Net Art: The Poetics of Minimal Letter Artworks

Alain Barthélémy. Dimensions Variables

Usually, the act of writing is something one does not relate at first to technologies. There is a delicate beauty in hand calligraphy and an intimidated power in street art, which are not included in the computer-typed letters.

Or so it seems.

Since the apparition of easy access to Internet and easy creation of websites, net artists have spread on the World Wide Web. They are called Jodi.org, An Xiao or Peter Stemmler. Between this big number of artists, we can find « poets of the web » as I would call them. Halfway like graffiti artists, halfway minimal poets, these poets 2.0 play with the opportunities and interfaces of the web to spread their word. Between poetry, emotion and humour, these flash performances and websites make us think on the meaning of art, Internet or poetry.

Alain Barthélémy is a French net artist whose work is exhibited in the Internet art gallery Fach&Asendorf. His latest collection is entitled “Time Extended” and explores the question of time on the Internet, as well as language and web spatiality, as with the artwork entitled “floooooooooow”, where the word simply has no end. In the simple design of graphic letters and black and white, Barthélémy sends a message to his viewers and makes them wonder on the fastness and ephemerality of digital art pieces, as with the fun and frustrating “ten-past-ten”. The viewer is allowed to see the artwork only at 10:10pm. The performance lasts one minute and presents watches set on 10:10.

His art pieces are difficultly found on the Internet and are meant for an aware audience. They are minimal modern poetics and make us think on the meaning of one word or some concepts as colour.

Alain Barthélémy. Sixteen Million Colors

To put it in a nutshell, be aware when surfing on the Internet, you might come across meaningful 2.0 graffitis.

References:

• Barthélémy, A. Acid Color Variations Art piece available at : http://www.acidcolorvariations.com/ 

[Access date : 03/06/2013]

• Barthélémy, A. Dimensions Variables Art piece available at :

http://www.dimensionsvariables.com/ [Access date : 03/06/2013]

• Barthélémy, A. floooooooooow Art piece available at :

http://flooooooooow.com/ [Access date : 03/06/2013]

• Barthélémy, A. Sixteen Million Colors Art piece available at :

http://www.sixteenmillioncolors.com/ [Access date : 03/06 /2013]

• Barthélémy, A. ten past ten Art piece available at :

http://ten-past-ten.com/ [Access date : 03/06/2013]

• Fach&Asendorf Gallery. Website available at :

http://fa-g.org/ [Access date : 03/06/2013]

• Ortiz, S. Art: The minimal letter in Net Art Review.net Available at:

http://netartreview.net/monthly/sanOrtiz.pdf [Access date: 03/06/2013]

• Triangulation Blog (April 15, 2011) « Alain Barthélémy » Article available at :

http://www.triangulationblog.com/2011/04/alain-barthelemy.html [Access date: 03/06/2013]

• Wikipedia. Entry : Internet Art. Available at :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_art [Access date: 03/06/2013]