Leonardo Network News

The Newsletter of the International Society of the Arts, Sciences, and Technology and of l'Observatoire Leonardo des Arts et Technosciences

In Memoriam: Stephen Wilson

The board and staff at Leonardo/ISAST are deeply saddened to announce the death of Stephen Wilson, artist, author, professor and longtime Leonardo/ISAST governing board member and editorial board member. Stephen Harth Wilson died in San Francisco on 10 January 2011, at age 66, of cancer. He was the beloved husband of Catherine Witzling, devoted father of Sophia Z. Wilson and loving uncle of Pamela Wilson and Staci Pruitt and their families.

Educated at Antioch College, the University of Chicago and the Art Institute of Chicago, Steve was a leading thinker and practitioner in the field of new media. His award-winning interactive installations and performances were shown in galleries, museums and internationally renowned exhibitions, including SIGGRAPH, CHI, NCGA, Ars Electronica, and V2. He was an investigator in NSF projects and artist in residence at various think tanks, including Xerox PARC. For many years, he was a professor of art at San Francisco State University, where he headed the program in Conceptual and Information Arts. He was the author of several books exploring the cultural implications of the intersection between art, science and technology, including Information Arts (MIT Press/Leonardo Books, 2001) and most recently Art + Science Now (Thames & Hudson, 2010). At the time of his death he was working on an award-winning project on energy harvesting.

Steve was an active member of the Leonardo/ISAST governing board from 1982, when the non-profit was founded, until 2011. He participated in the leadership of the organization with great energy, enthusiasm and insight right up to the very end of his life. Steve was a seeker who combined an indefatigable curiosity with a keen intelligence, an incisive wit and a kind and generous nature. He lived for his work, his family, his friends and his students, and will be sorely missed by all.