The Networked Imagination: Movements in Art

   The Networked Imagination

This webpage is one which will provide an insight into the concept of the Networked Imagination. Networked is interpreted as interactivity and Imagination is interpreted as art, because art is the creative expression of our imagination.

An exploration into the Networked Imagination:

What is Art?

"It is Art that makes like, makes interest, makes importance....and I know of no substitue whatever for the force and beauty of its process." -Henry James

Here is the link for our own definitions of art .

Here are also a few more academic links on what art is:

http://www.geocities/SoHo/Coffeehouse/6831/whatsart.html
http://www.christinelavin.com/art.html
http://pub20.ezboard.com/fhumanmachinebrainlanguagewhatisart
http://www.wwwolf.com/What_is_Art.html
http://www.ouc.bc.ca/fina/glossary/d_list.html#definitionsofart

View various deffintions of art @ Dictionary.com

** Note: Please keep in mind that our definitions may be different from the ones you may have. Art is of course a very broad term to define, and is a good topic for a heated dscussion.

Any comments or questions? Did you disagree with our definitions of art? Well, e-mail us and tell us what is on your mind! Don't be shy! The three of us support interactivity and we love input from our viewers!

History of Art:

To view the history of our specific art movements, click on one of the Art movement links on the above right or click one of these 3 options:

History of Optical Art
History of Cubism
History of Impressionism

Visit New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and experience their Interactive Timeline.

Many art galleries and musuems, such as the one mentioned above provide the history of art on their webpages. To view an international list of all major art galleries and musuems available on the net, please click here... This list of Art galleries and musuems is provided by Zeroland.co.nz, an arts web directory.

Can everyone be considered an artist?

Yes and no! We all have to acknowledge that everybody is entitled to their own free creative expression. There are both amateur artists and professionals; however, based on the viewer's past experience and knowlege, he or she has to distinguish between the two. The quality of an art work and its asethic value is based on personal judgements, there is good art and bad art. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." An artist uses his creative manual skills to create something that will please, shock, or even scare the outside world.

"Art is the most intense mode of individulalism that the world has known."-Oscar Wilde

What is INTERACTIVITY ?

Interactivity is communication between two or more persons who engage in conversation with thoughts and responses. In today's society, interactiviy has extended to worldwide computer mediated-communications via the Internet.   People can virtually log on and engage in conversations wih others concerning matters of interest.

Through the Internet and time, interactivity has affected the world and changed traditional art forms into those which are more modern in terms of the extensive use of technology.

Having researched our art movements, we have encountered these modern art forms and discovered many interactive posibilities available throught the Internet and beyond.

The three of us each have our own definitions of interactiviry, please take the time to view the interactivity of our art movements in our personal pages.   The following art movements discussed on this website are: Impressionism, Cubism, and Optical Art.

To explore the Seven levels of interactivity by Rod Sims, click here...

To explore Rod Sim's categories of interactivity, click here...

What is a Virtual Community ?

Howard Rheingold defines a virtual communitiy as a computer-mediated social group:

"Virtual communities are social aggregations that emerge from the Net when enough people carry on those public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspance."

According to the three of us, virtual communities are places reserved on the Internet where people from different parts of the world, who have different opinions and thoughts, share common interests.

* Bare in mind that interactivity is one of the important features of virtual communities.

What are the Effects of the Internet on Art?

There are many political and social aspects that affect art. As mentioned above, interactivity and virtual communities have played an abundant role on various art forms.

To read about the specific effects of the Internet on the specified art movements, please click on one of the art movement links.

Conclusion:

            We hope that you enjoyed this site and that you find it informative. The information provided on this site is for academic purposes only.   If you have any comments or inquiries, please feel free to e-mail us anytime! Given our busy schedules, we will try to respond as quickly as possible.

References:
To view a complete bibliography for this page, click here...