Joshua Decter made a lengthy and considered reply on Rhizome to my post, joshua decter: gallery art critic as new media artist. It'll take some time to separate his objections to my facts from his objections to my opinions. Will post something once I've mulled over what needs a response or clarification. In the meantime, please give his reply a read.
May 2014
error strata
Crop from a larger GIF posted by a Dump.fm user/troll. I took a section out of the middle of his GIF, which was about twice this size.
I like these GIFs that look like pixelated analog TV static, and prefer the above to similar ones of more self-consciously made or art nature, such as this elegant but rather stiff and claustrophobic specimen by Dylan Fisher or even these neo-psychedelic pixel art examples by Emilio Gomariz (to cite a couple from Art F City's "Gif of the Day" posts). Those have a very controlled, art-directed look in the sense of, "made by a professional illustrator." Whereas the one above looks like it just happened, or happened onstage when a punk band's amplifier blew during a two-note lead guitar solo and accidentally fried the Veejay's video display (if punk bands had Veejays). Or, think, early Steve Reich with tape recorders vs Music for 18 Musicians after Reich became polished and self-consciously classical.
The one above is 400 x 400 pixels, 221 KB, so rather modest in terms of trying to impress anyone with a "blow you away" art experience. It's relatively easy, however, to enlarge it for more walk-up impact: see this 800 x 798 pixel version at 572 KB.
Opening the GIF up, I noticed it had several 1 x 1 pixel frames. I removed them to see what would happen, and realized they were important in creating the jerky, random movement of the "strata" above. So they came back in. On the subject of randomness, one of the most appealing things here is the apparent directional movement of those strata, some fast, some slow, some going right, some going left, some bouncing up and down. A programmer could put all those variables in (maybe someone did here) but the trick would be to hide the methodology or obvious thought processes. Otherwise you have a "library music" version of punk.
decter response
Joshua Decter replied to an earlier post, joshua decter: gallery art critic as new media artist:
This was just one of several annoyed tweets, including "This is wrong-headed; e.g., I have never considered my curatorial activity as art. Get your facts right Mr. Moody." No doubt he doesn't consider his art to be art but I didn't say he did. After a couple of other tweets about getting my facts wrong Pedro Vélez asked him:
Decter took the opportunity to plug his new book:
This somewhat illuminates the observation at the end of that earlier writing: "The Rhizome post ultimately provides a fascinating glimpse at how fields with differing expectations and critical standards can exist side by side, each without ever critiquing the other."
Update, May 14, 2104: Decter made a lengthy and considered reply to my post on Rhizome. It'll take some time to separate his objections to my facts from his objections to my opinions. Will post something once I've mulled over what needs a response or clarification.
po-net promoter jitters
Be careful what you ask for because (you know the rest). A few months ago, in (ineptly) making fun of Kenneth Goldsmith's interest in a Shia LeBeouf performance stunt, I said I'd "like to see the convo diverted to more new-media-relevant topics, such as the role of LA collectors in market-making for YIBA (or YIBI) art."
In the Rhizome comments to Goldsmith's post, Michael Connor posted a link to an interview with chief market-maker Stefan Simchowitz. My response, after reading it:
Michael, thanks for the link to the Simchowitz interview. He is quite the self-regarding loudmouth, or "amplification nodule," to use his term. Interesting that he gives no credit to Rhizome or the pre-Facebook blogosphere for first introducing his stable of "Post-Internet" superstars -- it's as if they had no careers or critical recognition before he started pushing them. His presence on the scene should make Rhizome uneasy about continuing to carry critical water for the brand (it certainly does me). Perhaps enough has been done for that particular group of artists -- they have him now.
Household Kit (new Bandcamp release)
Am pleased, and yet, humbled, to announce a new LP on Bandcamp: Household Kit.
10 songs, mostly previously-unpublished but with a some older tunes remixed to the point of unrecognizability.
Experiments with field recordings begun on the 40 Yards from the Machine release continue: after the first tentative trips to the deli with my wav recorder (which people assume is some kind of phone) am now making more adventurous forays into the streets and subways of Manhattan. Some new modular gear is also explored.
This is my fifth release in 2014. Your support in the form of buying the LP or songs would be very encouraging, but all the material can be streamed.