BetaSpace: New Media Art

http://www.betaspace.org/

While looking for a new New Media Artist, I stumbled upon this ‘new’ website BetaSpace: New Media Art (2003). While looking around inside this ‘new’ site it dawned on me that it is a pretty nice piece of new media art itself. Eric Cheng, Liam Aleguire, Jay Kelly and Ethan Smith met at Cal State University Hayward and joined their collective talents together to create a venue for a New Media Art community and platform. Their mission statement:

“The BetaSpace project was originally conceived by four Graduate Students in California, with the goal of creating a platform for more artistic, personal expression on the Internet. Almost one year after its initial launch, the BetaSpace project has evolved into its current form- an organic, online new media art venue that will continue to evolve and grow based upon the response of its audience base.” (BetaSpace:New Media Art)

Although their initial concept has changed somewhat, their website is uncomplicated and enjoyable. Art selection is easy and the offerings are interesting.

I like the ‘evolution’ this site has gone through: the exercise of adaptability. BetaSpace is a great example of having to alter the form, format and even the intention as it discovers new problems or requirements through time and virtual space, activities of real artists, activities of life.

The original logo was very simple and relatively meaningless. It was updated to reflect the website creators' inspiration by the Dadaists in particular Marcel DuChamp. A modernized version of The Fountain (1917) serves to represent their artistic expression and message, that new media art is art.

The original concept for the site was to have a community which selected new art together but the originators have altered that approach. Public nominations are still accepted but now the website creators decide which will be posted.

Still an interactive community, they have a really cool approach to New Media discussions. BetaSpace has divided the forum into three forums; the ‘Community’, ‘Right Brain’ and ‘Left Brain’. The community “focuses on expanding our diverse community” (BetaSpace). It allows networking with other artists, discussions about art and critiquing of posted art. The Right Brain forum is about the exchange of ideas and feeling. They accept verbal and non-verbal commentary and provide an ‘anti-commercial’ section for artist protesting art for money. The Left Brain forum is for the discussion of technical aspects of New Media art. Divided into sections (like Dreamweaver MX) participants can post questions and/or offer assistance to each other.

This sorting approach to the complexity of New Media Art discussion really appeals to me. I have found New Media Art twice as challenging as the “old-fashioned” pen and ink approach. To produce any quality product one has to be able to envision, compose and then manipulate complicated, ginormous programs like Google Earth and Dreamweaver.

Although there are four creators, everything seems to be divided into three as exemplified by the three galleries: Rinalifervey, Ace, Etrismoonefiess. While the gallery names and/or the reason for gallery divisions eludes me, it is still quite easy to click around to see the online art and artist statements.

I like this site better than Rhizome (http://www.rhizome.org/ ) or Mark Tribe’s New Media https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/display/MarkTribe/New+Media+Art) sites because of the streamlined approach and user friendliness. I hope Billy adds this website to his class resources for the next Intro to Digital class for two reasons: support the venue for New Media Art and provide more alternatives for students’ selections.