Ray Beldner-Flickr, Flarfing & Babelfish:The Internet & Art Practice March 2, 2009

"The idea that 'everything is possible' on the Internet reveals mankind's true essence." Pierre Levy, "Collective Intelligence: A Civilization"

The ubiquity of computers and access to the Internet has put the many libraries, image databases, and interactive tools at the fingertips of most artists working today. As a result, artistic practice is exploding as artists explore the potential of these new technologies and incorporate them into their working methodologies. Sculptor Ray Beldner will describe the role the Internet plays in his own creative process. He will present examples of work in which he has mined pornographic websites for "fine art," and used online language translation programs to remake political speeches, and used Google searches to create "Flarf" poetry.

Ray Beldner makes art from the stuff of everyday life: clothing, cash, and pornography. His work takes the form of sculpture, installation, digital media, text-based work, and applied arts. Born in San Francisco, Beldner received a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and an MFA from Mills College. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions both nationally and internationally. His work can be found in public and private collections including the Federal Reserve Board, Washington D.C., the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Arizona, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Oakland Museum of California, and the San Jose Museum of Art. Most recently, Beldner was featured in a solo exhibit at the Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco and was included in the shows: The Western Front, Charles James Gallery, Los Angeles and Greetings From the American Dream, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA. Forthcoming exhibits include Inventing Marcel Duchamp: The Dynamics of Portraiture National Portrait Gallery, Washington D. C., and Redesign: Transforming the Ordinary, Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, Nevada.

www.raybeldner.com

Free.

Official Website: http://bcnm.berkeley.edu