Digital Currents: Art in the Electronic Age Margot Lovejoy 9780415307802

Digital Currents explores the growing impact of digital technologies on aesthetic experience and examines the major changes taking place in the role of the artist as social communicator.

Margot Lovejoy recounts the early histories of electronic media for art making - video, computer, the internet - in this richly illustrated book. She provides a context for the works of major artists in each media, describes their projects, and discusses the issues and theoretical implications of each to create a foundation for understanding this developing field.

Digital Currents fills a major gap in our understanding of the relationship between art and technology, and the exciting new cultural conditions we are experiencing. It will be ideal reading for students taking courses in digital art, and also for anyone seeking to understand these new creative forms.

"Delineates the relationship between today's electronic technologies and cultural change, thereby formulating a comprehensive and forceful social philosophy of our technical civilization."

Dr Joseph Nechvatal, School of Visual Arts

"...provides a much needed analysis of the art-historical roots and the larger cultural and social context for understanding art in the electronic age."

Christiane Paul, Whitney Museum of American Art

"Provides a strong overview of electronic media artists, as well as images from the projects. Its mix of visual documentation and clear writing about the works in suitable depth is a great aid in providing a foundation for understanding digital art. Indeed, it could be called 'the bible' of electronic art."

Mary Flanagan, Hunter College, CUNY