Hi James, Much of what you're talking about really is outside of the scope of this writing. All I was doing was explaining why it matters that some computer-based artists write their own code and others get someone else to do it. The primary point I'm making is that the medium that the artist works directly with (hands on) "defines and guides the creative process" and that because of the impact that McLuhan has had, we should consciously rethink what we mean when we talk about "medium" in regards to computer-based and electronic art because it has not been the same as what is meant when we talk about media such as "oil on canvas" and "granite". There have been debates about what the digital artist's "medium" is with the focus being on the delivery of the work as opposed to the creation. One of the reasons I began making my Microcodes was to push the point that my medium is code. It's not the screen or the internet. The work becomes what it is because I'm personally creating it at the code level. Even the ideas and concepts I come up with, are dependent on how I see their possible creation in code. Whether or not I think I can execute the concept in a compelling manner at this code level is the initial measure that determines whether or not I'll attempt to execute it at all.
If we can agree that code is a distinct artistic medium, I don't think we should break it up and subclass different languages as different media. That's just unnecessarily complex and confusing. Sure, back in the sixties there were people who would list their medium as "Liquitex on canvas" but that was mostly just because it wasn't yet commonly known what "acrylic paint" was and some people probably assumed that "liquitex" would become the generic term for acrylic paint much like what happened with the term "aspirin". best r. Pall On Sat, Jun 6, 2009 at 11:03 AM, james morris<[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Pall, > > I want to ask if you could elaborate on the last sentence? Or do I mean, > elaborate on the differences? Anyway, just my agreements, extraneous > comments, and questions, below which i'm not sure add much to what > you've already said or particularly matter. > > James. > > I think if you're an artist writing code... as an artist who writes > code... when doing so, code _is_ the fundamental medium being > manipulated. > > can the chosen code language be considered analogous to a choice of oils > or acrylics etc (or stone wood concrete etc) ETC? > > but then what does the code do? there is definitely a hierarchy of > mediums, for example writing code which produces code: PHP >> HTML. Is > the HTML a by-product medium or as equally the medium as PHP? > > Then with PHP it's most likely going to be on the internet, which may or > may not be important, and the screen being the least important in the > medium hierarchy _unless_ visual appearance is an important aspect. > > does the code even do anything, is writing in code which does not > function as code anything to do with this? the fact is code is just > text, which can also play a role (but the thinking is going to be > entirely different). > > if you're an artist writing (functioning) code, the code can take on a > life of its own as much as has been said of any other more traditional > medium. i'm sure coding has been likened with the tradition sculptural > anecdote - it all already exists, it's just a matter of chipping away > at it. > > perhaps when you're finished the bulk of the code and you're left with > the tweaks and then the medium is not so much code? > > > > > > On 5/6/2009, "Pall Thayer" <[email protected]> wrote: > >>I'm releasing something I wrote last year because it's becoming >>relevant now. A short one-pager explaining some basic ideas regarding >>code as a medium. >> >>http://pallit.lhi.is/microcodes/artists_that_write_code.pdf >> >>Also accessible from the Microcodes site at http://pallit.lhi.is/microcodes >> >>Pall >> >>-- >>***************************** >>Pall Thayer >>artist >>http://www.this.is/pallit >>***************************** >>_______________________________________________ >>NetBehaviour mailing list >>[email protected] >>http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > -- ***************************** Pall Thayer artist http://www.this.is/pallit ***************************** _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
