From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
New Media Art
Definition
- Many texts consider New Media Art forms to be ephemeral or unstable (Paul, 2003; Dixion, 2004; Rhizome, 2005; Rinehart, 2005; Wikipedia, 2005). Therefore, the creation, or collection of New Media Art comes with the need for preservation (Paul, 2003).
- The act of preservation, that is preserving, is defined as upkeeping maintainance or conserving the original condition of an item (Dictionary.com, 2005; Art History Club, 2005).
- Essentially, as new media technologies become obsolete so to do the artworks that depend on them.
- Time-based artworks such as, performance or internet art for example, can only exist up until the moment the event passes. After the event, documentation is relied upon as a method of keeping the artwork alive.
- Rapid changes in technology's hardware, and software is the reason for new media arts instabilities. For example, internet art is affected by continually increasing screen resolution and the upgrading of Web browsers.
Preservation strategies
- Include:
- Emulators can be used to re-create the software or operation systems that the artwork is depends upon;
- A migration strategy entails continually upgrading the hardware or software involved in the artwork; or
- Some digitally archive the media: as cave paintings documented tribal performance art, digital recording devices are now very efficient in the documentation of new media performance art.
- Assistance with these strategies can be found in a number of New Media Art - Virtual Communities which are dedicated to the preservation of New Media Art.
Further Information
INTERNAL LINKS
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EXTERNAL LINKS
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New Media Art - References
- Paul, C. (2003) Digital Art, London: Thames & Hudson, ISBN 0500203679.
- Art History Club (2004) Art History Web Reference and Guide, retrieved September 30, 2005, from http://www.arthistoryclub.com/index.html
- Dixion, P. (2004) "The Pam Dixion Archive," Going Digital: New media Preservation in a Transitional Era retrieved October 21, 2005, from http://www.pamdixon.com/presnewmedia.htm
- Ennis, B. (2002) "Press Release," Guggenheim Museum and the Daniel Langlois Foundation Establish New Media Preservation Network retrieved October 21, 2005, from http://www.guggenheim.org/press_releases/release_18.html
- Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. (2005) Dictionary.com, retrieved September 30, 2005, from http://dictionary.reference.com/
- Rinehart, R. (2005) "Archiving the Avant-Garde," Preserving Digital and Variable Media Art retrieved October 21, 2005, from http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/about_bampfa/avantgarde.html
- Wikipedia (2005) "New Media Art," Preservation retrieved October 21, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_media_art
Contributors to This Entry Include:
User:Heike Herrling
Final Word Count: 241
Heike Herrling 17:32, 27 Oct 2005 (EST)
