2. Methodological Examples in My Own Work
Shanken's writing "Telematic Embrace: Visionary Theories of Art, Technology, and Consciousness" (1997) is an attempt to contextualize Roy Ascott's work in relation to the art historical canon of the 20th century to demonstrate how technological developments do not influence art but are already apparent in art of the period. This is seen in Ascott's "Change Painting" of 1959 which demonstrates a basic cybernetic principle even though this is before Ascott's addressed cybernetics in his practice. The telematic art shares an affinity with conceptual art demonstrates how one is able to build from the canon already in place, eg. the artists of the 20th century and how their art works in conjunction with Ascott's.
Shanken's book Art and Electronic Media creates a canonical survey of Art and Electronic media that is inclusive of artists, engineers, and collectives, and features work from different countries, races, and work from both men and women.
The book was organized thematically rather than chronologically in an attempt to omit a hierarchy of past vs. present and seniority vs. emerging artists.
Please click on the themes below to see how Shanken divided his book.
Coded Form and Electronic Production
Motion, Light, Time
Networks, Surveillance, Culture Jamming
Simulations and Simulacra
Interactive Contexts and Electronic Environments
Bodies, Surrogates, Emergent Systems
Communities, Collaborations, Exhibitions, Institutions
