Issues in Digital Media Art

Woodstock Digital Media Festival, June 22 and 23, includes a panel discussion with critics and curators  on issues in digital media art.

Vermont is the place to explore the latest in digital media art at the Woodstock Digital Media Festival, June 22 and 23, and influential artists, critics and curators from New York to California are making the trip to participate.

This year’s Festival includes a panel discussion on current issues in digital media art and panelists include Barbara London, curator of the MOMA Visual Media Center, and Paddy Johnson, founding editor of the blog, Art Fag City.

Johnson says that one of the most important issues for discussion at the Festival is that “many digital artists are not making money and that’s a problem.” To illustrate her point, she says that a survey of the New York gallery scene in Chelsea today would turn up well over 500 galleries, only about three of which show digital art.

She looks forward to discussing other related topics, such as the uneasy acceptance in the traditional art world of new media art and artists. “While there has been more acceptance in the last few years,” Johnson says, “It is still a topic of discussion and concern among many digital media artists.”

"Ultimately, art is a result of community. Digital media forms communities online, but those bonds are much more significant when you meet in person."

Paddy Johnson, Founding Editor, ArtFagCity.com

Paddy Johnson looks forward to the Festival in Woodstock, and says that its beautiful location offers a connectivity of a different sort. “Woodstock is a beautiful place—remote, wooded, connected to nature,” she explains. “Ultimately, art is a result of community. Digital media forms communities online, but those bonds are much more significant when you meet in person. Having a ‘healthy Internet life’ means connecting with the outside world, and bringing the networked and the outside world together as much as possible,” Johnson says.

Johnson found last summer’s Festival to be a great opportunity to meet other people in the field. She is looking forward to seeing Ursula Endlicher, who she met at last year’s event and who will be participating in the Micro exhibit at this year’s Festival.

Ursula Endlicher, whose work combines Internet art, performance, and multi-media installation, is participating in the Micro exhibit at the Festival.  Her current work includes “Light and Dark Networks, which are part of a series of Internet art projects that the Whitney Museum commissioned specifically for its website to mark sunset and sunrise in New York City every day.