“Thinking of Oneself as a Computer” presented by Pryor
Symposium:
Session Title:
- Facets of Electronic Art
Presentation Title:
- Thinking of Oneself as a Computer
Presenter(s):
Venue(s):
Abstract:
I have been an enthusiastic computer artist/animator/programmer since the early 80’s. I’m fascinated by the new forms of artistic expression, communication, simulation, extension of the senses and pleasure that are made possible by computer graphics and animation and concepts such as virtual space, interactivity, artificial intelligence and networking. As an ex-biochemist, I’m also hopeful about the potential of these areas to form a kind of a bridge between the arts and sciences, although this certainly will not happen overnight. What I’d like to explore here is the somewhat disembodied landscape surrounding the human and the computer, a landscape in which the computer Is increasingly used as the metaphor for the self. These interests arise directly from my experience last year of developing symptoms of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) – pain, heaviness and weakness in my tight an and hand.
Throughout history, the metaphor for the self echoes the latest technological advances. Today, as the boundary blurs between technology and the body, people seem to be shifting almost unconsciously from a mechanical model of themselves to one based on the computer.
