Initially we had two different ideas for this issue running parallel under consideration for a while—to explore the themes of order, measurement and systems and also to highlight some of our favorite local art heros in celebration of their efforts. Eventually we gave up trying to decide between the two ideas and decided instead to just merge them together. The result is what the late Gregory Bateson might have referred to as a "metalogue" in which a dialogue essentially animates itself through self-referencing and self-reflection. All of the contributors in this issue were invited to submit because of their outstanding commitment to art and culture in the Bay Area. The collective represents a colorful spectrum of characters who have made their name both creating and promoting art in the Bay Area. The result is less a survey by local artists about local art, than it is a reflection presented by example.

Our original vision for the webzine was to offer a new channel for artistic expression to the community of artists who filter through ATA. It may be that the web is still a lesser-used instrument for artistic expression than others—the next frontier of sorts, being the youngest form of "new" genres. So we decided to send out a call for action to help us advance artistic thinking by creating art for the web. And who best to get our community riled up than a collection of our very own local tours du forces—those who consistently have small currents of energy surrounding and sustaining them, whether by making art or promoting it. The collection of contributors in this issue presents a small circuit of energy. Each point of reference is merely a shortcut to the greater pool of artistic energy in the Bay Area. Here we present our own little metalogue on the state of art, or at least our own little portion of it, in the Bay Area.