Monday 11th of March 2008 Lecture

Computing and media art. Anne Nimetz.
Computing
Human’s ability to count.
17th C. philosophers. Classification- logic rather than speech.
Universal language, scientific language.
Logical calculus. Science very new.
J. Wilkins- most influential thinker of the 17th century. Attempt at universal language. Should be possible. Invented short hand system. His ideas were all before his time. Language linking mind to reality. Work never complete.
G.W. Leibniz- mathematical model for language. Representing parts of language as number. Discovered binary system (in West) thought to have already been discovered in the east 2000 years before. 2 symbol system.
C. Babbage, 1834- Small calculator, 8 decimal. With government funding developed a 20 decimal machine. Analytical engine, prerequisite of computer. Probably hand cranked.
Ada Lovelace, 1815-1852- first programmer. 36 years old bled to death by physician.
A. Turing 1912-1952- founder of computer science. Turing machine- concept on paper. Simple computer. Thought experiment. WWII worked breaking ciphers. 1947 uni Manchester. 1952 convicted of homosexual relations.
K. Zuse. 23 comp. 1914 working in isolation. Continued developing. Founded 1st computer start-up company.
60’s idea of internet floating around
23-electro mech. Colossus T Flowers. For breaking code. Top-secret machine.
N. Wiener 1948 cybernetics. Science of transmitting messages from man to machine or machine to machine. Theory meant to increase the quality of our existence. Analysis of brainwaves, AKA father of cyborgs.
IBM 1952 1st commercial sci computer defence calculator. To government.
PDP-1 1960 famous for hacker culture. One operator. Graphic display. 1st computer game, space wars. 10 years later 1st coin operated arcade game came out but was hard to play.
I. Sutherland, 1963. Sketchpad. 1st CAD program. Human interface. Artistic and technical. X-y plotter and light pen. Limits of computer power.
NLS demo 1968 D. Engelbart. Online system. 1000 cap prof. Mouse. Hypertext. Shared screen multimedia demo. Completely new systems. Mouse pointer called “bug”. Email video messaging. Skype. “The mother of all demos”.
1980s mouse goes commercial.
Apple from Xerox parc.
S. Wozniak, 1976 Apple 1 $666.66
B. Gates 1978 microsoft. 197 Albakerky  Washington. Dos.
Atare commodore 79/82. Time magazine man of the year was a computer.
1990’s www, windows, silicon graphics, 3d graphics. 1994 Apples power mac.
Future of computing- quantum computer.


Media Art
Digital art, art and technology. Large variety. New media- computer graphics, animation etc.
19th century. Zoetrope. Illusion of action. W. Horner Dadadelium.
1839 Phenakisoscope- to cheat.
Edward Muybridge 1878. Details of motion. Multiple cameras.
Lanterna magica. Fantascope projection. Magic lantern. Oil lamp image on glass plate. Fantasmagoria show 1849 rear projectiony.
Modernism. Bauhaus. Creation of intermingling of technology and art.
Moholy Nagy. First electronic artist.
Kinetic art. T. Wilfred 1930’s Colour music. Clavilux.
1950’s-60’s kinetic art. Jean Tinguely. Homage to New York 1960. Drawing machine. Billy Clouver. One glorious act of mechanical suicide.
EAT experiments in art and technology. Pioneers in interactive media art. Early interactive performances and robotics.
Nan June Paik, 1958 first video artist. John Cage Charlotte Mormon. 1960 sony portapack closed circuit.
John Whitney 1917-1995 pioneer of animation. Built computer himself. Inspiring artists. Commercial potential. Arabesque visual music.
1968 cybernetic serendipity. Happy chance discoveries.