Information Arts Intersections of Art, Science, and Technology

by Wilson, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780262731584
• ISBN10: 0262731584
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-02-28
• Publisher: The MIT Press

Summary

A new breed of contemporary artist engages science and technology-not just to adopt the vocabulary and gizmos, but to explore and comment on the content, agendas, and possibilities. Indeed, proposes Stephen Wilson, the role of the artist is not only to interpret and to spread scientific knowledge, but to be an active partner in determining the direction of research. Years ago, C. P. Snow wrote about the "two cultures" of science and the humanities; these developments may finally help to change the outlook of those who view science and technology as separate from the general culture. In this rich compendium, Wilson offers the first comprehensive survey of international artists who incorporate concepts and research from mathematics, the physical sciences, biology, kinetics, telecommunications, and experimental digital systems such as artificial intelligence and ubiquitous computing. In addition to visual documentation and statements by the artists, Wilson examines relevant art-theoretical writings and explores emerging scientific and technological research likely to be culturally significant in the future. He also provides lists of resources including organizations, publications, conferences, museums, research centers, and Web sites.

Author Biography

Stephen Wilson was Professor of Conceptual and Information Arts at San Francisco State University.

Table of Contents

Selected Artists	xiii
Selected Technologies	xvii
Series Foreword	xix
Foreword	xxi
Joel Slayton
Preface	xxiii
Introduction, Methodology, Definitions, and Theoretical Overview	1	(52)
Art and Science as Cultural Acts	2	(32)
A Quiz	4	(1)
Revisiting the Relationship of Art and Techno-Scientific Research	5	(2)
Organization of the Book	7	(1)
The Deficiency of Categorization	8	(1)
What Areas of Technological Art Are Included? Which Are Not?	9	(2)
Definitions and Theoretical Reflections	11	(7)
Similarities and Differences between Science and Art	18	(2)
Critical Theory and Problematic Issues in the Integration of Art and Techno-Scientific Research	20	(5)
Artists' Stances in Integrating Research	25	(5)
Summary: The End of Timelessness?	30	(4)
Elaboration on the Approach of Art as Research	34	(19)
Can the Arts Offer Alternatives in Setting Research Agendas, Interpreting Results, and Communicating Findings?	35	(1)
What Is a Viable Role for Artists in Research Settings? What Can Researchers Contribute to Art and What Can Artists Contribute to Research? What Can High-Tech Companies Gain from Artists Being Involved?	36	(2)
Art Characteristics Useful for Research	38	(1)
Preparing Artists for Research	39	(1)
The Integration of Research and Art	40	(1)
Art and Science/Technology Collaborations	41	(7)
Future Possibilities	48	(5)
Biology: Microbiology, Animals and Plants, Ecology, and Medicine and the Body	53	(148)
Biology: Research Agendas and Theoretical Overview	54	(40)
Introduction	55	(1)
Research Agendas in Biology and Medicine	56	(3)
Areas of Cultural Significance in Biological Research	59	(13)
Theoretical Perspectives on Biology and the Body	72	(5)
Rethinking the Body and Medicine	77	(7)
Searching for Aesthetic Form in Art and Science	84	(4)
How Are Biology-Based Theory and Research Important to the Arts?	88	(6)
Artists Working With Microbiology	94	(16)
Introduction: Microbiology and Genetics as Artistic Interest	95	(1)
Manipulations and Investigations of the Microworld	96	(5)
Creating Forms and Visualizations Based on Its Structures, Including the New Iconography of Gene Mapping	101	(4)
Reflections on the Processes of Genetic Science and Its Social Implications	105	(3)
Summary: Micro Steps	108	(2)
Plants and Animals	110	(18)
Introduction	111	(1)
Invertebrates	112	(4)
Arthropods: Insects and Spiders	116	(2)
Plants	118	(2)
Vertebrates	120	(3)
Acoustic Ecology	123	(3)
Summary	126	(2)
Ecological Art	128	(20)
Ecology: Organic Life as a System	129	(1)
Questions Raised by Artistic Interest in Ecology	130	(1)
Historical Examples of Artistic Work	131	(2)
Contemporary Artistic Work with Ecological Concepts	133	(13)
Summary: Linking Science and Art in Action	146	(2)
Body and Medicine	148	(53)
Introduction: Bodies, Technology, and Theory	149	(5)
Extropian and Post-Human Approaches	154	(3)
Artists' Experiments with Technological Stimulation	157	(12)
Artists' Experiments with Smell	169	(1)
Artists' Experiments with Surgery	170	(4)
Experiments with Tissue Culture	174	(1)
Body Modification	174	(6)
Brain Processes, Heartbeats, Breath, Biosensors, and Psychology	180	(9)
The Psychological Processes of Perception, Cognition, Appreciation, and Creativity	189	(1)
Body Imaging	189	(4)
Medicine, Hospitals, Bodily Fluids, and Death	193	(5)
Summary: Dissecting the Body	198	(3)
Physics, Nonlinear Systems, Nanotechnology, Materials Science, Geology, Astronomy, Space Science, Global Positioning System, and Cosmology	201	(94)
Physical Science Research Agendas and Theoretical Reflections	202	(20)
Introduction: Questions about the Biggest and Smallest of Things	203	(1)
Survey of Research Fields and Agendas	204	(3)
Nonlinear Systems, Chaos, and Complexity	207	(2)
Astronomy, Cosmology, and Space Science	209	(2)
Epistemology---How Do We Know What We Know?	211	(2)
Potentially Important Emergent Technologies	213	(8)
Summary: Artist Explorations of Physical Science Research and Concepts	221	(1)
Atomic Physics, Nanotechnology, and Nuclear Science	222	(12)
Atomic Physics	223	(3)
Viewing and Manipulating the Atomic World---Nanotechnology	226	(4)
Nuclear Science	230	(3)
Summary: Difficulties of Working at the Atomic Level	233	(1)
Materials and Natural Phenomena: Nonlinear Dynamic Systems, Water, Weather, Solar Energy, Geology, and Mechanical Motion	234	(26)
Nonlinear Systems	235	(4)
Natural Phenomena---Oceans, Water, and Moving Liquid	239	(2)
Natural Phenomena---Erosion and Geological Action	241	(3)
Natural Phenomena---The Sky, Winds, and Weather	244	(2)
Solar Art	246	(5)
Mechanics---Oscillation and Pendulum Action	251	(2)
Fire, Heat, Magnetics, and Electromagnetics	253	(1)
Materials Science, Rapid Prototyping, and Chemistry	253	(3)
Summary: Pattern Finding and Poetry of Matter	256	(4)
Space	260	(22)
Artistic Interest in Space	261	(2)
Views from Space	263	(2)
Art Viewed from Earth	265	(3)
Art Executed in Space and Weightlessness	268	(3)
Painting and Photography Based on Space Exploration	271	(1)
Conceptual and Electronic Works	271	(4)
Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI)	275	(3)
Art Critiques of Space Research	278	(1)
Summary: The Hopes	279	(3)
Global Positioning System (GPS)	282	(13)
Possibilities and Dangers	283	(1)
Artistic Experimentation with GPS	283	(9)
Summary: Unexpected Implications	292	(3)
Algorithms, Mathematics, Fractals, Genetic Art, and Artificial Life	295	(72)
Research Agendas in Mathematics and Artificial Life	296	(16)
Why Is Mathematics Part of a Book on Science, Technology, and Art?	297	(1)
A Review of Research Agendas in Mathematics	298	(4)
Artificial Life	302	(3)
Theoretical Perspectives on A-Life	305	(6)
Summary	311	(1)
Algorithmic Art, Art and Mathematics, and Fractals	312	(28)
Algorithmic Art	313	(7)
Art and Mathematics	320	(10)
Fractals	330	(3)
Promise and Problems in Art and Mathematics and Algorithmic Art	333	(1)
Literacy---Audience Background	334	(2)
Understanding Systems	336	(1)
Abstraction and Cultural Theory	337	(3)
Artificial Life and Genetic Art	340	(27)
A-Life Sculpture and Autonomous Agents	341	(10)
Genetic, Evolutionary, and Organic Art	351	(16)
Kinetics, Sound Installations, and Robots	367	(90)
Robotics and Kinetics	368	(18)
Introduction: Robots---Creatures of Art and Science	369	(2)
An Overview of Scientific and Technological Research Agendas	371	(3)
Examples of Conceptual Challenges and Approaches	374	(8)
Robots and Popular Culture	382	(1)
Summary: Robot Hopes, Fears, and Realities	383	(3)
Conceptual Kinetics and Electronics	386	(20)
Artistic Research	387	(1)
Kinetic Art Precursors	388	(1)
Kinetics and Light Sculpture	389	(3)
Conceptual Kinetics	392	(13)
Summary: More Than Robotics	405	(1)
Kinetic Instruments, Sound Sculpture, and Industrial Music	406	(18)
A Brief Theoretical Overture	407	(2)
Experiments in Sound Installation	409	(13)
Summary: Research as Art	422	(2)
Robots	424	(33)
Robotic Theater and Robotic Dance	425	(2)
Autonomy	427	(5)
Extreme Performance, Destruction, Mayhem, and Control	432	(8)
Social Metaphors	440	(6)
Extending Robot Motion and Interfaces	446	(5)
Robot Architecture	451	(3)
Summary: Kinetics and Robots---Hybrids of Art and Science	454	(3)
Telecommunications	457	(146)
Telecommunications Research Agendas and Theoretical Reflections	458	(28)
Introduction: Overcoming Distance	459	(1)
Telecommunications Research and Development	460	(9)
Research Trends in Telepresence	469	(4)
The Meaning of the Telecommunications ``Revolution''	473	(8)
The Exploration of New Possibilities	481	(3)
Summary: Telecommunications---The Grand Cyber Debate	484	(2)
Telephone, Radio, and Net.Radio	486	(28)
A Brief History of Telematic Art	487	(1)
Theoretical Perspectives on Telephone Art	488	(2)
Examples of Telephone-Based Art	490	(7)
Radio, Television, and Wireless	497	(6)
Radio-Based Art and Theater Installations	503	(1)
Art Radio	504	(3)
The Migration to Net.Radio	507	(4)
Summary: Dangers and Opportunities in Convergence	511	(3)
Teleconferencing, Videoconferencing, Satellites, the Internet, and Telepresence	514	(44)
Teleconferencing, Videoconferencing, Satellites, and Internet Collaboration	515	(11)
Telepresence Definitions	526	(2)
Artists Exploring Telepresence	528	(21)
Visualizing Net Activity	549	(5)
Parapsychological Communication	554	(2)
Summary: Being There	556	(2)
Web Art	558	(45)
Critical Perspectives on Web Art	561	(3)
Archive and Information Sites	564	(8)
Projects to Accumulate Web-Viewer Opinions	572	(1)
Genetic Art Using Web-Visitor Voting	573	(3)
Recomposing Web Resources	576	(3)
Collaborative Environments and Person-to-Person Communication	579	(6)
The Development of New Capabilities	585	(4)
Reflections about the Net	589	(7)
Arrangements That Use Readings of the Physical World to Affect the Web	596	(3)
Cool Sites	599	(1)
Summary: The Web as an Art Arena	600	(3)
Digital Information Systems/Computers	603	(246)
Research Agendas and Theoretical Overview	604	(60)
Introduction: The Computer Revolution	605	(1)
Diverse Histories of Technological Imagination	605	(2)
Research Agendas	607	(23)
Theoretical Reflections on the Digital Culture and Art	630	(27)
Summary: Debate in the Art Community---Possibilities of an Enhanced Future	657	(7)
Computer Media	664	(28)
Introduction: Extensions of Photography, Cinema, Video, and Literature	665	(1)
Deconstructive and Feminist Critiques of Cultural Trends	666	(5)
Extending Poetic and Expressive Capabilities	671	(5)
Art Games	676	(3)
Multi-Person Events	679	(1)
Video Installation	680	(5)
Interactive Documentary	685	(3)
Hyperfiction	688	(1)
Summary: Computer Media---The Next Stages of Cinema and Television?	689	(3)
Virtual Reality	692	(36)
Introduction: Artists as Architects of Virtual Reality	693	(1)
Unorthodox Spaces and Characters	694	(11)
The Virtual Reality World as Metaphor	705	(4)
Alternative Objects and Creatures	709	(3)
Relationships between the Physical and the Virtual	712	(5)
Information Visualization	717	(4)
Distributed Virtual Reality	721	(1)
Virtual Reality, Music, and Theater	722	(3)
Research and Commercial Virtual Reality Environments	725	(1)
Summary	726	(2)
Motion, Gesture, Touch, Gaze, Manipulation, and Activated Objects	728	(46)
Introduction: Reworking the Interface	729	(1)
Motion	730	(15)
Gesture	745	(4)
Touch and Tactility	749	(6)
Gaze	755	(3)
Face Recognition	758	(2)
Complex Actions---Balance, Walking, and Bicycling	760	(4)
Breath	764	(1)
Activated Objects	764	(8)
Summary: Can a Computer Do More Than See and Hear?	772	(2)
Speech Synthesis, Voice Recognition, and 3-D Sound	774	(12)
Sound Research	775	(1)
3-D Sound	776	(4)
Speech Synthesis and Manipulation	780	(2)
Speech Recognition	782	(2)
Summary: Something to Talk About	784	(2)
Artificial Intelligence	786	(26)
Artificial Intelligence Research	787	(2)
Algorithms for Creativity	789	(5)
Image and Speech Recognition	794	(3)
Interactions with Artificial Characters	797	(7)
Affective Computing	804	(2)
Agents	806	(3)
Summary: The Role of the Arts in Artificial Intelligence and Agent Research	809	(3)
Information and Surveillance	812	(37)
Information Management, Visualization, Commerce, and Surveillance	813	(1)
Bar Codes and ID Technologies	814	(1)
Surveillance	815	(7)
Databases and Research Processes	822	(7)
Information Visualization	829	(4)
Reflections on Science	833	(3)
Information Organizations and Structures	836	(10)
Summary: Being Formed by Information	846	(3)
Resources	849	(30)
Exhibitions and Festivals; Educational Programs; Art, and Research Collaborations; Organizational Resources, Think Tanks, and Web Resources	850	(24)
Permanent Spaces, Museums, and Comprehensive Institutions	851	(6)
Competitions and Festivals	857	(3)
Organizations and Information Publishers	860	(5)
Art and Science-Technology Sponsors, Competitions, and Academic Convergence Programs	865	(1)
Think Tanks and University Labs	866	(2)
Educational Resources	868	(4)
Research Conferences, Science Magazines, Trade Magazines, and Science and Technology Studies	872	(1)
Summary: Institutions as Art	873	(1)
Summary---The Future	874	(5)
Appendixes	879	(26)
A Methodology	880	(6)
B Books for Further Inquiry	886	(19)
Name Index	905	(18)
Subject Index	923