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Alan Maizey: Mez’ artworks are a nice combination of aesthetics and purposeful elements. One work that was interesting for me was the collection of horizontally scrolling pieces that collectively form a portfolio of her interpretations of the interaction between poetry and design.

Although these works appeal to the participant who has experience within the web coding field, they also appeal to an audience who are drawn in simply by the smooth, relaxing flow of the artworks. It is this multi level sense of interest that Mez has laced successfully into her work that gives the impression that she has the ability as an artist to attract audiences from starkly varying backgrounds.

As a collection of pieces, the portfolio that harbours the many scrolling works represents two contrasting perspectives. On one hand the jumbled letters mean nothing to the untrained eye, perhaps instilling a feeling of being lost in a world of technological confusion that has no visible end or completion. On the other hand, this perspective is enhanced from the viewpoint of a participant who has the ability to decipher the poems that have been entwined throughout the mix-up of letters and symbols. Although still representing a ‘lost in technology’ feel, this second perspective of Mez’ work combines the chaos of technology (which is dependant entirely on algorithms and codes) with the emotion of poetry.

I enjoyed becoming lost in Mez’ artworks, I felt that the entire time I was perusing through the pages that there was always going to be something that I had missed in some way. This feeling of nervous anticipation added to the experience of navigating through, at the end of the day, is a relatively standard website.

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Jason Jie: Week 9 – Interactive confusing coding

Wow, that was what I was thinking when reading this. I guess this kind of tries to use psychology and mixing it with technology? In a way, human brains created computer programming. Therefore, it would make sense that the coding we use for coding is a reflection of how we think that the human brain works..? That also might be the reason why it sometimes seems so similar to how we think and act. In certain culture theories, there are claims that culture is also a way of programming. Interactive coding may be seen as a certain coding too. Maybe even know some cultural influences too…

I am not sure how this technology is going to develop itself in the future. Maybe the future of androids and robocops isn’t that far at all…? If we can use interactive coding that can direct computers/humans to walk a certain pattern, then it shouldn’t take that long before we will be in the same dimension movies like ‘Bladerunner’ are portraying… Only time can tell…

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Rei Singsam: Hi Peepz,

“Exorcism” MEZ (Mary Anne Breeze)

The artwork reminded me of a movie I saw during my first year of university. The movie is entitled “Existenze” and features themes of biocybernetics. This piece features various body parts and organs displayed on what it seems like a conveyor belt and is displayed to be a type of interface where the user can custom make a human body with their selection of different body parts.

In saying that, it also features a “Matrix” style aesthetic, with a lot of alien type of text placed all around her art. Some of these text titles are links to other artworks, and other titles are in a different language deeming it incomprehensible.

Additionally, Breeze uses themes of ‘hieroglyphic’ type icons. Many of her diagrams featured in this piece, appear as it they were painted on ancient Egyptian walls. The combination of all these elements creates a degree of confusion to what actually she is trying to portray in her artwork and indeed evokes a dark and eerie mood. Very original to say the least.

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Chrissy Brown: MEZ – ‘mesangelle’

ur.blather.is.my.concept.meat is the first line I read within MEZ’s site and I can relate to it. Getting around over hearing conversations can really spark creative ideas. This idea of combing code and poetry is really interesting and adds another visual dynamic to text. An attempt to decipher the writings to create meaning is your first approach to MEZ’s work. I believe you engage more in the writings than you normally would with text, as they are ambiguous. This gives the viewer freedom of interpretation and is very beneficial if you are targeting an intelligent market.

Another favorite I found as it brings a smile to my face when reading is:

Woldram_Alpha input = "hi": "Assuming "hi" is a phrase - Input interpretation: Hello. Response: Hello, human." [luv it].

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Michael Blank: ...Being able to conceptualise a simple modern day task into another language but being able to make that language a digital one and turn it into art is a stroke of genius. Code and mathematics are very difficult languages to understand fully in all its complexities, but the use of simple commands as directions bring a new life to a simple task.

Already, many of you have begun conceptualising other simple tasks into algorithms that would make life easier. I to have done the same, but I’m going to bring another light onto the piece. Don’t we already do this subliminally? We all already have an algorithm in our heads that tell us to put our left foot in front followed by the right and rinse and repeat to walk until we have found where we want to go. We also have one that tells us where we want to go, and where I should turn to get there.

I love this notion that Mez has brought out the subliminal side of our conscious for all to view and understand in a language that all can interpret. This is Digital Art at its best.

-From the Discussion Forums of New Media Art - The Flash 8 Revival

"...Mary-Anne Breeze, better known on line as 'Mez', [is] an Australian artist who sends poetic collections of thoughts to lists, whereby she plays with the different layers of lists and platforms on the net. Her work seemed most difficult to present well in an art space, which made me curious for any ideas about this from herself. Mez has developed her own language, which takes a bit of time to read and understand….As an example of how she writes I show you what she answered to my question whether an exhibition changes the nature of her work:

"due 2 the open source nature of my ][net][wurk][s][ - ie the writing packets that i circulate via email and various other communication technologies ][eg IRC or MOOs][ - make it easy 2 n.tegrate in2 an overall _complete_ wurk that can find itself blinking away on a cursored screen in a white-cubesque room ][gallery][. obviously, i'd prefer 2 let the net itself support the wurk N allow its sporadic growth, rather than having 2 digress in2 these established methods of x.posure N presentation ][ie in a traditional real-time gallery]. howeva, when i choose 2 x.tend these net.wurk tendrils b-yond the mezangelled text, 4 woteva reasons, this multifaceted work re][construction][wiring does add complex facets N lurvely f.fects that may prove 2 shift the piece in2 somewhere other....whether that's a loaded _other_ or not i'm not the 1 2 type....."

("Due to the open source nature of my net-works (ie the writing packets that I circulate via email and various other communication technologies (eg IRC or MOOs) it is easy to integrate them into an overall complete work that can find itself blinking away on a cursored screen in a white cubesque room or gallery. Obviously I'd prefer to let the net itself support the work and allow its sporadic growth, rather than having to digress into these established methods of exposure and presentation (ie a traditional real-time gallery). However, when I choose to extend these network tendrils beyond the 'mezangelled' text, for whatever reasons, this multifacetted work reconstruction wiring does add complex facets and lovely effects that may prove to shift the piece into somewhere other... whether that is a loaded other or not I am not the one to say.")

She further states that she prefers to give the work to a curator and say 'do what you want with it', as 'networks are difficult to control anyway'. So Mez, like many other net artists (and also other artists before them), is not used to having control over her work. This aspect of net art could very well be the reason we have seen so many net artists go along with rather bland or, from the perspective of their work, unexpected exhibition situations. There is not just the technological barrier, but also a psychological difficulty to deal with a physical space that is so far from the net artists' first environment. The first environment of course being the one in which the artist more or less controls the presentation of her or his work, and in which the artist is very close to her or his audience.”

-Josephine Bosma, 'How To Exhibit Net Art' presented @ the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Stuttgart, May 2001.