Digital media: Bridges between data particles and artifacts

Frank Dietrich
1986 The Visual Computer  
The field of visual communication is currently facing a period of transition to digital media. Two tracks of development can be distinguished; one utilitarian, the other artistic in scope. The first area of application pragmatically substitutes existing media with computerized simulations and adheres to standards that have evolved out of common practice . The artistic direction experimentally investigates new features inherent in computer imaging devices and exploits them for the creation of
more » ... ningful expression. The intersection of these two apparently divergent approaches is the structural foundation of all digital media. My focus will be on artistic explorations, since they more clearly reveal the relevant properties. The metaphor of a data particle is introduced to explain the general universality of digital media. The structural components of the data particle are analysed in terms of duality, discreteness and abstraction. These properties are found to have significant impact on the production process of visual information : digital media encourage interactive use, integrate, different classes of symbolic representation, and facilitate intelligent image generation.
doi:10.1007/bf01900324 fatcat:4ktpqyudjrdzdprbpra4sol5rq