Bookmarks

Each of the following Web sites is located somewhere on a continuum between the state of the union and the state of the arts.

The Web is a particularly effective medium for creating visual diagrams of events and practices from daily life. According to Paul Miller, one site's creator, we live in a "world of uncertainty." Each of the following sites, in its own way, diagrams an aspect of our uncertain world.

The first site delineates the historical context for current Web projects.

A Net Art Idea Line
Mapping lines of thought through time, Martin Wattenberg
"Idea Line" suggests a high-tech tapestry as it weaves the history of net art through the years. Luminous threads correspond to a genre or approach — narrative, hypertext, collage, or performance to name a few. Mouse over the lines, and the titles of art works appear. You can read a capsule description or link to the works themselves.

The next two art-related sites creatively diagram economic systems in our society.

Futurefarmers
Main site
They Rule
This ingenious site is a project of the Futurefarmers group. Finding “They Rule” within the confectionery universe of the Farmers' Web site is like bumping into a crowd of CEOs on a junket to Wonderland.

“They Rule” makes the connections of power visible. It diagrams the interrelationships among the most powerful U.S. corporations and the people who run them. As visitors to the site manipulate icons of generic businessmen and women, the interlocking affiliations between companies appear before their eyes. Clicking on these maps links users to further information about corporations and board members. A new version is planned for 2003.

The Perpetual War Portfolio
Dack Ragus
“The Perpetual War Portfolio” offers a subtle commentary on the business of war. It presents five stocks that are poised to succeed in a wartime economy. Defense contractors and their products are linked to their political connections, lobbying expenses, and contributions to key Congressional decision-makers. For instance, you can select the B2 Bomber or Tomahawk Missile and note the campaign contributions of their parent companies.

Without editorializing, the Portfolio graphically illustrates the relationships between some politicians and business leaders and the fortunes of the defense industry. The Portfolio also offers links to relevant corporate sites and related articles.

The next two sites focus on a location that is both real and metaphorical — Ground Zero in lower Manhattan.

World Trade Center Site Design Concepts
Sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation
Click on "New WTC Designs" in "Features" column
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation presents seven finalists from its competition to design a memorial for the World Trade Center site. The plans themselves create a virtual elegy.

The design competition was launched in response to public requests for creative and inspiring plans for a Twin Towers memorial. The mission was to “broaden our understanding of the possibilities for the World Trade Center and powerfully demonstrate that Lower Manhattan has a brighter future on the horizon.”

The Sonic Memorial Project
Initiated by Lost and Found Sound with numerous collaborators
The goal of the ongoing “Sonic Memorial Project” is to “collect and preserve audio traces of the World Trade Center, its neighborhood and the events of 9/11.”

The site uses stories, ambient sounds, voice mail messages, and archival recordings to create an aural portrait. One area of the site, the Sonic Browser, is an evocative interactive soundscape created with sounds collected from the World Trade Center. The public is invited to contribute sounds to the archive.

Another online documentary addresses the current social climate:

Face to Face
Rob Mikuriya, director
This compilation of video interviews contrasts the experiences of Japanese Americans after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack with the impressions of Arab and Muslim Americans in the aftermath of 9/11. Visitors to this well-designed site select excerpts of interviews. The simple device of the “talking head” creates a surprisingly intimate effect. A multiplicity of voices and characters emerge to illuminate the experience of prejudice in the United States.

Here, sound again creates a bridge between the past and present:

Errata Erratum
Paul Miller, a.k.a. Dj Spooky that Subliminal Kid
Click on “Digital Gallery”
Writing about “Errata Erratum,” Paul Miller commented that, “there were no ‘finished' pieces and everything...is about that gap between execution and intent in a world of uncertainty.” With that thought in mind, Miller used the principles of chance operation to create a piece that links the twentieth century avant-garde to contemporary DJ culture.

This engrossing site allows users to create their own “remix” that combines the words of artist Marcel Duchamp with Miller's interpretations of Duchamp's musical compositions and a selection of beats and rhythms. To generate the sounds, users create a visual collage of Duchamp's rotoreliefs and disc-shaped tags by Miller.

“Errata Erratum” reminds me that sometimes things are simply beautiful and interesting...and that's not such a bad thing in these uncertain times.

Margaret Crane is an artist, writer, and teacher. Since 1984, she has been part of the collaborative duo, Margaret Crane|Jon Winet.