Interactivity in Art: A Concise History /Overview

1. Interactivity in Art: A ConciseHistory /Overview Cameron Coker VIZA 630

2. Interaction: History of the Term 1901 Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology defines 'interaction' as: "The relation between two or more relatively independent things or systems of change which advance, hinder, limit, or otherwise affect one another"

3. Interaction: History of the Term “Reciprocity”, objects that have a mutual dependence, action, or influence STUFF THAT ACTS ON OTHER STUFF AND THEN THAT STUFF ACTS BACK!

4. Interaction: History of the Term Sociology in the 1900’s Interaction = social science Georg Simmel, first to use ‘interaction’ to mean interpersonal relationships

5. Interaction: History of the Term George Herbert Mead & Edward Alsworth Ross Stimulus – Response Theory

6. Interaction: History of the Term Symbolic Interactionists

7. Interaction: History of the Term Stimulus-Response – Concerned with reactions, measured and explained things with statistics and physiology Symbolic Interactionists– Concerned with actions made by people and how those actions relate to who they are and how we perceive society

8. Cybernetics: Interaction as Process of Feedback Norber Wiener – coined the term ‘Cybernetics’ society could be investigated through analyzing messages and communication processes

9. HCI: Human/Computer Interaction 1960’s Ivan Sutherland – Sketchpad Douglas Engelbard- 'X-Y position indicator for a display system’

10. Interaction: History of the Term Physical Physiological Human-Machine Interaction Systems of Interaction Sociological 1900’s 1940’s 1960’s

11. 3 Big Ideas Sociology - people interacting with people Cybernetics - systems, structures, and rules for interaction Computer Science - people interacting with computers and machines

12. Cool, cool, but what’s that got to do with art, Cameron? Hold on, I’m getting to that part...

13. Interactive Art Can be described as developing alongside these 3 new ideas: Sociology, Cybernetics, and Computer Science

14. Sociology Art John Cage – 4’33’

15. Sociology Art Nam June Paik – TV Cello

16. Sociology Art Valie Export – Aktionshose: Genitalpanik (Action Pants: Genital Panic)

17. Cybernetic Art 1950’s - Nicolas Schoeffer ‘Cybernetic Spatiodynamic Sculptures’

18. Cybernetic Art 1960’s James Seawright Edward Ihnatowicz Tony Martin 1968 – writer Jack Burnham

19. Interactive Art 1969 GlowFlow “a computer-controlled, light sound viewer responsive environment”

20. Interactive Art Myron Krueger Focus on responsive environments

21. Interactive Art vs. New Media Art • 1990’s • The term ‘Interactive Art’ used alongside ‘New Media Art’

22. That’s interesting, but what I really want to be is confused OH, why didn’t you just say so!

23. Necessity of Distinctions Martin Lister ‘Ideological’ and ‘Instrumental’ Interactivity Ideological – emotional, intellectual Instrumental – physical, practical

24. Degrees of Interactivity • Static Systems • Dynamic Systems • Dependence on Environment • Reciprocal Systems that factor in spectators • Participatory Systems • Interactive Systems (mutual exchange between man and machine)

25. Degrees of Interactivity • Interactivity based on degree of selection options • degree of modification option • quantitative size of selection/modification possibilities • degree of linearity or non-linearity

26. Epistemological vs. Aesthetic Epistemological – dealing with knowledge and what can be known Aesthetic – dealing with beauty and taste

27. Epistemological vs. Aesthetic • SlavkoKacunko – ‘Closed Circuit Cideo Installations’ • Subject/object realtions • Reality construction • System models • Game concepts • Learning processes

28. Discussion Interactivity the Term Interactivity the History Interactivity the Art Interactivity the Science Interactivity the Dichotomy Interactivity as it applies to our projects