Aristotle would not have been pleased.

Art, for him, was always 'more philosophical and significant' than history because it aimed to represent the universal, unlike history, which focused merely on the particular.

His teacher, Plato, would have laughed. Art, for him, was based on the concept of 'mimesis' which was ontologically alienated from true reality.

Aristotle, however, was of the opinion that different art forms used mimesis with different means of representation and communication, thereby representing different levels of ethical behaviour.

What, then, would these men have said if confronted with an emerging and contemporary form of representation: art in the age of cyberspace? Would Plato have used it as another example to seal his argument? Would Aristotle shake his head and point out that the representation was still true as it reflected a contemporary state of being? Who knows?

To be honest, talking about art is always a tricky thing to do. On the one hand you have artists like Pablo Picasso who said, "There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun."

Vincent Van Gogh wanted to "touch people" with his art. For Claude Monet, colour was a "day-long obsession, joy and torment," and Paul Cezanne predicted, "The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution."

Take these masters, then, and juxtapose their opinions with those found at the Art-Chives, where our peers are called upon to define art as they see it. While some nobly call it an "expression of the soul," others say that "art is not created but, rather, becomes art when it is appreciated by someone other than the artist." Someone also submitted the profound, "What is not art?" while the prize could go to the person who wrote, "Art is my uncle."

Looking at the basic elements of art, one finds colour, value, line, texture, shape, form and space. It is with these elements that artists express their ideas, using, in turn, the principles of balance, emphasis, harmony, variety, gradation, movement, rhythm, and proportion.

Now, take these elements online, and things suddenly go topsy-turvy.

Not only do the forms of elements and principles change, the very nature of reality you deal with is radically different from the one you exist within.

Confused? This is just the beginning.

In a nutshell, since art has always been subjected to pressure from cultural and socio-economic forces, it merely takes on other hues when confronted with today's technological revolution. Cyberspace now caters to artists who long to use video imaging, animation and sound to enhance their artistic expression. With a constant inflow of new technology, these expressions also, logically, change rapidly. However, the power and effect this art can have will, ultimately, be the same as that on the radio or television.

010101: Art in Technological Times explores the impact technology has on art, and does a very good job of it too. Apart from surveying a range of video practices, sculpture, design projects, computer-driven installations, drawings and paintings, it also has 'SiteStreaming' tours and an online gallery featuring 'cutting-edge' art forms.

The conclusion: "Neither art, nor those who make it, show it, and look at it can ever be the same again."

Take 'The Technophobe and the Madman', as yet another example. It's the first musical to be broadcast over Internet2, a faster network with more bandwidth supporting high-quality audio and video. The result of a tie-up between New York University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the musical comprises two cast members who tell parallel stories about their lives, with comments about their relationship to technology. Musical ensembles and video accompany their song and verse.

Now for the icing on the cake: Half the performers will be in New York city, the others in Troy, 162 miles away. The performances will be simultaneous at both locations, and three streams of audio and video will operate between the two theatres to create the final product.

If that's not avant garde, what is?

Back to 'net art.' An introduction defines it as a term originally used to describe an art and communications activity on the Internet. Net.artists, apparently, try to break down autonomous disciplines and outmoded classifications imposed upon various activists practices.

To understand what that means, take a peek at treasure / crumbs, home to a pioneering net artist, Yael Kanarek. treasure / crumbs produces, distributes and promotes interdisciplinary and network art. It also tries to raise the visibility of artists working in cross-media and technologically based environments.

Art on the Net lists other such artist studios, gallery rooms, current happenings, artist resources and links. One can also not ignore the use of the Internet as a medium for the propagation of art forms. A recently held online art exhibition displayed over 200 works created by prisoners at Auschwitz during the Holocaust. Called Expression: Art from Auschwitz, it included paintings, sculpture, drawings, illustrated diaries and painted letters.

A prime example of how art changes with technology, is the Burning Man festival, an annual event being held this year from August 27 to September 3, that is a self-proclaimed blend of art and technology.

It has developed into a premier venue for the creation and appreciation of art and, for visitors this year, there's something special on the cards. Participants plan to float up to three 16-foot, latex balloons above a dry lakebed, and dangle thumb-sized infrared cameras underneath. These, along with other wireless cameras held by participants roaming around, will beam images to four huge screens looming surrealistically in a cube at the north edge. So, while one balloon will transmit an infrared video feed allowing recording at night, another will hoist a "tiny Sony Vaio laptop with a built-in camera that transmits images through an 802.11 wireless network."

And you thought technology and art were like chalk and cheese?

Recognising the potential of this new movement, there has also been a festival for 'Internet' art for quite a while now. Art on the Net was founded in 1995, organised by MCMOGATK (Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts) in Japan. The site hosts archives of past exhibits and prize-winning entries.

At the core of this movement lies a basic truth. Net.art is a reaction that is necessary, simply because it will grow to ultimately reflect a reality fast becoming familiar to the world's peoples.

Will it give rise to great works? Will these artists ultimately stagnate? Will it all die out and change as new technologies come into being? The answers to these and other questions are elusive. All we can do, for now, is sit back and try understanding what these artists are telling us about ourselves.

On second thoughts, then, maybe Aristotle would not have been altogether displeased. Because, after all, net art does imitate a certain kind of reality too. So what if it's virtual?

ADDITIONAL LINKS

ArtBeat Digital Images
It offers services in digital art. The site has paintings, animations, 3D animations and digital paintings.

HyperArt
Lots of cool and creative samples of digitally manipulated and composited images.

Digital Art
Find out about digital artists, their new forms, tools and techniques.

Yoart
The first Indian online digital art gallery.

Jaideep Mehrotra
Homepage of the Mumbai-based artist. Features links to his paintings, sculptures, digital lithographs, etc

Digital Art Exchange, Inc. (DAX)
The first managed Internet and application service provider for the graphic communications industry.

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