marc garrett
Since the beginning
Works in London United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

ARTBASE (1)
PORTFOLIO (3)
BIO
Marc Garrett is co-director and co-founder, with artist Ruth Catlow of the Internet arts collectives and communities – Furtherfield.org, Furthernoise.org, Netbehaviour.org, also co-founder and co-curator/director of the gallery space formerly known as 'HTTP Gallery' now called the Furtherfield Gallery in London (Finsbury Park), UK. Co-curating various contemporary Media Arts exhibitions, projects nationally and internationally. Co-editor of 'Artists Re:Thinking Games' with Ruth Catlow and Corrado Morgana 2010. Hosted Furtherfield's critically acclaimed weekly broadcast on UK's Resonance FM Radio, a series of hour long live interviews with people working at the edge of contemporary practices in art, technology & social change. Currently doing an Art history Phd at the University of London, Birkbeck College.

Net artist, media artist, curator, writer, street artist, activist, educationalist and musician. Emerging in the late 80′s from the streets exploring creativity via agit-art tactics. Using unofficial, experimental platforms such as the streets, pirate radio such as the locally popular ‘Savage Yet Tender’ alternative broadcasting 1980′s group, net broadcasts, BBS systems, performance, intervention, events, pamphlets, warehouses and gallery spaces. In the early nineties, was co-sysop (systems operator) with Heath Bunting on Cybercafe BBS with Irational.org.

Our mission is to co-create extraordinary art that connects with contemporary audiences providing innovative, engaging and inclusive digital and physical spaces for appreciating and participating in practices in art, technology and social change. As well as finding alternative ways around already dominating hegemonies, thus claiming for ourselves and our peer networks a culturally aware and critical dialogue beyond traditional hierarchical behaviours. Influenced by situationist theory, fluxus, free and open source culture, and processes of self-education and peer learning, in an art, activist and community context.
Discussions (1712) Opportunities (15) Events (175) Jobs (2)
EVENT

Distant


Dates:
Thu Feb 21, 2008 00:00 - Thu Feb 21, 2008

Distant, a new Net Art work by Marc Garrett.

image

Distant:
http://www.furtherfield.org/mgarrett/distant/

Statement about why I am Making Net Art Once More:

I have been going through some changes regarding what type of personal, individual artwork that I wish to explore these days. Even though I am involved in various high-tech projects which are mainly collaborations, that are related to larger projects. I wish to return to making Net Art, reconnect to what has always been my favourite form of creativity and expression.

The reasons that I have decided to do this is, because I feel that it is time for me to re-explore what Net Art can really be now, as part of my varied practice. Times have changed, Net Art is dead as far as many others have been concerned, who originally made useful careers in writing about it and becoming 'heroic' artists from it. I intend to rebuild my own practice on an Art that was killed by its own culture. Those who loved it also decided to kill it even though other Net Artists around at that time were still making it, less considered in regard to the repercussions of what it meant to them and culture as a whole. For me, history is really not enough to define a creative culture as magnificent and dynamic as Net Art. It may be fine for those who were represented at that time, but surely there are even moments of doubt, a lingering spectre that says that it all went wrong. I feel that those few who were selected to be part of the (ironic) 'Heroic Period', have limited their own expansion. I know that many who have made Net Art in the past do not wish to be left behind, lost in the history books, as ghosts and may find this interesting themselves, as well as a budding contemporary generation of new Net Artists.

Rather than be part of a past mythology, I wish to be part of current reality. I am of course very aware of the contemporary technologies that control the Internet via corporate means, and how the rabid thirst of those who wish to be technologically determined, by this mannerist behaviour, are more interested in being led by others who are not interested in Art, and rather are more interested in being in positions of power over Media Art culture, via creative industry imposed protocols. To me, on the whole it says more about spectacle and how money is dictating people's intentions and causing diversions from seeing what is of value culturally. As far as I am concerned, it is more important to make Art.

Perhaps Net Art was destined to die, may be it had to die so that others could explore their own perceptions, reasons and creative voices without the pressure of having to conform to dictates that proposed ideas which in reality meant nothing to many Net Artists out there, other than to those who instigated such power-related gestures in the first place.

So, even though I am not expecting any great come back of a new Net Art consciousness from my own future ventures in reclaiming a practice that I believe was killed before its time, mistakenly. I am asking those who had decided to moved away from making Net Art (some of course moved on naturally) to respect my decision in embarking in something that was and is still an expression that I feel offers the world, contemporary experiences and ideas, that are still unique which can be given a second chance by actively and consciously engaging in the now.

For me, because there is no longer the hype about a new Internet and because it is a time of trouble in respect of economy depressions around the world, as well as many people only exploring technology for the sake of it, and because we need to be more ecological in our practices. We also need to come to terms in re-evaluating why we are doing what we do now, and how can we reclaim our creative histories and voices in a way that has more meaning, rather than through processes of mechanistic and personality driven motives alone. I want to build something that does not just reflect me being a slave to technology, corporate control and traditional Art world agendas. The Art will have its own voice on its own terms

The latest work 'Distant' is not trying to be clever via the technology, it is Art. An object, a contemporary piece that is well aware that it is no longer in fashion. Therefore, it is authentic.

marc garrett


Other Related News:

On the 29th of this month, Ruth Catlow and myself are going on an artists residency at Banff, Canada. Through the whole of the month during March, we will both be collaborating to make new Net Art together. It will include open source and it will involve much coding. As we explore the possibilities of using contemporary resources that can be used for our Net Art practice, we will set up a portal or blog that displays our research as it happens. As well as the Art that we both create.

We are, of course interested to hear from those who are also re-engaging in the making of Net Art, using free software, free media, open source materials as well as their own ideas about it. It is an exciting time for us, what is there to lose but gaining the pleasure of doing what we really want to do:-)


EVENT

Furtherfield Blog - Recent Posts of Interest on Media Art Practice and Culture.


Dates:
Thu Feb 21, 2008 00:00 - Thu Feb 21, 2008

Furtherfield Blog - Recent Posts of Interest on Media Art Practice and Culture.

The Furtherfield Blog is a shared space for personal reflections on Media Art practice: making it, curating it, translating it.

Here is a selection of recent Blog entries below,
to read more visit - http://blog.furtherfield.org

Like a flashy little sports car (reflections, part 2). By Aileen Derieg.

The first "women and tech" meeting I ever went to was a weekend workshop in Berlin that was organized by a group of university women there. I read their announcement on the first mailing list I was ever subscribed to, replied that I was interested, and got on a train to Berlin. This was a long time ago, when mailing lists were still new and the effects relatively unexpected: every time I opened my mouth, the first response was invariably a surprised, "You're from Austria, how did you get here?" At the time, however, the workshop was just what I was looking for.
Permlink - http://blog.furtherfield.org/?q=node/195

Create/Debate. By Mark Hancock.
I was recently at an unworkshop at the Institute Of Creative Technology, DeMontfort Uni (I'm also dong my phd there, part time). Amongst the attendees were Martin Reiser, Jess Laccetti and others, including Prof Sue Thomas, mine and Jess's supervisor. We were trying to tackle the subject of transliteracy (the ability to think and work across multiple platforms, from orality to new media objects). and to understand fully what it means to do so. The above may sound like a simplified version of what we all do anyway, particularly anyone who comes to Furtherfield on a regular basis, but it has certain depths and paradigms in it, that are still under exploration and being explored: with one paper already having being published on First Mondays' website.
Permlink - http://blog.furtherfield.org/?q=node/196

Pronouns and the power of definition. By Aileen Derieg.
Technically, a pronoun is just a placeholder, a small, seemingly unimportant word that substitutes for a noun. Sometimes, though, the power of pronouns to define what is perceived as reality can be troubling.
Permlink - http://blog.furtherfield.org/?q=node/197

Australia says sorry. By Helen Varley Jamieson.
I'm in sydney this week with my grandmother, and this morning we got up early to watch The Apology broadcast live on TV. former prime minister of australia john howard refused for 11 years to say sorry to the indigenous people of this country, but kevin rudd has only been prime minister for 11 weeks and he's prioritised this significant act for the first day of the new parliament.
Permlink - http://blog.furtherfield.org/?q=node/199

More Info:
This multi-blog is a place to intuitively explore media arts practice, together, as it occurs, to develop understanding and to learn, without any pressure to formulate complete arguments or to come up with answers. The blog was set up in Autumn 2006, initially as a place for informal, day to day exchange between members of the Furtherfield.org team, including editors/reviewers. The team discovered that this format suited some people more than others and are now open to new contributors. The Furtherfield blog is not intended as a platform to promote particular projects. Instead bloggers explore their own perspectives on their own terms; personal thoughts, emotional responses and critical intentions that are rarely publicly discussed elsewhere in such detail.


DISCUSSION

Underground


Hi Vijay and all,

>Thanks, Manik, Marc, and Erika, for responding to my post, both on and off list, above and underground. :-)

No problem, I'm pretty busy, but always keen to make that extra effort to discuss something, such as the question you proposed regarding the 'underground'.

This is rather long response, but it also includes some of the text that I held back from the list originally...

I think that it is important to remember that what is not discussed, openly and dealt with, or shared by a certain group of people, is also a type of 'underground' thing, which can mutate into a niggling and potentially culturally, dangerous spectre. Obviously not just on a list but in respect of nations that we are part of as well as the communities that we reside in. Some spectres come about through the 'very' human process of denial. Social conformity in the centralised sense is a guarantee that there will be an 'underground' movement (whether it be organised or not) that is not happy or even interested in the same behaviours as the larger framework that dominates many people's lives, whatever that system is.

>I used to love Rhizome for the unpredictability of it compared to empyre or turbulence ... now it seems as tame as any of the others.

It's funny that you mention Turbulence, because I feel that they are actively and bravely exploring media art on their own terms, and not falling into the cliché role of pragmatic, capitalistic and mechanistic control over media art culture. I found it quite disturbing that Turbulence were struggling to survive when they were and are still supporting the practice of net art and media art in a genuine way, that allows artists to explore their projects freely. Of course, it is not surprising how basic many people are in not supporting those who need it, especially when it is healthy to have different alternatives - actually it is quite depressing. What Turbulence brings to the table is something special, unique and rare really - and it is important to define what that is. For instance, the way that they consider and consciously include the artists' voice beyond and above academic theory, is an important factor. This is not the only way but, it is extremely important to have someone out there who understands an artists voice in relation to the work itself, connecting to their work. Just because they are not making a big noise about it in the usual macho way, does not mean that they are 'predictable', it means that you can trust them not to fuck you around, and especially not your practice - that's good value in my books.

The risks that Turbulence are taking may not be immediately obvious as far as others are concerned. Yet, because they have decided to let the artists' mainly have their own voices expressed and not give too much weight to history or prominence of academic tagging overall, letting the work speak for itself instead; they might not be as easily assimilated into the the more traditional power structures of what runs and controls art culture and what is deemed relevant. So due to their honourable position of offering freedom around the content of what they support, they will not be considered as radical. I would consider them to be radical because of this, and that they are engaged in a more subtle and less obvious set of processes around the art - letting it breath. This type of respect to artists and their work is rare and of course many artists out there will not be aware of this themselves, because many are chasing power under the illusion that this is going to help their art more, but in reality it just helps to serve their more immediate desires, re-instigating a habitual psychological pattern of returning to the same place over and over again. Now this is not an interesting, progressive or imaginative way of being...

>We need more D42-Kandinskijs than Philip Galanters. ;-)

Perhaps we do, but we also need to be less reliant on others to take risks on behalf of ourselves and get off our asses and make things happen instead waiting for others to do it for us. Because, as we have learnt too many times, many people, especially artists (sad to say), just do not support those who are supporting them and their own culture. It's easy to criticise others, perhaps like those such as Turbulence for example when one does not know the workings or goings on and the sacrifices that are involved in putting much time into making something special happen, which at the same time supports others. And yes, I can hear the slack inner voice of someone out there, who'll say 'well it was their choice', I say - wake up you zombie and get networked beyond tour micro-desires, and become a larger individual.

What I do see as 'underground', or lacking, in media art culture on the whole is, whether artists are really brave enough in taking on the more social questions. I do not mean are they engaged in questioning via themes in their artwork - I mean are they daring to act different and build different models of working with others as well as the making of their art? Unfortunately, I see many media artists moving towards a more traditional set of actions that no longer reflect (the possibilities or potential of) their independence through their practice, but are more concerned about the desire to be assimilated by a larger centralised force. This of course is very human and is as much about people's need to be accepted and the need to feel part of something bigger than themselves, as it is about them building structures that create alternative choices. The problem with this type of function is that, what comes out of this model of being is, that generic patterns of conformity begin to take shape which tend to build up a socially controlling hegemonic and mono-cultural set of circumstances. This may not be what artists 'really' need in the long run. And who can blame them, it isn't easy making something special happen, it's bloody hard work.

>How many of you have made pieces of net art that you have not posted / advertised for on Rhizome? I have. I think what Max Herman talked about in High Networkism vs. Low Networkism really applies to the self-image subtext of Rhizomers more than the state of (the) art today (defense mechanisms in face of The YouTube Horizon (hm, maybe I should trademark or patent that phrase)). The Mouchettes, D42-Kandinskijs, Maniks, etc. of the Rhizome of yesterday don't find as much of a voice today. So maybe Rhizome is what Erika calls the "dominant order from which one deviates."

I no longer post my own Net Art on Rhizome, mainly because I do not think that many Rhizomers are interested in Net Art any more. There is so much going outside of Rhizome in respect of Net Art culture that is no longer reflected here, especially on this list. Which is stunning when you consider how many people there are who are subscribing to it. I do post Furtherfield projects and reviews here etc, mainly because that is my job as a Furtherfield person, to support media art as much as I can. In fact, I would go as far as to say that, Net Art is of no interest to many institutions anymore because historians and certain hegemonies killed it's context and culture. Certain historians kept on boring us to death with how special the 'heroic period' was over and over again and just ignored the more contemporary Net Artists out there, and unfortunately, institutions were more keen to listen to those who were proposing a divisive history of Net Art rather than what was really happening at the time. There is much Net Art happening, but not many supporting it now. You've got platforms who are more involved with promoting institutional media art related technologies rather than the art or spirit of Net Art.

Now we are faced with the gradual take over of media art by the Creative Industries, excuse the irony of the term 'Creative Industries' - perhaps the right term is - 'Technologically Determined Industries'. Or, 'Fuck Art Lets Make Money'. Which seems the more important desire now that institutions are more happy in engaging with, a less dynamic and questioning media art culture. The other factor with Net Art losing its voice, is that people judge things now by how clever artists are in using the technology itself, and less interested in the actual art. When I visited Ars Electronica last year, it was obvious that most people were going to laud how amazing the technology was, rather than deal with context, content or art. The exhibition itself, seemed like a BMW show room. A corporate led, selection of media art that reflected how amazing the technology was rather anything deeper.

The other thing is that many artists no longer want to build their own communities and create more imaginative adventures for themselves, in order to take control of their practices such as Net Art. Too many just want to be seen in galleries instead - I believe that you can do both. Having said this, there are those out there who are building their own, shared communities, it's just that it is not discussed so much on here, or at least explored. The focus of Rhizome as an organisation has definitely changed, and is not about changing media art culture in a critical and rhizomatic way, but much more about making a profit and concentrating on power-based centralisation. I think that this is a shame, but I can understand how this has come about, when American culture is mainly based on patriarch and control via top-down initiations. Rhizome had to become what it is now in order to survive. To blame Rhizome is too easy, I actually place much of the blame on those who are just staying here all of time, especially some of you (not all) Americans who rarely wander elsewhere to share and collaborate, outside of your own behaviour led processes. To me, this declares the real context of what some of the artists who frequent this list really believe in. Many prefer to stick with what they already know rather than explore outside, the macro side of the Internet community in relation to Net Art and Media Art. This creates a static impasse of culturalized, gate-keeping that lends more to a nationalistic way of being, rather than building alternative, structures with others in making a stronger and more level field of practice for all. This has also worked towards the demise of Net Art.

In reality, the demise of Net Art is really down to those who also loved it; but at a time when certain individuals needed to support it, they were more keen to build their own status and careers instead. To me, this sends messages in respect of the value of these types of people, who were just exploiting the culture of Net Art as a way into different institutions closing the door behiind them - very modernist. Not only to others, but also to a once thriving and critically fascinating form of expression that offered so much more than what many people really gave back to it in the end.

So. Net Art, is still 'underground', and those who still make it, I applaud. Because they are following their own voices and not just those who say that they should not practice it, for whatever the reasons that so happen to be invented to justify such claims. I still make Net Art, but this is not my only form of expression but I still value it.

I am happy not to be part of an mechanistic and corporate led desire to homogenise art culture. And still open to looking at Net Art, writing about it, making it and discussing it. In fact, I feel that making Net Art now is, actually more interesting because there are not so many pressures by certain hegemonic types, who want to control the medium and its culture as there used to be. We no longer have to watch historians chose just a few, over the many who created Net.Art. They killed Net Art by doing this and thus killed their own cache, of respectability, and of course they have lessened their respect in regard to a contemporary status when commenting on Net Art generally. They have written their books and got their positions so (hopefully) they will do the honourable thing by ever supporting it now, or leaving the Net Art makers to get on with it themselves on their own terms, or even write about it on the artists' terms. Perhaps it had to be killed for it to survive in another form...

marc

The Neighbourhood & Projects who are part of Furtherfield - Get involved!

main hub in a bunch of decentralized nodes...
http://www.furtherfield.org

A shared space for personal reflections on media art practice.
http://blog.furtherfield.org

Furtherfield's Gallery in London.
HTTP is London's first dedicated gallery for networked and new media art.
http://www.http.uk.net

An online place for real-time, multi-user mixing, collaborative creation,
many to many dialogue and networked performance and play.
http://www.visitorsstudio.org

The NetBehaviour list - is an open community engaged in the process of sharing
and actively evolving critical approaches, methods and ideas focused around
contemporary networked media arts practice.
http://www.netbehaviour.org

The Netbehaviour Blog is the same as above but a blog version of the list.
http://netbehaviour.ning.com

Furthernoise is an online platform for the creation, promotion, criticism and
archiving of innovative cross genre music and sound art for the information &
interaction of the public and artists alike.
http://www.furthernoise.org


DISCUSSION

Geolocalizing NetArt events ?


Hi Fabien.

I may be able to help you on this one...

Have dive into visitorsstudio - http://www.visitorsstudio.org

This is something that href="http://www.furtherfield.org ">www.furtherfield.org created a while back now & it is regular being used by many creative from all over the world.

An online place for real-time, multi-user mixing, collaborative creation, many to many dialogue and networked performance and play.

Chat with other users while you upload and mix your sounds, images and movies in real-time.

just click the enter button.

Enjoy :-)

marc

DISCUSSION

Geolocalizing NetArt events ?


Hi Fabien.

I may be able to help you on this one...

Have dive into visitorsstudio - http://www.visitorsstudio.org

This is something that href="http://www.furtherfield.org ">www.furtherfield.org created a while back now & it is regular being used by many creative from all over the world.

An online place for real-time, multi-user mixing, collaborative creation, many to many dialogue and networked performance and play.

Chat with other users while you upload and mix your sounds, images and movies in real-time.

just click the enter button.

Enjoy :-)

marc