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the source code, on the one hand, and the sheer examination of the image alone on the other. This is because, in contrast to a composition created in the traditional way by the visual calculations of an artist in a series of trials, or simply through the creation of an image however it came about, an examination of the source code shows that in «Schotter,» it exists in the form of one of the n-possible graphical states of the program. In terms of computer art, this is the key element of this work. [50] 2. Myron Krueger: «Videoplace» By contrast, Myron Krueger’s «Videoplace» is a ‹dynamic› work in both function and genesis, a work that, at first glance, is difficult to compare to a graphic as in the example above. Under no circumstances should the visual be compared; instead, it is the way the computer itself is used. This is a work in progress, one on which this computer scientist has been working since about 1974. [51] Krueger’s primary goal is the development of ‹user interfaces› for man-machine combinations. He pursues an approach oriented towards the physical and communicative range of the extremities and sense organs of humans. In his environments, no parallel
worlds in which people «immerse themselves» are developed. Instead, the actor in his installation is not restricted by technology applied to his body but rather possesses complete freedom of movement so that he can respond to visual and acoustic stimuli. As a rule, this work consists of a surveillance camera which is linked to computers through feedback systems. The computers calculate the movements of the users and the reactions of the system to the input data in real time. Because of this, a fundamentally different understanding of the computer and its suitability as a tool for the artist is conveyed. Krueger describes the motivation behind his work as follows: «As I observed how artists stood in relation to their traditional tools, I noticed what they were doing with computers around the end of the sixties. I found that they were making art in a truly time-honored fashion. That seemed wrong to me. If the computer was to revolutionize art, it had to define new forms that would be impossible without it, and not simply help create traditional works.» [52] What appeared unthinkable at the time when Nees' «Schotter» was created in the seventies, for Krueger became a driving force in achieving the above-cited