If not, then I will spring for some
> extra bandwidth and extend the site out, unless there are any
> objections about the flash works potentially overshadowing the
> audio works.