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My main interest with this exhibition is to find out what informs these six artists.

The invention of photography started to move art into the direction of abstraction. Abstraction also became synonymous with the representation of ideas rather than objects.

Andy Warhol, one of the most acclaimed American contemporary artists, turned mechanical reproduction into art by transferring a photo image to a silkscreen.

Art's reference to reality and meaning have all but vanished.

I have put these six artists together, because on the one hand they still have the desire to make the intangible, tangible and the virtual, visual. On the other hand, they have entered this new realm to play with the foundations of art on the cyberspace highway, perhaps to put up roadblocks or perhaps to add an extra lane.

Curated by: Marjan Eggermont

The activity of art making exists on a wide variety of levels. My main interest with this exhibition is to find out what informs these six artists. How much stems from art history? How much from contemporary culture and technology? If we look at a quick overview of some of the developments in the past century and a half, we can see that with the invention of photography in 1839 it was no longer necessary to paint pictures that reproduced reality. Photography as technological innovation had changed the traditions of art. Mass production, at that moment, started to replace original art. The idea that original works of art could now be reproduced for use in books, posters, postcards and stamps started to disintegrate the idea of "originality". The invention of photography started to move art into the direction of abstraction. Abstraction also became synonymous with the representation of ideas rather than objects. Another reason for the popularity of abstract art was the direct result of World War II. Stalin and Hitler both re-instituted realism as only art form. This type of art was used as propaganda to represent images of the ideal worker and the ideal Aryan. Abstract art became a representative of the democratic free world. Andy Warhol, one of the most acclaimed American contemporary artists, turned mechanical reproduction into art by transferring a photo image to a silkscreen. His reproductions were about commodity, the ultimate commodity: celebrity or fame. He also eliminated any remaining notions of high art and low art by elevating the Campbell's soup can. At the speed of light we have now arrived at a point where current art practices are informed by reproduced images and images of mass consumption. Current art practices are informed by cinema, technology, television and, at times, by the market. Art's reference to reality and meaning have all but vanished. If we take the previous into consideration as departure point for this exhibition, the question arises: How do artists make sense of the bombardment of images that surround them? How do they filter out the noise? Rather than being consumed by it, these six artists - I think - filter and sift through and use technology rather than having it use them. They recreate a possible reality out of everything around them that is not real: images of other images/recycled and displaced ideas/possibilities that exist simultaneously (just think of the web).	Inya Levytsky Birdgallery Photographs/mylar/glass 2002
	Mike Paget Subscape 3 Digital Image 2001
	Shawn Bailey Cloud/Elevil/Syringe Digitally generated image, serigraphy, Intaglio 1999
	Duncan MacKenzie Maquette for Pool and Deer Urban Decay C-Print 2002
	Jennifer Willet Sink #2 from Martha Stewart Meets the Morgue Series Digital Output onto slide film 1998
	Rebbeca Rowley Hand Digitally altered photographic prints 1998

ARTISTS IN THE EXHIBITION

All artists included in this exhibition have all graduated from the University of Calgary. They include:

Shawn Bailey, who after graduating from the University of Calgary, received a Master's degree from the York University and is currently an Assistant Professor at Concordia University in Montreal. He coordinates the Digital Print Media area.

Inya Levytsky graduated with a Master's degree from the University of Calgary in 1998 and won the Ernst & Young Canadian Printmaking Competition that year. She has been collaborating with Peggy Baker (dancer) for the past 3 years and currently resides in Toronto.

Duncan Mackenzie works extensively with video and digital media, and has participated in a number of exhibitions featuring new media arts. He has just obtained his Master's degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Mike Paget graduated this April from the University of Calgary. He works extensively with digital media, has been in a number of new media exhibitions and is currently applying to do his Master's studies.

Rebecca Rowley graduated in 1998 and has worked in graphic and multimedia design. She has also worked as a sculptor for F & D Scene Changes and as a photographer for the Art Gallery of Calgary.

Jennifer Willet - after obtaining her Mater's degree from the University of Guelph, she is currently finishing a PhD degree at the Concordia University in Montreal in Interdisciplinary Studies. She also teaches as a sessional instructor at the Concordia University in the areas of Web Design and Digital Printmaking.

I have put these six artists together, because on the one hand they still have the desire to make the intangible, tangible and the virtual, visual. On the other hand, they have entered this new realm to play with the foundations of art on the cyberspace highway, perhaps to put up roadblocks or perhaps to add an extra lane.

Marjan Eggermont
Guest Curator