MAT200A 03W
RossPitto
Cyberspace
Viola began producing video art and installations in the early 1970s. ÊHe has explored human perception of time and space in electronic media, using techniques such as extreme slow motion, jarring edits, and spatialization with projected images on surfaces. ÊHis works have focused on human experiences, Eastern and Western art, and spiritual traditions, and have appeared in such diverse settings as The Getty to Nine Inch Nails concerts.
"Bill Viola (b.1951) is widely recognized as one of the leading video artists on the international scene. For over 30 years he has created videotapes, architectural video installations, sound environments, electronic music performances, and works for television broadcast .ÊHe has been instrumental in the establishment of video as a vital form of contemporary art, and in so doing has helped to expand its scope in terms of technology, content, and historical reach." www.billviola.com
Space Case
"Possibly the most startling thing about our individual existence is that it is continuousÉwe have been living in this same moment ever since we were conceived" Ð Bill Viola In 1982, Viola wrote "Will There be Condominiums in Data Space? ", an article that discusses the narrative potential of interactive media. Through the concept of Data Space, Viola expresses an idea of continuous data immersion through the use of computers.
Data Space
"a territory of all information in which all data exists in a continual present, outside the traditional definitions of time and space" (Randall Packer, Ken Jordan)
- Much like the space in which cathedrals and temples recorded history
- The ability to utilize a branching form of immersion
- Memory is only a filter of life, giving impressions of discrete parts and periods
The Computer as "Idea Space"
Viola sees the computer as a tool to immerse oneself in a non-linear information matrix at any point, speed, or direction. "Viewing becomes exploring a territory, traveling through a data space" (Viola).
Data Space on the computer will revolutionize the way media productions like videos are produced and presented Ð no more pre-made edits
According to Viola, the computer will be a much more advanced educational system than "boring and incompetent teachers".
Related Links
BillViola.com - Bill Viola's personal website
Artmuseum.net - Bill Viola selected works
Principia Cybernetica Web
NOrbert Wiener
"Cybernetics in History, The Human Use of Human Beings" [1954]
Norbert Wiener was a mathematician and engineer, and is considered the founding father of Cybernetics .ÊMany of Wiener's mathematical ideas were driven by questions from his engineering colleagues at MIT.
Although many of these ideas were considered to be of great importance, they were also considered very mathematical and hard to read. ÊHans Freudenthal writes: "All too often Wiener could not resist the temptation to tell everything that cropped up in his comprehensive mind, and he often had difficulty in separating the relevant mathematics neatly from its scientific and social implications and even from his personal experiences"
Today, many organizations and universities are involved in the technological advancement of intelligent cybernetics, and Robert Wiener is often credited as one of their primary inspirations.
The Future
Complete Immersion in 3D Cyberspace
I foresee a fully immersive virtual environment in the future in which the human brain will be directly linked with a computer. In this virtual world similar to the idea of the movie The Matrix , the human will be able to appear like anything, go anywhere at any time in history, and interact completely with an intelligent and realistic responsive environment. This environment will be so lifelike that many people might never want to leave.