ArtandtheInternetCollection of Internet Artworks

2stars

Edited by Phoebe Stubbs
Black Dog Publishing, $29.95, 240 pages

The Internet is an easily accessible medium for artists and aspiring artists. Anyone with access to a computer can produce something that may or may not be called art. Art and the Internet is a large collection of such pieces by fifty-three web-based artists. The pieces range from simple snapshots to creations that capture your attention. Many pieces are not anything you would pause to consider for their artistic merit, and challenge the reader’s understanding of art outside traditional mediums. These Internet artists hail from around the world, and a brief artist statement accompanies each contribution. A web link is given for most pieces, but due to the Internet’s transient nature, many were found to be dead-ends.

“Artists have subverted and toyed with the internet since its conception.”

The book begins with three rather long essays. These are not easy to read or understand, as they are long, convoluted and poorly organized. The appendix includes interviews with four of the artists and ten “Internet Essays and Manifestos,” which provide more context for the pieces.

Reviewed by George Erdosh

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