Report on the Conference ‘Art in a Technological Society’, Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.A., January 1980

Leonardo, Vol. 15, No. I, pp. 51-53, 1982 Printed in Great Britain 0024-094X/82/0I0051-03$03.00/0 Pergamon Press Ltd. REPORT ON THE CONFERENCE 'ART IN A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY', LOS ANGELES CALIF., U.S.A., JANUARY 1980* ' Herbert Shore** 1. This Conference took place 23-26 January 1980 at the Center for Study of the American Experience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. The purpose was to consider some of the fundamental issues resulting from the interaction of the visual and performing arts and music with science and technology in the U.S.A. Participants were artists, critics, scientists, technologists, scholars and educators. The Conference was the first of a series planned for considering specific topics relating to the arts in the U.S.A. The prime issue confronting the Conference was stated at the opening of the sessions by Grant Beglarian, Conference Chairman: 'The effects of technology on cultural values and their manifestations in works of art and the effect of cultural values and their artistic manifestations on the character and scope of technology.' Jonas Salk, in an invited lecture, pointed out that at the Salk Institute, La Jolla, Calif., the intention was 'to use technology ... to use art, and to have an effect upon scientists and other scholars and thinkers .... This was an attempt to make a statement, to create an environment to bring to bear upon the creative mind an ambience that was intended to be evocative of creativity.' In his lecture he made observations about the human species and the possibility that humans are emerging from 'Epoch A' and passing into 'Epoch B'. The significance of this is 'that which was of positive value in Epoch A may very well be of negative value in Epoch B' and vice versa. Up to now, for example, there has been a preoccupation with control over death. There is some evidence of a change, particularly in industrially developed countries, to a preoccupation with means to control the quality of health and of life. He characterized Epoch A as one in which self-repression prevailed, and Epoch B as one in which self-expression is emerging.... 'The transition from Epoch A to Epoch B will be unpleasantly difficult and dangerous'. This, he pointed out, he believes is the underlying reason for the Conference. In Epoch A social biology has emerged as an important influence on survival. But Homo sapiens is not only a biological and *Based on a report by the authors of the Proceedings of the Conference sponsored and convened by The Center for Study of the American Experience, The Annenberg School of Communications , University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA., U.S.A. "Author, dramatist and theatre director, 218 Corwin Denny Bldg., School of Performing Arts, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, U.S.A. (Received 16 June 1981) 51 social-biological entity, but also a meta-biological entity. ... 'In Epoch B metabiology will rise to prominence, and its development will require scientists and artists to work closely together.' 2. The Conference then divided into two groups for round-table discussions. The participants in one group were asked to examine 'their personal experiences as they deal with the interaction ofart and technology' in order to see if there are common themes present. A selection of comments made by participants is given below. Painter Francoise Gilot discussed the different working methods that she observed when different media are used in the visual arts. Traditional painters and sculptors, for example, often worked alone in their studios. In lithography, however, artists often depended upon master printers to produce their works and on publishers to produce limited editions ofthem in books. She believed that the exchange of ideas between these artists, printers and publishers was more valuable than the kind that occurred among painters and sculptors, say in cafes. Industrial designer Victor Papanek described the introduction 25 years ago of candle-powered radios in Indonesia. The devices were ugly, but the designers intentionally did not improve their appearance. They relied on the Indonesian owners of these devices to decorate them in their own way. The results were gratifying; most of the devices were decorated voluntarily , some...