Notes from Stay at Furtherfield
Notes produced during my first sustained period of time spent at Furtherfield.
Furtherfield had until recently been a web based arts organization located in North London. In November they launched the http gallery – please refer to their website for details -
Http;//www.furtherfield.org
I have reproduced the notes exactly as they were written, however tentative, fragmented, unresolved and incoherent they come across. I think it is important to show the ideas coming into formation, searching for the language, questions and issues that open out the area or domain I am looking at, rather than prematurely forcing the thoughts into polished resolved entities.
The long-term issue I want to address is via analyzing Furtherfield virtual and gallery space http – This combination of spaces, or the clash of a virtual against a traditional room based gallery space, allows an entry point into thinking about Net based practices! And it is around this set of issues where I think ideas for an advanced or future art practice are to be crystallized and resolved.
(I plan to rethink this question through more carefully later on!)
But I am also unable at this point in time to articulate and frame the questions to go onto analyze those projects taking place on-line. I simply am not familiar enough with the projects, artist’s names, the technology, software, terminology etc to formulate my thoughts about these projects. Nor am I able to say convincingly that the projects are serious, or are able to work. Therefore much of the research will be taken up with looking at these issues.
The central question I want to pose at this point is –
“Is it possible through observing and analyzing the setup that Furtherfield have established, to obtain insights into establishing a concrete and sustainable Post Autonomous Practice?”
What I mean by a Post Autonomous Practice, and a sustainable Post Autonomous Practice I will explain below – although these current developments build on articles, texts, lectures and performances opening out the idea of a Post Autonomous Practice produced between 2000 - 04.
But the most concise idea for the route to opening out this train of thinking into a Post Autonomous Practice is as a remodeling tool – a tool or model around which the existing idea and system of art can be completely remodeled.
But what is of concern here is to look at a model, set up, organization etc that can be used and adopted in order to establish a concrete and sustainable Post Autonomous practice.
Here there are again a number of issues that provide entry points into pinning down an idea to construct a Post Autonomous Practice which is via the specific route that this set of projects has opened out –
The use of new technology – computers, the web, virtual space - in addressing the problem or issue of Globalization
Ignoring or overcoming existing Political and National boundaries.
The potential of developing a purely autonomous network that is independent of the existing gallery and museum system that the art industry is dependent on.
The mechanism for reviewing or breaking down and rebuilding belief systems
The examination and implementation of non-hierarchical decision-making
The potential to develop interactive, participatory, collaborative, collective tools and projects
The hardware necessary to maintain an on-line organization etc.
I had thought before the opportunity arose, that to start to examine Furtherfield, as a point of departure for seeing and understanding what Furtherfield stood for, and what it consisted of, it was necessary to spend time just being in the space without the pressure of other people being around.
And this is precisely what happened over the Christmas period. The following fragmentary notes, along with the photographs, comprise my period of thinking and observations made over that period of time.
What the notes cannot show are the many hours watching TV, walking around the space, cooking, reading, playing with the cats etc. Nor have I presented the information I down loaded showing the various sections of Furtherfield’s web-site, along with the links to other artists and websites.
21.12.04
Start to document Furtherfield’s venue
Looked through books, CD’s
Photographed the three main spaces
Photographed whatever caught my eye – mainly still lives
Started to look through their website
NonTVTV
Furtherfield noise
Possibly look at re-viewing their website!
23rd 12.04
Look at thinking through all the issues correctly
What role should the documentation play in pinning down what is present in Furtherfield’s venue?
24.12.04
How to structure my research/mapping into Furtherfield?
Physical space
Living space
Computer area/office
Http gallery
Website
Ask Marc and Ruth to give a guided tour through their site to begin an interview.
Go through on-line projects in detail, look at the issues each artist addresses, the technology they use, the form the project take
Name of artist
Evaluate their effectiveness,
Including the reason for existing on the net!
Areas of website looked at so far:
1) NonTVTV station
2) Furthernoise.org
3) Furthercritic
4) About Furtherfield
+
Team
Ruth + projects
Marc + projects
Ryan Griffin – US based
Chris Webb + projects
Neil Jenkins
Charlotte Frost
Caroline Koebel
V-sun
5) Furthertexts
6) Furthercritic
7) Furthertalks
8) Furtherfield reviewers
9) Art is not terrorism
10) Dido
11) Netbehaviour
24.12.04 continued
Answer – why have I decided to take this approach? To look at, Research into
Furtherfield?
What makes up the Furtherfield environment? – What is Furtherfield? – What does their environment say about the organizers Marc, Ruth and their community?
List the members of Furtherfield
List and describe their website
Look at the artists who doing a residency
Ideas for an interview
Ideas for a questionnaire
Rough notes written taken during a discussion with Ruth and Marc on the 29.12.04
I have only reproduced the excerpts and snatches of ideas that I wrote while walking along, or had time to write down or could remember. They are useful since they represent key or core themes, which will form the basis for a much more formal, detailed discussion I plan to carry out in the next couple of weeks.
The benefits of technology
Avoiding developing a structure or system that people or an audience has to mould it self into.
Democratic process
Keeping the architecture and structure as transparent as possible, flexible enough to adjust and adapt…
The problems of technology
Maybe of falling into the trap of making the body passive, falling prey to the spectacular society
A context for Furtherfield
Distributive creativity
Audiences as a key component
People finding their own voice &
Their own means to use their own creativity
Furtherfield as a platform
Technology allows the dismantling of hierarchy and the use of a mesh..
Crossing national boundaries
Cross specialist communication
Connecting across large distances
What is the function of art?
What could be the role of art in the future?
Increased expansion of an art audience
..of an audience for art
..contemporary creativity reclaiming its territory
..art has expanded ..(in what sense?)
Soft group
What this means and symbolizes
Dubuffet’s idea of an asphyxiating culture
Network thinking, relational thinking, Anti-psychology
R.D.Lang + James Hillman
Imagination and art
Robert Axelrod – Complexity science
Evolution cooperation
Tor Norretrangers
The user illusion
Information community
Furtherfield had until recently been a web based arts organization located in North London. In November they launched the http gallery – please refer to their website for details -
Http;//www.furtherfield.org
I have reproduced the notes exactly as they were written, however tentative, fragmented, unresolved and incoherent they come across. I think it is important to show the ideas coming into formation, searching for the language, questions and issues that open out the area or domain I am looking at, rather than prematurely forcing the thoughts into polished resolved entities.
The long-term issue I want to address is via analyzing Furtherfield virtual and gallery space http – This combination of spaces, or the clash of a virtual against a traditional room based gallery space, allows an entry point into thinking about Net based practices! And it is around this set of issues where I think ideas for an advanced or future art practice are to be crystallized and resolved.
(I plan to rethink this question through more carefully later on!)
But I am also unable at this point in time to articulate and frame the questions to go onto analyze those projects taking place on-line. I simply am not familiar enough with the projects, artist’s names, the technology, software, terminology etc to formulate my thoughts about these projects. Nor am I able to say convincingly that the projects are serious, or are able to work. Therefore much of the research will be taken up with looking at these issues.
The central question I want to pose at this point is –
“Is it possible through observing and analyzing the setup that Furtherfield have established, to obtain insights into establishing a concrete and sustainable Post Autonomous Practice?”
What I mean by a Post Autonomous Practice, and a sustainable Post Autonomous Practice I will explain below – although these current developments build on articles, texts, lectures and performances opening out the idea of a Post Autonomous Practice produced between 2000 - 04.
But the most concise idea for the route to opening out this train of thinking into a Post Autonomous Practice is as a remodeling tool – a tool or model around which the existing idea and system of art can be completely remodeled.
But what is of concern here is to look at a model, set up, organization etc that can be used and adopted in order to establish a concrete and sustainable Post Autonomous practice.
Here there are again a number of issues that provide entry points into pinning down an idea to construct a Post Autonomous Practice which is via the specific route that this set of projects has opened out –
The use of new technology – computers, the web, virtual space - in addressing the problem or issue of Globalization
Ignoring or overcoming existing Political and National boundaries.
The potential of developing a purely autonomous network that is independent of the existing gallery and museum system that the art industry is dependent on.
The mechanism for reviewing or breaking down and rebuilding belief systems
The examination and implementation of non-hierarchical decision-making
The potential to develop interactive, participatory, collaborative, collective tools and projects
The hardware necessary to maintain an on-line organization etc.
I had thought before the opportunity arose, that to start to examine Furtherfield, as a point of departure for seeing and understanding what Furtherfield stood for, and what it consisted of, it was necessary to spend time just being in the space without the pressure of other people being around.
And this is precisely what happened over the Christmas period. The following fragmentary notes, along with the photographs, comprise my period of thinking and observations made over that period of time.
What the notes cannot show are the many hours watching TV, walking around the space, cooking, reading, playing with the cats etc. Nor have I presented the information I down loaded showing the various sections of Furtherfield’s web-site, along with the links to other artists and websites.
21.12.04
Start to document Furtherfield’s venue
Looked through books, CD’s
Photographed the three main spaces
Photographed whatever caught my eye – mainly still lives
Started to look through their website
NonTVTV
Furtherfield noise
Possibly look at re-viewing their website!
23rd 12.04
Look at thinking through all the issues correctly
What role should the documentation play in pinning down what is present in Furtherfield’s venue?
24.12.04
How to structure my research/mapping into Furtherfield?
Physical space
Living space
Computer area/office
Http gallery
Website
Ask Marc and Ruth to give a guided tour through their site to begin an interview.
Go through on-line projects in detail, look at the issues each artist addresses, the technology they use, the form the project take
Name of artist
Evaluate their effectiveness,
Including the reason for existing on the net!
Areas of website looked at so far:
1) NonTVTV station
2) Furthernoise.org
3) Furthercritic
4) About Furtherfield
+
Team
Ruth + projects
Marc + projects
Ryan Griffin – US based
Chris Webb + projects
Neil Jenkins
Charlotte Frost
Caroline Koebel
V-sun
5) Furthertexts
6) Furthercritic
7) Furthertalks
8) Furtherfield reviewers
9) Art is not terrorism
10) Dido
11) Netbehaviour
24.12.04 continued
Answer – why have I decided to take this approach? To look at, Research into
Furtherfield?
What makes up the Furtherfield environment? – What is Furtherfield? – What does their environment say about the organizers Marc, Ruth and their community?
List the members of Furtherfield
List and describe their website
Look at the artists who doing a residency
Ideas for an interview
Ideas for a questionnaire
Rough notes written taken during a discussion with Ruth and Marc on the 29.12.04
I have only reproduced the excerpts and snatches of ideas that I wrote while walking along, or had time to write down or could remember. They are useful since they represent key or core themes, which will form the basis for a much more formal, detailed discussion I plan to carry out in the next couple of weeks.
The benefits of technology
Avoiding developing a structure or system that people or an audience has to mould it self into.
Democratic process
Keeping the architecture and structure as transparent as possible, flexible enough to adjust and adapt…
The problems of technology
Maybe of falling into the trap of making the body passive, falling prey to the spectacular society
A context for Furtherfield
Distributive creativity
Audiences as a key component
People finding their own voice &
Their own means to use their own creativity
Furtherfield as a platform
Technology allows the dismantling of hierarchy and the use of a mesh..
Crossing national boundaries
Cross specialist communication
Connecting across large distances
What is the function of art?
What could be the role of art in the future?
Increased expansion of an art audience
..of an audience for art
..contemporary creativity reclaiming its territory
..art has expanded ..(in what sense?)
Soft group
What this means and symbolizes
Dubuffet’s idea of an asphyxiating culture
Network thinking, relational thinking, Anti-psychology
R.D.Lang + James Hillman
Imagination and art
Robert Axelrod – Complexity science
Evolution cooperation
Tor Norretrangers
The user illusion
Information community
posted by Postautonomy at 2:09 PM
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