Feb. 8, 1999

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
GRAPHIC JAM CREATES VISUAL JAZZ ON THE WEB

GrafficJam, a web artwork by digital artists Andy Deck and Mark Napier,
connects visitors into a live, online collaborative drawing.  A collage of
creative impulses, GrafficJam 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, GrafficJam 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.

GrafficJam 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 experimental animation.  Over 
nine years he has developed drawing software, focusing on collaborative art programs,
viewable at his website http://andyland.net. His writing for 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.

Visit GrafficJam on the web at  http://bbs.thing.net [projects].  Mark
Napier can be reached at napier@interport.net.  Andy Deck can be reached at
deck@andyland.net.

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