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The road between yesterday and today is filled with new possibilities, better color and a simpler means to get from point A to point B. Through it all, one had to find their own identity and uniqueness. Art without content or meaning is simply process. If it looks good, its merely decorative. On the path of discovery lies personal introspection. The art takes a turn to become autobiographical. As much of the art starts with a photograph, those images must be chosen carefully. With technology comes the ability to produce unique works and statements never before seen. So it is a new world for new people. Certainly the marks made today would have no bearing on past societies. We look back on Western Art and see religion as an ongoing thread, so that it can still be appreciated by those that hold onto that tradition and meaning for their lives. Technological art though, talks of concepts and ideas pertinent to today and reaches out for tomorrow. We, the purveyors of aesthetics in the new millenium, are seeking to reach out to the outer depths of space and time. Confirming this was an article in the New York Times front page that stated: The Universe Will Expand Forever... Scientists claim.. Certainly every artist knows that there will be others after him/her that will carry the torch and give society yet another glimpse into their own belief system and their vision of past/present/ and future.

One must therefore be flexible with technology and synergize their personal statement with the evolution of the medium. Never in the history of the world have we seen such changes in the way our society receives and processes information. Our thoughts and methodologies are evolving almost on a real time basis. As an artist who has worked in the electronic medium for over 20 years I have witnessed many of these developments first hand. How does this effect the art? One can choose to ignore it all, or brave the changes. I choose to challenge the evolution as time forces us all to adapt to this evolution. In doing so the energy level also changes the look of the work. In a humorous way, one can call these action pictures. Depending on one's sensibilities, you con also say you are working with light minus pigment or create some other metaphor to start off your conviction. Computer Art is a personal journey recording experiences, documenting travels and telling stories via collage to give a view From now to eternity, what it was like to be living at the birth of the information age

Those that dare, take a chance and forgive society for not catching up to their vision. They become heralded years after their time because it takes society time to absorb the ideas and concepts, then give praise. Leonardo da Vinci is our best example. This mind and astuteness was ahead of all people of his time. This lesson tells us that an artist in society today should be true to his/her own goals and dreams and not be swayed by the day to day actions taking place in comatose daily life. It is my ambition that my latest works such as Millenium Girl © 1997 and King! © 1997, serve as a messenger from the past to the future and infuse new ideas to young brilliant minds that will yet invent other formulas to serve society better.

Laurence M Gartel
1 September 1998
Boca Raton, Florida

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