time based ‘present’

Claerbout’s proof and Present: .. real-time relates to real-life, but – and here comes a nice example – according to the complexity of rhetorics of temporal indexicality, it cannot be equated with it …download a flower ..

Present responds to Claerbout’s struggle with the lack of body, or presence, on the internet, while building on his interest in using video and digital technology to animate imagery so that a temporal relationship is created between the viewer and the work. [..] Even though the flower lives in a wholly digital environment, it manifests the rhythms of an organic lifecycle as in real time. Its presence and eventual (automatic) disappearance interject real world temporality into a digital environment where time normally lacks organic reference. Extending the natural metaphor, the seed that remains after the flower is gone can be given as a gift, complete with a message from the sender. In this sense, Present reflects on its context: the gift economy in which most network-based art is created. ( text link)

Print Friendly, PDF & Email