Small Is Beautiful: The Rise of Constraint-Based Net Art
A burgeoning movement in net art is leaning towards minimalism and constraints, standing in contrast to the trend of expansive websites. Artists are producing visual and auditory pieces that adhere to strict file size restrictions. Annick Bureaud examines this phenomenon through the works of Michael Lascarides, Kevin Fox, Tom Danneker, and Nikola Tosic. Among the noteworthy projects are Guimp, dubbed 'the smallest website in the world,' alongside platforms such as The 5k and 256b.htm Compo. Lascarides' piece 'Haiku' contemplates 5k works, while Fox's 'War' offers a critique of actual warfare. The Banner Art Collective (BAC) transforms e-commerce spaces into artistic venues, though its influence is limited. The Digital Pocket Gallery, with a 50k limit, showcases micro-narratives. The ongoing discussion about whether these creations qualify as art or web design is supported by initiatives like ArtorNot.
Key facts
- Net art trend embraces minimalism and self-imposed file-size constraints.
- Guimp is described as 'the smallest website in the world' with a postage-stamp-sized window.
- The 5k and 256b.htm Compo are platforms hosting works under 5 KB and 256 bytes respectively.
- Michael Lascarides created 'Haiku', a reflexive work on making a 5k piece.
- Kevin Fox's 'War' is a card game commenting on the futility of war.
- Banner Art Collective repurposes e-commerce banner spaces for art.
- Antoine Schmitt's 'Don't touch me, don't touch' critiques advertising banners.
- Tom Danneker's 'Neige électronique' references William Gibson's 'Neuromancer'.
- Digital Pocket Gallery limits works to 50k and focuses on micro-narratives.
- Nikola Tosic's 'Message' and Jess Loseby's 'Untitled' are examples of desktop aesthetic.
- ArtorNot, by Johannes Blank and Michael Ohme, allows evaluation of whether something is art.
- The movement defines a new aesthetic of the graphical interface and micro-narratives.
Entities
Artists
- Annick Bureaud
- Michael Lascarides
- Kevin Fox
- Tom Danneker
- Nikola Tosic
- Antoine Schmitt
- Jess Loseby
- Nicolas Clauss
- Johannes Blank
- Michael Ohme
- William Gibson
Institutions
- Banner Art Collective
- Digital Pocket Gallery
- The 5k
- 256b.htm Compo
- ArtorNot
- Guimp
Sources
- artpress —