intro
Some precursors to current internet art.
Common traits that are often shared:
– art should be democratic: everybody is an artist.
– participation is more important than a material product: the network is the work
– life is art is life
And also:
– interest in role playing, personal mythology
– pop culture memes as material
mail art
![example of mail art (by H.R. Fricker)](http://www.joostrekveld.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/126-494x333.jpg)
Ray Johnson and “The New York Correspondance School”, a network of mail artists.
Strong conceptual (and personal) links to Fluxus (Maciunas, Brecht) and Nouveau Realisme.
Mail art stil exists, in Belgium: Guy Bleus. Also fax art, email art, etc.
![Score of "Exit", word event by George Brecht.](http://www.joostrekveld.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/232-494x430.jpg)
Many links with fanzines, radio art, open access television, hometape music, pirate radio and television.
General Idea
Came out of several large mail-art projects, founded “FILE” magazine that was originally very much mail-art oriented.
Evolved into a pre-occupation with appropriation, parody, deconstruction, self-mythologization.
![cover of the first "File" magazine (1972), by General Idea.](http://www.joostrekveld.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/420-373x494.jpg)
telecommunications projects
Nam June Paik, “Goodmorning Mr. Orwell” (1984).
![Some of action during "The World in 24 Hours" (1982), a 24-hour telecommunications project organised by Robert Adrian.](http://www.joostrekveld.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/512-494x329.jpg)
Robert Adrian, long history of telecommunications projects using Slow-Scan TV, Fax, precursor of email, telephone.
Kit Galloway and SHerrie Rabinowitz; several large-scale telecommunications project, amongst others “Hole in Space” in 1980.
!["Hole in Space" (1980), by Kit Galloway and Sherrie Rabinovitz.](http://www.joostrekveld.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/hole_in_space-494x383.jpg)