New Media Art

by Mark Tribe (Editor), Uta Grosenick (Editor), Reena Jana (Editor)

Art in the age of digital communication Artists have always been early adopters of emerging media technologies, from Albrecht D?rer and his use of the printing press in the 16th century to Nam June Paik's experiments with video in the 1960s. In 1994, the advent of the Internet as a popular medium catalyzed a global art movement that began to explore the cultural, social, and aesthetic possibilities of such new communication technologies as the Web, video surveillance cameras, wireless phones, hand-held computers, and GPS devices. This book addresses New Media art as a specific art historical movement, focusing not only on technologies and forms but also on thematic content and conceptual strategies. New Media art often involves appropriation, collaboration, and the free sharing of ideas and expressions, and frequently addresses the political ramifications of technology around issues of identity, commercialization, privacy, and the public domain. Many New Media artists are profoundly aware of their art historical antecedents, making reference to Dada, Pop Art, Conceptual art, Performance art, and Fluxus. Artists featured: Cory Arcangel, Jonah Brucker-Cohen and Katherine Moriwaki, Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries, Vuk Cosic, Mary Flanagan, Ken Goldberg, Paul Kaiser and Shelly Eshkar, Jennifer and Kevin McCoy, Mouchette, MTAA, Keith and Mendi Obadike, Radical Software Group, Raqs Media Collective, RTMark, and John F. Simon Jr.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

95 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Francis H. R.]

Transphobic 🍅

[Eddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good and interesting examples of new media art or computer art but not too much depth. Would have liked more discussion about each piece rather than just a graphic and a blurb. Serves as a decent introductory book when combined with lectures

[CM · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is so much better than the other books of this series.

An introductory essay that actually reads like one article, compilation of artworks without random biographical details or auction house hyperbole and entries that are actually written to enhance our understanding of the works included by covering on inspiration and influence.

It might be a bit dated (it covers mostly from 1990 to 2005) but it still serves as a good intro text. Readers may be surprised to find how new media artists have responded to artists of the older generation, like MTAA's "1 year performance video (aka samHsiehUpdate)", an intriguing internet piece that reverses the power dynamics of the original.

[Reader]

Although short to read, it’s part of the history that is not yet popular in the art history textbooks. Dadaism is deeply connection with the “new media art”.
Rhizome founder Mark Tribe write this part of the history.

[Lukas Bravo Nicolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

La primera parte del libro es interesante, pero lamentablemente la selección de obras envejeció pesimamente

[Leo(nie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book provides a definition of new media art and an overview of the most important genres and exemplary works. It gives an account of the history of new media art and its antecedent art movements.
The authors have clear perceptions of the characteristics of this art movement and foreground those in their introduction of the featured works of art. Most of these works can also be viewed online and the book includes their url's.
As it is a fast read with a lot of graphic material and screenshots of new media art works, I would say that it is a helpful book for anyone new to this field of study.

[Maarten Buser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aardige introductie, maar er valt wel het een en ander aan op te merken. De korte teksten blijven te vaak steken in vage, te weinig concrete kunstpraatjes, en met de gelegde connecties met eerdere kunst wordt vaak te weinig gedaan: o, het lijkt op een dadacollage, wacht, dat is het. De lange inleiding is dan wel weer heel aardig.

[Miguel Cortez · Rating 4 out of 5]

i left this book in an airplane during one of my trips. It is a good compilation.

[Matthew Jarvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of new media art and has some good friends of mine profiled within it, however I thought it basic and would have liked something more in-depth.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had not heard of 80% of the works, so a good intro for me. Sufficient discussion to get a sense of the works.

[Maria Paula Lorgia]

Good reference book about the 90's New Media Art glorious times.