The readings from this week were extensive and full of resources and information relating to post-internet art, containing countless valuable examples of where this form of creation can be found in our world today. Upon reading all three pieces, I found myself almost taken aback at the amount of different forms and structures that post-internet art has taken and will likely continue to exist in for many centuries to come. Not even 40 years after the internet has been in existence, we as a society have found so many ways to advance it and grow in order to create these unique pieces of art that can be found across a great variety of screens.
One point that was made by Marisa Olsen in her writing, POSTINTERNET: art after the internet, was very interesting to me. The internet is full of a large variety of people, from creators to bloggers to self-acclaimed and well-known critics. This assortment of people, along with by standing users have all come together to create a society on the internet that is said to have control over the culture of the post internet, for better or for worse. She says that these individuals “often flip-flop their flip-pant love-it/hate-it take on an artist’s work as frequently as they refresh their homepage” (62). She goes on to point out that while this may be seen as reasons to dismiss or deny the post internet’s existence, in reality it is actually proof of a society that has evolved to become internet-obsessed. The use of the word “obsession makes me think a lot about modern day social media and how that has come to affect us as a society, specifically the younger generation Z including people around my age. It is extremely obvious that as we are evolving into people who are generally much more obsessed with the internet, no matter what form of it that may take.
When reading the work by Noah Travis Phillips, I was extremely interested in not only the many examples that were provided, but especially the last section of the piece, titled Epilogue? These concluding thoughts were extremely well said and captured the uncertainty that is currently taking over our lives, but with a sense of hope for the future and our return to normalcy. I particularly enjoyed the use of the term remediation, as “a way of engaging with the ‘lifeness’ of new media and adapting” (69). The many exhibits mentioned throughout this writing are clear examples of the remediation that is happening in our everyday lives through internet art. While this may be unclear to many people, specifically those who are not necessarily involved in any internet communities, once you begin to open your eyes to what is happening on the internet you become introduced to an entire new realm. Throughout this class I have slowly felt myself being brought into this new territory and feel very lucky to have experienced it during such a unique time in the world. As we continue to remediate and adapt to the changes in the world around us, it is extremely important to recognize the value in coming together to embrace these changes and make the best of them.
Noah Travis Phillips "Rhizomatic Remediation: Adaptation in a Web-Based Art Praxis During Time(s) of Crises" in INSAM Journal #5 Nov. 2020 [17]
https://insam-institute.com/rhizomatic-remediation-adaptation-in-a-web-based-art-praxis-during-times-of-crises/ (Links to an external site.)
"What Is Post-Internet Art? Understanding the Revolutionary New Art Movement" | Art for Sale | Artspace
https://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/trend_report/post_internet_art-52138 (Links to an external site.)
Marisa Olson, "Postinternet: Art After the Internet", Foam Magazine 29, Winter 2011, pp 59-63 [PDF]