What is new media art?
"New Media" is a conveniently chosen term that in its very formula defies precise definition.
The term, new media art, then is expansive and malleable, which is suitable in that it matches the field which it describes; it envelops the edgy interdisciplinary emergent art of the new century. The difficulty with such a malleable term, however, is that new media art is growing and mutating so rapidly, that there is a real danger that the term will lose any significant meaning whatsoever.
One of the salient characteristics of new media art is that a technological device, normally a computer, serves as an intermediary between the artist and the artwork. The term "new media art" therefore has become closely associated with the term "Digital Art." Most new media art is, indeed, digital, but not all digital art is new media art.
For the purposes of this course, we will define new media art as artwork that utilizes new media technologies as art media in themselves. Defined in this way, the term differentiates new media art from those forms of digital art that remediate previously analog media in digital form. Using this definition, digital photography and digital video would not be considered new media art. The difference is that the cultural object that is produced in new media art is wholly dependent upon the digital technology that was used in creating it. It could not exist without this technology. Of course, the dividing line is fuzzy.
Yet even with this limitation, the forms that new media art takes on is vast and rapidly growing. This class will make a broad survey of some of these forms. Classwork and projects will be centered primarily in ".net art."
Moore's Law--a brief diversion
Moore's law is a commonly known principle in the computer industry. Moore's law is probably misnamed, as it does not refer to an inviolable fact, but rather is an observation of the historical rate of change in computing power (admittedly "Moore's observation" doesn't have the same ring to it). It states that computing power doubles about every 18 months.
Moore's law has an unfortunate side-effect. For lack of a better title let's call it "Mark's corollary." Half of what you learn in this class will be obsolete in 18 months.
A new media artist, therefore, has to be able to quickly adapt to changing conditions. So the aim of this class is to not to teach you highly specific techniques for making new media art, but rather to develop your ability to think in a new media mindframe. In the hands-on lab section of class, we will learn about code and underlying structures involved in creating internet art. The real purpose of this, however, is so that you have a solid base of knowledge that you can extend into other areas of new media art.
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