<nettime> [NetBehaviour] Good bye Millie Niss, (fwd)

[Alan Sondheim <sondheim@panix.com>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:01:11 +0000
From: marc garrett <marc.garrett@furtherfield.org>
Reply-To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity
     <netbehaviour@netbehaviour.org>
To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity
     <netbehaviour@netbehaviour.org>
Subject: [NetBehaviour] Good bye Millie Niss,

Good bye Millie Niss,

Posted by Myron Turner  on December 1, 2009 6:24 pm

I'm sad to be the one to report this but I didn't find anything else
about it on Rhizome. Millie Niss, a member of and contributor to
Rhizome, died of H1N1 a few days ago. She was the editor of Sporkworld
and participated in collaborations with a number of other Rhizomers. She
was 36.

Hi Myron and all,

I heard about this earlier today and feel a deep sadness regarding her
death. I met her a couple of times and collaborated on a net art project
with her and others a while back. Millie had been ill for a while, and I
only knew her whilst she was not well, it is a big shame.

Selection of some of her work that I value:

Oulipoems - a series of six interactive poetry works -
http://collection.eliterature.org/1/works/niss__oulipoems.html excellent
electronic poems by Millie Niss with Martha Deed. Web-works by Millie
Niss can be seen here http://www.sporkworld.org/webpub.html

"That his humor didn't save him (and that his real death was so similar
to the one in this poem) is an argument against the value of art in
fighting suicide, but the idea is to stay alive as long as one can and
to create as much art as one can - about other things as well as
despair. Moreover, human despair is a constant element in life and
should be reflected in art, and these damaged artists who have fought it
or given into it themselves are our best chance at reflecting that
aspect of life in art." Suicide, Art, and Humor. Millie Niss
http://www.somedancersandmusicians.com/essays/millie.html

Sheep Apnea - Martha Deed and Millie Niss with Graphics by Muriel Frega.
http://www.arteonline.arq.br/blog/mixes/niss_deed/

A Hecatomb in Cheektowaga - Video created by Millie Niss and Martha
Deed, in the style of a public service announcement or political ad,
featuring recent (Summer 2005) events in the town of Cheektowaga, New
York, USA.
http://tinyurl.com/yen6727

Millie's work for me, has always reached beyond the surface of things.
Somehow in her work, she has managed to communicate an essence of her
character and her varied intentions very successfully. There is a unique
sense of humour in much of her work, even when dealing with dark themes.
A surreal edge, is informed by her view on humanity and all of its,
seemingly perpetual absurdities. Mixed with a playful and open spirit,
and a twist of simplicity. Millie's work may have fooled those lost and
caught up in the consumer'ish, lust for one liner prose or sudo-designer
art. Her work was more for those who were not bound by such distracting
trends, it was and still is open for all. Often beguiling one with a
presence of childishness, then as you live with it longer and feel its
grace and power as it touches inside, a contextual knowing unfolds -
levelling it all out with a wisdom that dares not to fall for show or
spectacle to justify its true, authentic voice.

Good bye Millie...

marc

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