
White Heat Cold Logic
British Computer Art 1960-1980
MIT Press
Published on 1. February 2009
Book
Hardback
464 pages
978-0-262-02653-6 (ISBN)
Description
The history of a pioneering era in computer-based art too often neglected by postwar art histories and institutions.Technological optimism, even utopianism, was widespread at midcentury; in Britain, Harold Wilson in 1963 promised a new nation "forged from the white heat of the technological revolution." In this heady atmosphere, pioneering artists transformed the cold logic of computing into a new medium for their art, and played a central role in connecting technology and culture. White Heat Cold Logic tells the story of these early British digital and computer artists-and fills in a missing chapter in contemporary art history.In this heroic period of computer art, artists were required to build their own machines, collaborate closely with computer scientists, and learn difficult computer languages. White Heat Cold Logic's chapters, many written by computer art pioneers themselves, describe the influence of cybernetics, with its emphasis on process and interactivity; the connections to the constructivist movement; and the importance of work done in such different venues as commercial animation, fine art schools, and polytechnics.The advent of personal computing and graphical user interfaces in 1980 signaled the end of an era, and today we do not have so many dreams of technological utopia. And yet our highly technologized and mediated world owes much to these early practitioners, especially for expanding our sense of what we can do with new technologies.Contributors
Roy Ascott, Stephen Bell, Paul Brown, Stephen Bury, Harold Cohen, Ernest Edmonds, María Fernández, Simon Ford, John Hamilton Frazer, Jeremy Gardiner, Charlie Gere, Adrian Glew, Beryl Graham, Stan Hayward, Grisham Howard, Richard Ihnatowicz, Nicholas Lambert, Malcolm Le Grice, Tony Longson, Brent MacGregor, George Mallen, Catherine Mason, Jasia Reichardt, Stephen A. R. Scrivener, Brian Reffin Smith, Alan Sutcliffe, Doron D. Swade, John Vince, Richard Wright, Aleksandar Zivanovic
Roy Ascott, Stephen Bell, Paul Brown, Stephen Bury, Harold Cohen, Ernest Edmonds, María Fernández, Simon Ford, John Hamilton Frazer, Jeremy Gardiner, Charlie Gere, Adrian Glew, Beryl Graham, Stan Hayward, Grisham Howard, Richard Ihnatowicz, Nicholas Lambert, Malcolm Le Grice, Tony Longson, Brent MacGregor, George Mallen, Catherine Mason, Jasia Reichardt, Stephen A. R. Scrivener, Brian Reffin Smith, Alan Sutcliffe, Doron D. Swade, John Vince, Richard Wright, Aleksandar Zivanovic
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge, Mass.
United States
Publishing group
MIT Press Ltd
Target group
US School Grade: College Graduate Student and over
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
63 b&w illus.; 126 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 178 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
907 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-262-02653-6 (9780262026536)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Nicholas Lambert is Research Officer, School of History of Art, Film, and Visual Media, at Birkbeck College, University of London.
Charlie Gere is Reader in New Media Research, Institute for Cultural Research, at Lancaster University.
Catherine Mason is an art historian at work on a book about computers and artistic practice in art schools and academic institutions.
Paul Brown is Visiting Professor of Art and Technology at the University of Sussex. Charlie Gere is Reader in New Media Research, Institute for Cultural Research, at Lancaster University. Nicholas Lambert is Research Officer, School of History of Art, Film, and Visual Media, at Birkbeck College, University of London. Catherine Mason is an art historian at work on a book about computers and artistic practice in art schools and academic institutions.
Paul Brown is Visiting Professor of Art and Technology at the University of Sussex.
Charlie Gere is Reader in New Media Research, Institute for Cultural Research, at Lancaster University.
Catherine Mason is an art historian at work on a book about computers and artistic practice in art schools and academic institutions.
Paul Brown is Visiting Professor of Art and Technology at the University of Sussex. Charlie Gere is Reader in New Media Research, Institute for Cultural Research, at Lancaster University. Nicholas Lambert is Research Officer, School of History of Art, Film, and Visual Media, at Birkbeck College, University of London. Catherine Mason is an art historian at work on a book about computers and artistic practice in art schools and academic institutions.
Paul Brown is Visiting Professor of Art and Technology at the University of Sussex.
Editor
Visiting professor and artist-in-residenceUniversity of Sussex
Reader in New Media Research, Institute for Cultural Research, Lancaster UniversityLancaster University
Head of ResearchRavensbourne College
Contributions