From Technological to Virtual Art (Leonardo Book Series) [Hardcover]

Frank Popper (Author)

Book Description

Series: Leonardo Book Series | Publication Date: December 22, 2006

In From Technological to Virtual Art, respected historian of art and technology Frank Popper traces the development of immersive, interactive new media art from its historical antecedents through today's digital, multimedia, and networked art. Popper shows that contemporary virtual art is a further refinement of the technological art of the late twentieth century and also a departure from it. What is new about this new media art, he argues, is its humanization of technology, its emphasis on interactivity, its philosophical investigation of the real and the virtual, and its multisensory nature. He argues further that what distinguishes the artists who practice virtual art from traditional artists is their combined commitment to aesthetics and technology. Their "extra-artistic" goals -- linked to their aesthetic intentions -- concern not only science and society but also basic human needs and drives.Defining virtual art broadly as art that allows us, through an interface with technology, to immerse ourselves in the image and interact with it, Popper identifies an aesthetic-technological logic of creation that allows artistic expression through integration with technology. After describing artistic forerunners of virtual art from 1918 to 1983 -- including art that used light, movement, and electronics -- Popper looks at contemporary new media forms and artists. He surveys works that are digital based but materialized, multimedia offline works, interactive digital installations, and multimedia online works (net art) by many artists, among them John Maeda, Jenny Holzer, Brenda Laurel, Agnes Hegedus, Stelarc, and Igor Stromajer. The biographical details included reinforce Popper's idea that technology is humanized by art. Virtual art, he argues, offers a new model for thinking about humanist values in a technological age.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Over three decades ago, when most of the art history establishment was clueless about technology-inspired art, Frank Popper was there recognizing its importance, organizing shows, and trying to help readers understand its implications. Taking advantage of this unprecedented historical vantage point, his latest book offers an expansive survey of technology-inspired work in plastic arts, interactive media, installation, and net art, and explores the ways in which artists integrate aesthetic and cultural concerns to reveal new directions for humanizing technology." Stephen Wilson, Professor of Conceptual and Information Arts, San Francisco State University, and author of Information Arts

"[Popper's] word portraits are often both strikingand finely rendered, illustrating the lifelong journey we make to connect ourselves with the world." Robert Atkins Art in America

About the Author

Frank Popper is Professor Emeritus of Aesthetics and the Science of Art at the University of Paris VIII. He is the author of Origins and Development of Kinetic Art, Art, Action, and Participation, Art of the Electronic Age, and other influential works on art and technology.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 504 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (December 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 026216230X
• ISBN-13: 978-0262162302
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #768,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb history, March 25, 2008

By 

Diatrope "Diatrope" (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: From Technological to Virtual Art (Leonardo Book Series) (Hardcover)

A well-respected art historian, long at the forefront of art and technology studies, Popper is an appropriate figure to present this material. Among those who have taken the art/ science/technology interface from the fringes and into the mainstream, his expertise is vividly translated into this well-documented and comprehensive study of the paradigmatic change. Here he argues that the move toward technologically based projects, largely begun in the twentieth century, has humanized technology due to an emphasis on interactivity. It is also noteworthy that many of the artists Popper focuses on see their commitment to art in larger terms. As the book details, this brings them in touch with politics, the community, and various social dimensions. Reading through the publication is like visiting an exhibition with a smorgasbord of themes, a global sweep, and sensitivity to the personal relationship artists establish with their projects.

Those who are new to the art/science/technology discipline will find the sweeping survey offers a nice map. Those who know the terrain will no doubt learn more about groundbreaking practitioners and appreciate the wealth of detail that illuminates how we got to this point in time. From Technological to Virtual Art is a book that marks the arrival of the art/science/technology perspective and presents the work of many of the innovative people responsible for its ascendancy. I highly recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Cyberart handbook, January 25, 2011

By 

G. Hovagimyan "Media Artist" (NYC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From Technological to Virtual Art (Leonardo Book Series) (Hardcover)

This is a really good survey of the development of early cyberart. It should be added to any library as a core book. The essays on each artist are serious and thoughtful.