Dear All, A big (if a little late) welcome to everyone on the list! I'm delighted to see such an enthusiastic response to the launch of ambit, many thanks for all the contributions so far and don't be shy the rest of you!
To add my intro to those so far...I'm an artist based in edinburgh. I work with hybrid media, often combining more traditional artistic processes with digital technologies. This has resulted in my working with a broad range of media including Internet, performance, printmaking, sculpture, 3D animation. My main interest is the representation of physical and erotic presence, particularly in relation to technology. There is documentation of work and web projects on my site at http://www.bhood.co.uk. Much of my work over the past 5 years has been made during residency programmes, particularly projects of a complex technical nature, at organisations including: c3, Budapest; Department of Computer Science, Loughborough University; and recently at Edinburgh College of Art, where I was a fellow until June this year. I am now teaching at eca on the MA Graphics course (used to teach web design there also) and from Jan - June next year will be based in Basel, Switzerland as part of another artist in residency programme. As far as this months topic...in my own experience some projects would not have been possible without support from media arts organisations due to the funding and technical support they provided. I seem, as many others do too I'm sure, to drum up ideas which require technical knowledge way beyond my own capabilities. Subsequently I have to either expand my skills or work with others and I would say I have done both in past depending on the feat. When it comes to straight programming I rarely attempt this myself. This may also be to do with my previous experience working as a commercial web designer when I often worked with web developers on database driven sites. When they all have Msc's in the stuff and I have already tried and decided I have no interest in programming I know it's best to stay out of it. However, that does leave me dependent on others when programming needs arise and whenever in this situation I have needed funding or programming support through an organisation as I could not pay for a programmer off my own back - too, too expensive! As Zoe already mentioned many artists do have their own kit (me too although it's falling apart at the seems) but where media centres, etc really come into their own for me is providing access to hardware and software beyond my limitations, say Final Cut Pro at Stills (I have a PC so can't run it) and good to hear that the Angus Media Centre has good 3D. Still one of my favourite "sites" to make work for is the web, which leads me to a question for Francis Mckee...I saw you are showing Jodi's work as part of the opening programme at CCA - how are you showing this? In the gallery? On the CCA site? For those of you who don't know Jodi, they're net.artists who specialise in dysfunctional web pages...www.jodi.org. I am interested in what I see as the problem of showing net.art in galleries as it can often seem quite dead. Most of my web projects (and other specifically computer based work such as screensavers) are meant for the viewers home or office computer, to be viewed in an intimate environment where they can return to the work at their leisure. I have shown such work in galleries but I always feel it sits a little strangely there. Phew thought that was going to be a short message! Bev P.S. Please feel free to pass on information about the ambit mailing list to others who might be interested to join. To remind you subscription info is at http://www.mediascot.org/ambit and any problems with subscribing, email me and chris at [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------- a m b i t : networking media arts in scotland post: [EMAIL PROTECTED] info: send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and write "info ambit" in the message body -------------------------------------------------
