or Hard vs. Soft copy -- take your pic.
The need to express oneself outside the bounds of commercial media has been a concern since Martin Luther banged out that handbill. Photocopiers have become the saviour of the alternative press since the 70's. Hand-written, clip and paste 'ZINES' characterize the punk rock aesthetic that has come to symbolize earnest self-expression and personal freedom, at least within my mind. This form of expression is now contrasted with the slick medium of the web page. Almost as easy to create and to release, these two media stand in sharp contrast in their styles of expression.
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The incredible difference in the execution of these two media (scissors and glue sticks as compared to hefty amounts of coding) would seem to create a schism in those who use each expression platform. Punker or Programmers, take your pick. But as an artist who has now created in both spheres, the differences pale in comparison to the similarities. Yes, my concern that you are not making a final statement because of the incredible modifiable quality of posted hypertext documents, still stands. I'm coming to terms with the possibility of an infinitely morphing document and it's incredible lack of finality. There's no rush to meet print deadlines -- your work can just grow and be read during the creative process. This is a damn scary thing to us photocopy wizards, who will toil for years to get the perfect combination of images and text glued just right. (I've only actually put out one zine, and only six copies at that, but I've got two that are still in the works after three years!) Self-expresssion is the message, and the medium is yours to dive into, be it via photocopies or HTML. The choice is yours.
Angus Wakefield
1998