First reading “Web Work: A History of Internet Art,” it was hard to believe how many things took place during my troublesome youth as a teenager. You never truly know all that goes on unless someone writes or teaches about it. How would you know to look for it otherwise? At least, if you were my age at the time. Reading about all the various websites and ideas that came about, it’s really a wonder this “Net.Art.” I didn’t know there was a specific title or name for all the things you do on the computer. It makes sense though and it really is the perfect name for it, and it’s catchy enough to where it’s remembered. Reading about the history of things and how it all came to be, it brings a new perspective to the next reading, “How to be an Internet Artist,” by Mark Amerika.
Now I will say that Amerika’s, “How to be an Internet Artist,” was a bit overwhelming. I don’t think I quite understood the point of it all. There were really funny parts in it, like the ”OK texts,” as well as the part titled, “This Could Be the First Day of the Rest of My Life.” It was entertaining to read and even though there were parts that were inapproprate, it kept you hooked on reading more. I will say that the sexual dialogues and stories were a little too thick and there was really no need to read something like that without knowing why in the world that was being written in the first place. It was confusing in regards to, what the whole point was. Yes it said “How to be an Internet Artist,” but is that it? Just spouting out crazy chapter after crazy chapter with no real end or beginning? I will give Amerika some credit in regards to it keeping your interest in parts, and that the writing for some of the stories (or whatever you would call them) were worded in such a way that it kept your eyes scanning down the page. In fact, I read this without a break, all 111 pages and my brain literally hurts…maybe it’s the lighting of my monitor…like staring into a lamp for too many hours. It’s funny, I feel like I’m speaking the way all the authors did in Amerika’s readings. Isn’t it interesting how that happens…
All in all the articles were informative and fun to read, there were just parts that weren’t really needed, unless that was the whole point, to shock and jolt the reader into disgust. Then I would say “How to be an Internet Artist,” was a success…
“How to be an Internet Artist”:
http://www.williamlmoore.com/images/advanced/how%20to%20be%20an%20internet%20artist.pdf
“Web Work: A History of Internet Art”:
