Jenninfer Chan is a net artist working primarily in the medium of video. At first glance, her videos had the air of the type of work made to appeal to certain tumblr audiences, a plethora of signifiers sacred to the internet cult trendy youth. Between the homogeneous smily faces, tropical backdrops, vintage computers, anime, and pizza are surprisingly deep themes. Chan's most compelling work takes the form of text rather than visual mash-ups. The text in video Infinite Debt, my favorite video piece on her site, reads "you win if you impress and insult your audience at the same time," at 3:10. This statement feels like an accurate representation of her attitude towards her work, working to dumb itself down and become more palatable, like visual Cheetoes, while simultaneously reaching at deeper issues. The text warns us that making sext work is the only reason to reach a wider audience. I am compelled to believe this is Chan's strategy after reading her compelling and thorough reflection on the current market and modes of expression of net art.
Chan's essay, titled The Commodification of Net Art functions as a historical account of past and present attitudes and display presence of net art, discussing the physical implications of net art, revisits and reworks ideas of originality and aura, and discusses the importance of the IRL gallery in the niche URL world. Chan is for the monetization of digital work, though admittedly details such as pricing and ownership can be confusing when the work is so seemingly pubic and reproducible.
As a female, her commentary on struggling to find comfort in one's body is clear in her performance .gif for Rhizome, Cam Twist. Chan aptly states, "Video may be the medium of narcissism, but a narcissist does not a performer make. I hate my body and I am ok with that. I never see myself objectively. It is through a camera I see myself become not-me, or the me I cannot be." The gif itself reads like body-dysmorphia. Her form bends, dissolves, and then recomposes as she turns her head back and forth, a grave disposition on her visage.
Although her fun transitions and scrolling text create a strong sense of style in her work, it becomes more interesting when it takes things one step further. In the video Infinite Debt, we see a 20 euro bill battered and deep fried, and then served up taco-like on a bed of lettuce. This simple performative action is unique in her work, most of which seem to be composed of stock images and found footage. It is welcome and makes light of student debt and the role of capital in the art market.
Ultimately, I feel Chan's intellect and perspective are extremely strong and demand to be recognized. I feel her art, however, risks becoming lost in its trendy aesthetic. Whether or not this aesthetic is meant to be tongue-in-cheek can be a bit difficult to discern, and because of this, it risks becoming niche and associated with passing trends. I would love to see more text based or performative pieces, as I find these by far the most compelling.
Links:
Her website: http://www.jennifer-chan.com/
Her essay: http://jennifer-chan.com/files/Pool_Jennifer_Chan_TheCommodificationofNetArt.pdf
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