Thank you for your overview Richard, it was exciting to have such a "live" virtual experience. It far surpasses the classes I've taken online so far. I shot my portrait with Photo booth on the Mac (big Apple enthusiast). I like photo booth b/c it has the immediacy and fun of the old photo booth.
As far as my situation goes I've been engaged with the "new media" since 1993 and have worked with computer graphics imaging tools from PhotoShop to DV to animation. I was a freelance FCP DV editor for a long time and teach courses in the foundations of digital art. My research focus has been artists integrating technologies into their studio art practice. I feel Web 2.0 is another layer of opportunity for artists to maximize their potential. I am also very dedicated to tracking the "digital aesthetic" how art practices shift with technologies and how viewers see changes subsequently.
Do not mistake me for a technophile. I'm an artist myself who combines traditional art practices with digital technologies. I have a deep appreciation of traditional art making methodologies and am after the hybrid that results from diverse influences. Today is an age of hybridizations and I think Web 2.0 will be the great facilitator of this situation, thereby erasing C.P. Snow's boundaries and many others.
More info about me may be accessed at http://www.smayo.net
