Brief Bio
Harald Johnson has been involved with commercial and fine art imaging and printing for more than 25 years. A lifelong photographer and an award-winning digital and commercial artist, his images have been distributed and exhibited worldwide. As the head of his own marketing communications agency, he has worked with such blue-chip artists as Ed Ruscha, Laddie John Dill, Billy Al Bengsten, Ed Moses, and Sam Francis, as well as for galleries and museums including Dorothy Goldeen Art Advisory, the Walker Art Institute, Acquavella Gallery, James Corcoran Gallery, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Harald is the creator and moderator of Yahoo's digital-fineart, the world's largest online discussion group on the subject of digital fine art and digital fine art printing. Harald and his wife Lynn divide their time between Virginia, Florida, California, and places too secret to mention.

Harald's First-Birthday Messasge to the Digital-Fineart Group Members
November 11, 2001
Dear Group Members,
It's one year to the day since I started this list, and I thought I would say a few words about us on our first birthday. Many of you may not know this, but this group started out with a different name. From 11/15/00: "Giclee_prints, a new discussion list for fine-art, digital ("giclée") printmaking enthusiasts..." I used to have a tagline at the end of each message: "Got Giclée?" Cute, huh? Well, I didn't realize what a quicksand pit I had stepped into by centering everything on the word "giclée."

The cat-calls and the arguments started almost immediately, and after a week-long comment period when I invited opinions from all sides, I decided on January 10 to change the group's name to "digital-fineart." Here's how I explained it then: "I believe that digital-fineart better sums up the universe of the group. It more accurately reflects the scope of the list's subject matter, which really hasn't changed much. It gives us more room to maneuver and to grow. I also didn't want to continue hanging my hat on the narrow peg of "giclée" with its various emotional attachments. Of course, we still will cover printing, inkjet printmaking, and giclées, but there's more to discuss. I (and I know many others too) am interested in the whole *process* of making art digitally, ranging from creating the image to finally hanging a print on the wall. ..."

Up to the Minute
Overall, I've been very pleased with the diversity and intelligence of the messages and the message makers. There have been some memorable posts: from art critics blasting us as a group to fascinating, in-depth discussions about art and technique. One thing that online discussion groups like this are very good at is being topical with up-to-the-minute information -- or at least rumors. That's why you probably found out that Digital Fine Art magazine was going out of business here first.

If You Can't Find It, Create It!
All in all, it's been a fascinating year of communicating, learning, and growing for me with regard to this list. The group would not be as large or as active as it is without all of your contributions, and for that, I thank you. My underlying concept has been to build an information community about the making and marketing of digital art. Information and knowledge is what I'm about, and I hope you're getting as much out of this as I am. Here's what I said at the beginning: "So I wanted to be a part of an online community with interests similar to my own. And if I couldn't find one, I'd create it. ... I started the list because I'm fascinated by the digital [art] process, and I'm hoping to learn and share as much about it as possible..." Still sounds about right. Happy Birthday to us all.

Harald Johnson list owner, digital-fineart.

http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/digital-fineart