Internet art, as some may call it, is nothing new to the world of art. With it’s multi platform approach to appropriated nostalgia, it leaves one thinking, what’s the point? Occasionally political, yet often non sensical, the internet art has created a certain intrigue to a niche crowd of art believers that we may be on the cusp of a sort of transition period regarding what artists have to talk about today. With the recession effecting everyone, from grandma Sue, to your landlord Jew, it only makes sense that something would come out of the art world, such as this depressive technological brainfart. Like the appropriation and reappropriation of art in the 80s, internet art seems to challenge the original meanings of not only past artworks, but past images that may have only existed in a time that the internet was a relevant form of technology. James Shaeffer, a young artist out of Virginia, is one of many on the wave to befriending this artform, so we figured we would have a little chat with him and see if he could shed some light on the situation, or just joke on some old times.

Interview by Sway Benz

Photos by Mauricio Vargas

How did your parents meet?

Oh yea, they were having an affair with each other and my mom got pregnant with me.

So you ruined two marriages before you were even born

Haha yep.

Umm do you know what that Harrison Ford movie is where he’s a robot?

where he’s trying to kill all the robots but in the end realizes he is one?

Bladerunner.

YES. (to walker) dude its bladerunner. that’s the only question I have…that’s

a good movie though

It is a good movie

Is your art serious or are you just fucking with people?

(long pause)

everything is going to be ok 5 by James Shaeffer

——————————————————————————-

Three things. sometimes its serious. and really thought out and followed through.

Like what?

The milleneals collapse at the automat

What?

It’s a black shelf…. most serious thing I’ve ever done. Sometimes I’m just fucking with people.

Like when?

Well like the pokes…yknow I poked everyone on facebook? Then there’s stuff, that I think would be really pretty to make and its just the process, and that’s what everyone seems to like the rhizome one that got up there. The two things that got into the PPOW. I was just kind of messing around and I had an idea I wanted to do and im just kind of messing around. To me the serious stuff is concept based, and I have something I’m working out from the beginning and you come to a conclusion and instead of dealing with something and coming to a conclusion, or just fucking around. The H8R piece in PPOW is something I really like, but I like the milleneals a lot better. Do you have any more questions?

You used to jerk off on a webcam.

(James nods)

Wanna talk about it? Why did you do it?

When?

Why?

Why is off the record

How old were you?

16. I did it for a girl in England once, I was trying to persuade her to-

Why’d you like it?

I don’t know man, just an anonymous person looking at you jerk off. idk. its just funny too because when you’re doing it its just like you’re watching someone look at you like. (starts making faces)

Yea thats awkward….i think we have some more questions

I like that star wars one because I’ve thought about that. who do you think

you are?

I’d like to think im chewbacca

Ha. you’re not chewbacca.

Really? that’s a shame because I like to think I am. he just

roars all the time.

Did you get the streamer for your art piece that’s going to be

in the gallery in Chelsea from party city? or from captain party?

Party city. I’ve never been to captain party, it sounds great. ha captain party..

Would you compare your art to Leonardo dvince or picasso and

if neither who would you compare your art to.

….well not dvince…not early Picasso. not Picasso at all if it had to be either it would be early Picasso, just because he was working in a popular field and alright at it.

You used to paint a lot and you’re a good painter why did you stop?

Well for me painting is just…modernisms dead and you cant really challenge cant really challenge what art is in a painting. like that’s not a painting that’s just a watch. or making it look like advertising is over. were dealing with…its at a strange era right now. challenging what’s good and what’s bad or making it decorative. sculptures in the same sense its frustrating in some sense that when you go to the painting dept what looks good in the painting dept would look good on an album cover yknow? that’s what drove me away from it. sculptures in the same field, except you cant put sculpture on an album cover…the reason I like working with the internet is because right now its in this weird area where everything’s like a one liner on the internet and it doesn’t really say much, but its still kind of a new media so its exciting. Once internet art is ready to say something, other than be its own gimmick and just a one liner, it will be relevant. more relevant than it is now at least. but, that’s just for internet art and not art in general.

Thank you.

Make sure to check out the James’ artwork at the PPOW Gallery . The opening is today and runs til July 31st. Also check out James’ website to see a collection of his artwork.

5:30 pm  •  25 June 2009  •  view comments