Electric Dreams

This book delves into how artists like Rebecca Allen and Edward Zajec utilized technology to create innovative art from the 1950s to the early 1990s in Electric Dreams.

In Electric Dreams, readers explore the fascinating intersection of art and technology from the 1950s to the early 1990s. This period marked a significant evolution in artistic expression as artists began to harness machines and algorithms to create stunning and thought-provoking works. From the use of collaged punch cards to pioneering virtual reality experiments, these innovators found new ways to engage audiences and challenge traditional art forms.

The book brings together an impressive array of works by groundbreaking artists from Asia, Europe, and the Americas, celebrating their contributions to optical, kinetic, programmed, and digital art. Through immersive and responsive pieces, these creators envisioned the visual languages of the future. The text highlights the connections between creativity and technology, revealing how these artists pushed the boundaries of what art could be during a transformative era.

Featuring hundreds of illustrations, including newly researched archival images, Electric Dreams offers fresh insights into this extraordinary time in art history. Readers will encounter the works of influential figures such as Rebecca Allen, Edward Zajec, Katsuhiro Yamaguchi, and Suzanne Treister, all of whom embraced the changes brought about by electronics and computation. Their daring explorations redefined artistic practice and reflected the profound impact of technology on daily life, even before the internet age.