GRAPHIC JAM CREATES VISUAL JAZZ ON THE WEB

GraphicJam, a web artwork by digital artists Andy Deck and Mark Napier,
connects visitors into a live, online collaborative drawing. A collage
of creative impulses, GraphicJam is a live mix of doodles, drawings and
color created entirely by those who visit the web site. Hosted by THE
THING, the project officially opens on February 8, at
http://bbs.thing.net [projects].

Like live music, GraphicJam unfolds over time as participants interact
with the site and with each other. Visitors can draw and paint, choosing
from a rich set of drawing tools and thousands of colors, easily adding
their own marks to an ongoing graphical artwork. Or they can watch
designs unfold in their browser window as other visitors draw.

GraphicJam is inspired by the spontaneous energy and contrasting
aesthetics of the web. Like the improvised creations of live jazz,
GraphicJam synthesizes the contributions of many people into one
flowing, evolving design. It is a place on the web where anyone can add
their creative impulse to the mix.

Andy Deck specializes in digital drawing and morphing. Over nine years
he has developed drawing software, focusing on collaborative art
programs, viewable at his website http://andyland.net. Recently, his
writing for "Museums and the Web 99," has addressed the transformation
of media and the prospects for networked, independent artists. Mark
Napier has been making art for the web since 1995. He is creator of
http://potatoland.org, a conceptual net art studio that includes The
Digital Landfill, a public repository for digital debris, and The
Shredder, a browser that turns web pages into graphical confetti.