In the Realm of the Circuit: Computers, Art, and Culture (Hardcover)

by Charles H. Traub (Author), Jonathan Lipkin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Broad in scope, this book provides a clear introduction to both the aesthetics and historical precedents of the multi-faceted dialog of which electronic multimedia is the latest incarnation. It tells the story of how technology has always been integrally connected to human expression—and gives users the tools to connect their technological practice to their cultural heritage. Chapter topics explain the foundations of digital culture, Metafora, the language of structure, the communication between individuals and civilization, and the creative interlocutor. For creative people in all of the arts.

From the Back Cover
Broad in scope, this book provides a clear introduction to both the aesthetics and historical precedents of the multi-faceted dialog of which electronic multimedia is the latest incarnation. It tells the story of how technology has always been integrally connected to human expression—and gives users the tools to connect their technological practice to their cultural heritage. Chapter topics explain the foundations of digital culture, Metafora, the language of structure, the communication between individuals and civilization, and the creative interlocutor. For creative people in all of the arts.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1st edition (March 12, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 013093674X
• ISBN-13: 978-0130936745
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,405,555 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not since Marshall McLuhan, May 6, 2003

By	James H. Schwartz (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Not since Marshall McLuhan has so excellent a discussion of how the medium becomes the message appeared! It starts with a timeline of discoveries and key or symptomatic events: for example, 7000-3000 BCE, the beginning of civilization; 1661, the establishment of a postal service in the American colonies; 1790, the adoption by the British navy of Admiral Sir Home Rigg's secret flag code; 1863, sending a fax message from London to Liverpool; 1947, the replacement of vacuum tubes by transistors, with much in between.

Then gesture, sound, image and word is explored in a moderate postmodern manner, concentrating on the distinction between analog and digital. The authors next post a challenging quote: "The computer is the single most important invention since fire," and then seriously evaluate how true it is by discussing the invention's interaction with reality, art, space and time.

The book ends with a list of key people and important places and things. For flavor, the list begins with Akbar, the great Mughal emperor, and ends with the urban designer, Lily Yeh.

"In the Realm of the Circuit" is full of fresh, new images that appropriately illustrate the text. It can be read for pleasure as well as serve as a textbook for an undergraduate course.

James H. Schwartz
Professor