In Closer; Susan Kozel draws on live performance practice; digital technologies; and the philosophical approach of phenomenology. Trained in dance and philosophy; Kozel places the human body at the center of explorations of interactive interfaces; responsive systems; and affective computing; asking what can be discovered as we become closer to our computers -- as they become extensions of our ways of thinking; moving; and touching. Performance; Kozel argues; can act as a catalyst for understanding wider social and cultural uses of digital technology. Taking this one step further; performative acts of sharing the body through our digital devices foster a collaborative construction of new physical states; levels of conscious awareness; and even ethics. We reencounter ourselves and others through our interactive computer systems. What we need now are conceptual and methodological frameworks to reflect this. Kozel offers a timely reworking of the phenomenology of French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty. This method; based on a respect for lived experience; begins by listening to the senses and noting insights that arrive in the midst of dance; or quite simply in the midst of life. The combination of performance and phenomenology offered by Closer yields entwinements between experience and reflection that shed light on; problematize; or restructure scholarly approaches to human bodies using digital technologies. After outlining her approach and methodology and clarifying the key concepts of performance; technologies; and virtuality; Kozel applies phenomenological method to the experience of designing and performing in a range of computational systems: telematics; motion capture; responsive architectures; and wearable computing. The transformative potential of the alchemy between bodies and technologies is the foundation of Closer. With careful design; future generations of responsive systems and mobile devices can expand our social; physical; and emotional exchanges. Susan Kozel is Associate Professor in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University; Vancouver; Canada.
2007-03-06 2013-08-13File Name: B00EKJBEYI
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This memoir is alternately funny and sadBy cathy petrickBernard Coopers writing is gorgeous -- as glittering and vibrant as the art that inspires him. This memoir is alternately funny and sad; sometimes irreverent; and often profound. The title essay is the longest piece and constitutes the heart of the memoir. In it Cooper tells the story of his creative and intellectual awakening through art; with accompanying photographs of the relevant Pop art that most influenced him. Also included are examples of Coopers own earliest drawings and paintings; which were inspired by the commercial art of the 1960s (he is enraptured by the orange vortex on a Tide detergent box and mesmerized by an inflatable Dole pineapple hanging from the ceiling on a string at Safeway). Dazzled; Cooper pursues an avant-garde education; first at the School of Visual Arts in New York; and then at CalArts; entering with the inaugural class while the campus is being built. He immerses himself in the conceptual art of the era and (perhaps in protest) emerges as a poet and an art critic rather than a visual artist. After the death of his longtime partner; to AIDS; he returns to making art again. Although that turning point is where the book ends; you can see examples of the art hes making now on his website -- beautiful collages organized around structural elements such as accordions; fountains; and doilies. His collages; like his essays; are well-balanced fragments that hang on an eloquent theme.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Bernard Cooper is a wonderful writer and I have enjoyed all of his booksBy R. MitchellBernard Cooper is a wonderful writer and I have enjoyed all of his books. He has the ability to evoke a time and place from the inside out. My experiences may not always be like his; but he makes me feel as if we have shared a special bond of experience. My Avant-Garde Education reminds me of how I felt as an art student and artist discovering and questioning contemporary art in the early 1970s. It also connects to my own development of understanding who I was as a person in the world and how I became the person I am today. I found the book engrossing and moving; and I was reluctant to put it down; and as with all good books; reluctant to let go of the characters and the place; when I reached the end.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very funny take on a liberal arts eductions on the outer ...By David G. TraegerCoopers latest book. Very funny take on a liberal arts eductions on the outer reaches of pop art. But the highlight of the book is his essay about Brians death. "You can get used to anything; even your life" Stanley Elkin.