The Library

E.T. Manning - "Wernher bon Braun", 1978

From Computer Graphics & Art, Feb 1978 (PDF availiable at 
https://www.are.na/block/11375199)

Art and code since 1994. https://linktr.ee/mariuswatz

Love how the lo-fi typesetting and zine-like aspect of these early publications* somehow reflected the grass root communities and 'cabals' of early computer art communities.

*obviously print technology was limited then but I still like to believe there was a connection. It's folk art (at least in those days) after all.

151 $degen

www.liaworks.com - DIGITAL ART since 1995

https://linktr.ee/liasomething

Artist/Writer /the-library /geoblocks ✷ https://linktr.ee/paulprudence ✷ Live: ISO/IEC 10646 ⟶  https://verse.works/series/iso-iec-10646-by-paul-prudence

I left BL around 2008, I think. Some nonsense debate about whether artists should care about the market for their work, and optimize for it. A very naïve discussion fueled by people who weren't living the artist life full-time, and thus could take a moral high ground on principle.

Not surprised if web3 sparked a similar controversy... 🙃

Fore sure, we have a grass root community here, and it feels more so here on FC than any other SM. 👌 

I was on the BL list and remember it well. I made a few posts but was generally a professional and unapologetic lurker. Was great to have access to words from the inner sanctum :)

If I remember vaguely correctly, it imploded around the start of the web3 explosion due to greater distractions? But I also remember a few minor disagreements going on there too, which is damn healthy as far as I am concerned.

Oh for sure. But then isn't this a grass root community, too? 😅 

In the 2000's, mailing lists and listservs were crucial. @liasomething started the famous bl-list (famous only to those who knew about it), which was a back channel for artists to gossip and exchange alpha...

Zines are delightful, then and now.