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Art in the Age of Chaos
John Simon delves into digital aesthetics
by Heather Joyner Spica
As challenging and undeniably beautiful as a lot of recent digital imagery is, whether or not art requires evidence of the human hand—the artist’s physical imprint—will always be an issue. Machine-produced images were, for the most part, not considered art when photography appeared more than a century ago, and emerging technology continues to present questions regarding what constitutes art. It seems the more technology we have, the hotter the debate becomes. For some people, what makes art “art” above and beyond other forms of visual expression is beside the point; in an era when boundaries between museum fare and the ephemera of popular culture have blurred, any such labeling is irrelevant. Others believe that no matter how grand or stimulating the free-for-all, definitions still apply. Whichever camp we find ourselves in, “computer art” is here to stay.
At the head of the list of artists advancing digital media is John Simon, currently featured in the KMA’s ongoing SubUrban series of exhibitions. Now in his early 40s, Simon possesses the requisite credentials: included in the 2000 Whitney Biennial and collected by the Guggenheim, MoMA, etc. The attention he has received is well deserved. With work that exists online in “virtual time” as well as in museums and galleries, Simon consistently pushes the envelope when it comes to digital imagery, and he has consequently become an important figure in the expanding genre. Furthermore, his verbal as well as visual acuity has made his one of the digital art forum’s most respected voices.
As for the SubUrban series’ desire to unveil “cutting edge art,” Carly Berwick (a senior editor of ARTnews) has written that the arrival of digital art at venues like New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art represents a general acceptance of such art by established institutions. And that acceptance brings recognition and money. She has noted, however, that “the very existence of a market for digital work, with pieces priced as high as $150,000, is creating conflict among practitioners in a medium that was, until recently, a proud part of the artistic fringe. The ability to ‘objectify’ digital art and make it as palpable, and salable, as a sculpture or painting is raising questions as to whether a genre based on the community-focused ethics of open-source computer programmers has lost the edge that made it exciting in the first place.”
Visiting this particular show is an exciting experience no matter what your knowledge of the genre or of Simon (and that’s despite a changing yet lackluster black and white grid projected onto a large screen in the entry to the Thompson Gallery—possibly the least visually compelling piece Simon has to offer and thus an unfortunate choice for introducing the exhibition). Hot pink plastic chairs face a big TV with video presenting the artist at work. Six pieces in the form of wall-hung Apple (G3) PowerBooks are plugged into outlets, each utilizing software programs created by Simon. Presented like traditional canvases, their luminous screens are entirely seductive, and compositions in constant flux make them mesmerizing. But they’re also dizzying when we realize there’s no visual toehold, so to speak. Endlessly shifting patterns found in a gas plasma split-screen display titled “Swarms” or the six-ring circus effect of “aLife,” no matter how dazzling the components, can prove exhausting. And again, there’s that question of the human being behind the art. Although it’s all the product of Simon’s imagination, it’s frenzied enough to distance itself from the pace of any one person’s thoughts—if not the dreams of hummingbirds.
Simon’s “active” work may be stimulating, but colorful pieces like “Autumn Leaves”—with laser-cut bits of linoleum fitting together on the floor like pieces of a puzzle—provide necessary relief. Resembling Islamic tile or an Escher drawing, “Autumn Leaves” is an object rather than an event, and time-wise, we can approach it on our own terms. It has a digital feel without being confined to a computer screen. As such, it transcends its origins, defying its “computerness.” More thrilling for viewers seeking the human touch are four untitled drawings with gouache color. Reminiscent of daisy chains or origami or children’s drawings, their lovely, fallible lines balance all that is slick in other works.
The gouache pieces make credible Simon’s assertion that Paul Klee’s art is a major influence. Text from the KMA website states, “Although he uses technology as his medium, Simon is interested in the exploration of color and composition, much like a more traditional artist... forms derive from Simon’s ongoing fascination with the object in motion, whether one driven by computer code or one driven by the internal workings of its own system.”
Originally from Louisiana and presently based in Manhattan, Simon has an educational background in both art and science. According to the KMA’s companion catalog, that combination of disciplines produces a significant tension within his work. At the very least, Simon’s knowledge in both areas is a tremendous strength considering that computer-generated art often applies either a sort of absurd pseudo-science to something visually solid or vice-versa, ending up conceptually sound but aesthetically lacking.
In Simon’s case, contradiction functions as a springboard for exploring complexity without creating a muddled mess. And, as the catalog asserts, the power of his art lies in its ability to gracefully juxtapose disparate elements and stimulate our curiosity.
July 8, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 28
© 2004 Metro Pulse
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