The internet is big business these days, with, literally, like a bagillionty people logging on each day. So, it follows that such a popular platform will undoubtedly have numerous artists standing upon it. The internet’s a peculiar place, where the likes of ‘Nyan cat’ prove to be more successful than traditional art. The rules and etiquette surrounding your typical gallery are thrown out the window, and the most absurd ideas have the most precedence. One artist in particular has embraced this modern notion, thus creating pieces that are both off the wall and up the roof; Stelios Arkadiou (or ‘Stelarc’) is a firm believer that the human body, like an iphone 4, is obsolete, he believes this to such an extent that he went and put a third ear on his left arm. Now, moving back to the topic at hand, I shall talk about a specific piece of art, one that so perfectly represents the absurdity of the internet.
In a piece of art he dubbed 'Ping Body an Internet Actuated and Uploaded Performance’, Stelarc attached numerous electrodes to his body. These electrodes would stimulate movement according to traffic on a particular website. And before you think he’s insane, he’s an artist, he can do things like that. Of course, there is a profound explanation for his actions; "I mean, effectively the body and the machine become one operational system. There is a psychological collapse in distance and time. In this body's interaction with the world, it performs more or less subtle and sophisticated actions whose feedback either affirms or negates previous behaviours." Oh right; if ya say so. If you don’t mind, I’ll be watching the 10 hour rendition of Nyan Cat.
Now, a personal opinion! I think that the internet is fantastic. It gives one the power to do what they see fit; it reveals the true nature of humanity. Granted, this is something the fancy-pants artists have been doing for centuries, but not on the same level as the internet. Take a look at the comments under a youtube video (it doesn’t matter which one; they all pretty much read the same, anyway). You’ll see an argument of some description, foul language and terrible grammar. Now, I forgive you for wondering how I can find such a thing so fantastic, watch, I’ll swing it ‘round! The reason everyone’s so strongly opinionated is because they can say whatever they please, the internet is great because it offers freedom. Yes, our culture offers ‘freedom of speech’, but that’s not the same, so long as we have an identity, we hold in our innermost thoughts (well, we should, anyway). Take this blog, for example. If this were a traditional essay, I wouldn’t have made such prolific references to either cake or spaghetti hoops… oh, I’m hungry now. Well, that’ll do for now, I guess.
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