Media Reader 193 - 246

Marshall McLuhan, The Galaxy Reconfigured, The Medium Is the Message

Brought to light the idea that the “medium is the message”, meaning that the new way of expression is more important than the content. He describes the shift from book-culture to a culture of electronic media. He also states that its best not to take the issue of new media too seriously, that it can be a fun horizon to explore with the fusion of ideas instead of separating them.

Experiments in Art and Technology

Formed in the 1966 the EAT (Experiments in Art and Technology) have been playing a pivotal role in the advance of technology and art. The organization held competitions, exhibitions, and discussions. Billy Kluver founded EAT after his first experiences with artists and engineers while working at Bell Telephone Laboratories. He then collaborated with Knut Wiggin from Sweden, the two of them created some exhibitions in New York, getting mixed reviews. The reviews mainly attacked the technological “problems”.

Kluver says that “this experiment in art never fails”, meaning that any mistake will lead to advances, or at the least an artistic voice. This type of performance engineering allows for artists to create and destroy principle’s of mechanics, and to create a performance that manipulates these principles, like Jim McGee’s tennis installation that deals with motion and light.

In Kluver’s article, “The Pavilion”, he describes his project as one that involves the visitors to make choices and have participation. He states that “one of E.A.T.’s objectives in relation to the Pavilion was to demonstrate physically the variety and multiplicity of experiences that the new technology can provide for the individual.

Video art has always meant to be interactive and to be new media. John Cage stated, “the cathode ray tube will replace the canvas.”

In 1968 the ARC (Augmentation Research Center) demonstrated all of their work to a live audience. It was risky, lots could go wrong, but it was a success and led to the expansion of the research. This demonstration introduced the mouse and the precursor to the internet.