Even as Net art embodies time, time has an equal influence on Net art. Many pieces of Net art rely on movement and special effects to capture the attention of the viewer and while the result is visually intriguing, interest may peak and wane very quickly. Unfortunately, Net art can be similar to many children’s toy trends where certain playthings capture the rapt attention of children, but in a short period of time, it is forgotten and discarded. Although initially appealing, the viewer may rapidly realize that the item does not accomplish a great deal and may move on to another more interesting piece. In the same way, some Net art is aesthetically pleasing but after a few interactive moments, their repetitive nature may cause viewers to promptly seek other Net art pieces. Because of this, any particular Net art can fade into history and be forgotten in a short period of time.

Isabel Saij’s question “Where does it lead?” provides the answer for Net art’s temporal fragility. While we can represent time through computer technology, we still lack the ability to control it. Our curiosity of the future stems from time moving unerringly forward and, therefore, its destination is unknown. In “State of Confusion”, Saij asks “Where does it lead?” and the staircases seemingly progress eternally. In truth, the final destination of the staircase is never revealed because the destination is unknown. Similarly, the eventual destiny of web art is unknown. We do not know if interest in Internet art is just a passing fancy of this century, or if it will become a time honoured tradition like painting and drawing. Ultimately, we do not know where the future will lead, and it remains to be seen whether Net art, as a whole, will stand against the passage of time.

Footnotes:
I did not mention the audio aspect of Isabel Saij’s work but that is not to say that it is not a significant aspect of “State of Confusion”. However, I did not feel that it contributed to my thesis and therefore, I did not speak about it. Isabel has also been recently interviewed at Soundtoys (www.soundtoys.net) regarding the audio portion to her work but the publication date is unknown as of this moment.

1Isabel Saij believes that her work maybe possibly be related to G.B. Piranesi but the relationship was not established until after she had completed her work. She believes that she may have been unconsciously influenced by Piranesi’s work.

References:
Anonymous. “futurism”.
Burton, Ed. “Three Forms”, 2002.
Lucassen, Charl. “Chronophotographical Projections”, 2000.
Philadelphia Museum of Art. “Nude Descending a Staircase (No.2)", 2003.
Saij, Isabel. “isabel saij – net art”, 2003.
Simon, John F. “Every Icon Project Page”, 1997.
University of Vienna. “Walking Art”, 2003.

Written by: Jonathan Tsang