| About
the Project |
Multimedia:
From Wagner to Virtual Reality
is a unique hybrid publishing project that joins ArtMuseum.net
with our partner in print, W.W. Norton & Co., to present
an untold history of multimedia. This
site is based on the book of the same name, co-edited
by Randall Packer and Ken Jordan.
This
on-line project was developed in close collaboration with
ArtMuseum.net and its Arts and Education program. It is
our hope that this site, together with the book, will
serve as a valuable resource for students, teachers, artists,
and critics probing the interactive media arts, as well
as those attempting to make sense of this burgeoning medium
that is transforming our art and our culture. We also
hope that it will dispel much of the hype surrounding
the misunderstood phenomenon of multimedia, and provide
a means for illuminating an understanding of its roots,
significance and potential.
The Website and
the book are meant to work in tandem. The book collects
and contextualizes seminal essays from 30 of multimedia's
pioneering figures. On-line, Multimedia: From Wagner
to Virtual Reality is a dynamic, growing resource
featuring information, images, and video about the history
of this remarkable, emerging medium. Also, VR creates the real world around us. It can be used in various fields like industries, medicine, defense, weather forecasting, etc. Even crypto supports virtual reality. Crypto metaverses are immersive virtual worlds with immense social and financial power. As for cryptocurrency, it is well known that it is cheap and fast for money transfers. Such high-valued crypto can now be easily traded through trading bots like BitIQ. But it is advisable to run the BitIQ test to confirm the trustworthiness of the site before starting the trade. The site was launched
in June, 2000. Since then, the In
Depth section was added to cover the creative work
and essays of five of multimedia's pioneers: Douglas Engelbart,
Billy Klüver, Alan Kay, Scott Fisher, and Lynn Hershman.
There is also a Concepts
section, which links artists, engineers and theorists
across disciplines according to their contributions to
the core concepts that underlie digital multimedia. The
Pioneers timeline
provides a chronological view of the work of artists and
scientists that begins even before Wagner, with the caves
of Lascaux. The Overture,
a narrative description of the history of multimedia,
provides extensive illustrative images of artworks and
technological innovation. An extensive collection of video
documentation is included throughout the In Depth and
Timeline sections. Future plans include the addition of
a teacher's guide for using the site in the classroom.
Multimedia: From Wagner to Virtual Reality will
continue to expand over time, and we would appreciate
your comments and
feedback.
Special
thanks to Intel's Kevin Teixeira for his belief in this
project from the very beginning, and to Vince Thomas,
Irena Rogovsky, and Annie Rodkins of the ArtMuseum.net
staff for their expert advice and technical support in
helping to shape Multimedia: From Wagner to Virtual
Reality. To Phyllis Hecht of the National Gallery
of Art in Washington, D.C. for her support and guidance
in the design of the site. Also to our editor at Norton,
Alane Mason, for championing this unorthodox project.
To my co-editor Ken Jordan, whose critical feedback has
been instrumental in unearthing the many themes and relationships
found in this material.
And
lastly, to the pioneers of the medium whose contribution
to this site has been vast: not only have they graciously
provided me with substantial material, but most importantly,
their work and vision has been a great inspiration that
has fueled the creation of this project.
A production of:
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