Net Art Anthology: Gene McHugh, Post Internet

Post Internet is a blog created by Gene McHugh in 2009, carried into 2010 about and in criticism of society after the World Wide Web. More specifically, the effects the Internet has on contemporary art, creativity, and production of works.

McHugh’s initial blog posts give a few examples of and define what Post Internet means. He says, at first, he confused two meanings as the same--Marisa Olson’s definition: Art made after one’s use of the Internet. ”The yield” of her surfing and computer use, as she describes it. And then Guthrie Lonergan’s “Internet Aware” terminology: Art responding to an existential condition that may also be described as “Post Internet”–when the Internet is less a novelty and more a banality.

Not the original blog is quite long, as it is over a year's worth of posts. Instead, I will pull a few summaries and key terms to analyze.

- “...‘INTERNET’ BECAME NOT A THING IN THE WORLD TO ESCAPE INTO, BUT RATHER THE WORLD ONE SOUGHT ESCAPE FROM...SIGH...IT BECAME THE PLACE WHERE BUSINESS WAS CONDUCTED, AND BILLS WERE PAID. IT BECAME THE PLACE WHERE PEOPLE TRACKED YOU DOWN.”

This is probably one of my most favorite quotes by McHugh. Though I do not necessarily agree with him, his passion behind the subject and awareness of the Internet as a movement (and not all movements catalyze good things) is quite spectacular. He makes the distinction between the old era of the Internet--where maybe ‘handmade’ web was dominant, to newer era--corporate web.

Other than the posts themselves, McHugh’s blog was unique in the way that it interacted with other users. People from around the world were allowed to post, comment, and reply to his blog in which he’d sometimes, mostly usually, reply.

Net Art Anthology notes that his blog was defined by WordPress’ stark, default format. An iconic look of the 2000 era webpage.