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Lambert, Nicholas "A Critical Examination of “Computer Art”:Its History and Application." DPhil
, Oxford University, 2003
Keywords/Fields of Study : Computer Art, history, theories, development, techniques, artists,
Abstract: This thesis proposes that art created through the agency of a computer may be termed “Computer Art”, in which the computer operates simultaneously as medium, tool and context, in addition to its organisational and interactive elements. The image-space described using software frees artists from the restrictions of physical media by providing a dynamic non-material environment, whose potentials may be realised in the resulting artwork. Because the computer provides the image-space and the tools for image-making, it can be seen as a platform for art in the same way it has become a platform for architecture, music and design. The digital basis of computer artwork raises questions about the uniqueness of an “original” in this branch of visual art. Similarly, the dynamic nature of this medium makes it difficult to realise the artwork as a purely physical, static object, and its lack of permanence challenges accepted ideas of the preservation and propagation of art. Computer Art is presented as a series of technological, artistic and theoretical developments that, taken together, comprise this new field of visual art.
Department: History of Art
, Oxford University
Advisor(s): Martin Kemp
