When the Machine Made Art: The Troubled History of Computer Art PDF
Preview When the Machine Made Art: The Troubled History of Computer Art
When the Machine Made Art INTERNATIONAL TEXTS IN CRITICAL MEDIA AESTHETICS VOLUME 7 Founding Editor Francisco J. Ricardo Series Editor Jörgen Schäfer Editorial Board Rita Raley John Cayley George Fifield Tony Richards Teri Rueb When the Machine Made Art The Troubled History of Computer Art GRANT D. TAYLOR International Texts in Critical Media Aesthetics NEW YORK • LONDON • NEW DELHI • SYDNEY Bloomsbury Academic An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Inc 1385 Broadway 50 Bedford Square New York London NY 10018 WC1B 3DP USA UK www.bloomsbury.com Bloomsbury is a registered trade mark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published 2014 © Grant D. Taylor 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the author. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Taylor, Grant D. When the machine made art : the troubled history of computer art / Grant D. Taylor. pages cm – (International texts in critical media aesthetics) Summary: “Examines the cultural and critical response to computer art, by identifying the destabilizing forces that affect, shape, and eventually fragment the computer art movement”– Provided by publisher. ISBN 978-1-62356-795-8 (hardback) – ISBN 978-1-62356-884-9 (paperback) 1. Computer art. I. Title. N7433.8.T39 2014 776 – dc23 2013046891 ISBN: HB: 978-1-6235-6795-8 PB: 978-1-6235-6884-9 ePub: 978-1-6235-6272-4 ePDF: 978-1-6235-6561-9 Typeset by Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd. To Victoria and Vivienne CONTENTS Acknowledgments viii Introduction: Unorthodox 1 1 Future crashes 25 2 Coded aesthetics 65 3 Virtual renaissance 103 4 Frontier exploration 157 5 Critical impact 201 Epilogue: Aftermath 249 Notes 268 Bibliography 305 Index 321 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research that provided the backbone to this book was conducted at two institutions on two continents. While pursuing scholarship in Australia and doing the same in the United States often differed in significant ways, the generous support of my colleagues remained the same. At the University of Western Australia in Perth, scholars such as Clarissa Ball, Patrick Beale, Richard Read, Nicole Sully, and Ian McLean provided helpful suggestions and challenged my thinking at every moment. At Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania, I received the same type of assistance—individuals with a critical focus willing to assist a colleague in completing a large research project. The members of the art and art history department—Karen Beall, Barbara McNulty, Dan Massad, and Michael Pittari—continually provided me with positive reinforcement. To Jeff Robbins, I owe special thanks. An ever-generous colleague, Jeff always gave sound professional and publishing advice. Other peers, including Marc Harris, Rebecca McCoy, Matthew Sayers, and Robert Valgenti, have provided various forms of aid: from language translations to best practices. Mike Green and the office of academic affairs also supported my endeavors with multiple research and travel grants. Becky Fullmer’s editorial work was instrumental in refining my manuscript. My LVC student assistants Diana Jo Hoffman and Lindsay Snowden were eager seekers of the most obscure and difficult reference materials. I would like to say Diana’s service dog Emmy helped, but the truth is she slept on my office floor while we toiled away. The librarian staff at the Bishop Library also deserve recognition for their remarkable attention to detail. Within the global field of digital arts, I have numerous people to thank. Many of these individuals I first met at the inaugural Media Art Histories Conference in Banff, Canada, in 2005, and since then they have provided me with much-needed guidance and vital ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix research leads. These individuals include Darko Fritz, Charlie Gere, Douglas Kahn, Frieder Nake, Margit Rosen, and Eddie Shanken. Paul Brown, Hannah Higgins, and Nick Lambert have also supported my research at salient moments. I thank Jörgen Schäfer, along with the editorial board of the International Texts in Critical Media Aesthetics series, for bringing my narrative to light. Without the endorsement of Francisco Ricardo, founding editor of the series, this publication would not have been possible. I am grateful to the staff at Bloomsbury Publishing, especially my editors Katie Gallof and Laura Murray. I would also like to thank the Regents of the University of California and the University of California Press for allowing me to publish portions of my 2012 essay, “The Soulless Usurper: Reception and Criticism of Early Computer Art,” which was published in Mainframe Experimentalism: Early Digital Computing in the Experimental Arts (edited by Hannah Higgins and Douglas Kahn). I am particularly indebted to two individuals, Anne and Michael Spalter, who have provided unwavering support since the first moment I arrived in the United States. Anne has been an advocate of my research as far back as graduate school, and Michael introduced me to Hannah Higgins and Francisco Ricardo—individuals who opened up new scholarship paths for me. My correspondence with Laurens Schwartz became invaluable for both its counsel and its sense of friendship. One could say we formed a bond through layers of analogical expression. I am also appreciative of the countless artists who have invited me into their studios and homes. Viewing their artworks and searching their archives have provided continual sustenance for my intellect and imagination. Finally, I would like to thank my family in the United States and Australia, for without their emotional support and devotion a project of this magnitude would not have been possible.
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