What is Net Art?

Net art is art that is made on and for the internet. It encompasses various genres of computer-based art including browser art and software art (Tate). Net art emerged in the 1990s when artists found that the internet was a very useful tool to promote their work without social and cultural barriers. Net Art’s spectrum is difficult to define, but it includes different art forms ranging from scripts, and lines of code, to web browsers, algorithms, and search engines (Artland). There is no specific aesthetic to net art and it can overlap with many media and disciplines. Net artists such as Leah Schrager and Jennifer Chan pulled together 21 artists including Kate Durbin, Ann Hirsch, and Faith Holland to explore gender constructs in contemporary art in an online-only exhibition. The exhibition called Body Anxiety isn’t mainly concerned with how artists may experiment with the internet as canvas and what tools can be pulled from the internet, but this exhibition takes advantage of the visibility and accessibility of online design tools and platforms to help celebrate the female voice. The work that they do ranges from gifs to performances and drawings.