Who comes to mind when you think about digital art?
When I think about digital art, I think about Indigenous artists who have paved the way for contemporary Indigenous artists to be taken seriously when working with computational media. Artists that come to mind are Skawennati, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, and Loretta Todd.
What does it mean to be a digital artist today?
Participating in digital art means having a constant influx of new tools and technologies, none of which are ethical and all of which are oppressive and extractive.
What broader implications do you see digital art taking on?
I think digital art responds to the most pressing cultural changes, but is still not seen as viable commercially, while simultaneously the digital artworks that are taken seriously, like NFTs, are the most unethical and least critical expressions of digital art.
Why is it important to create a language around digital art?
Digital art and critical thinking around technology are often equated. It’s essential to continually define technologies and understand who they are for, what their materials are, and how reciprocity can be built into their methodologies, whether using a computer or an ancient technology.
How do misconceptions about digital art impact your practice?
Digital art can be self-critical and ethical. I think there is a common assumption that digital art isn’t a medium that can generate new knowledge in a good way.
Feature image: Suzanne Kite, Listener, site specific performance, 2018. Image credit: vog.photo.
Image Description: Documentation of a performance. Kite stands on a stage, centred within a spotlight and holding a long cable covered in frayed textile.
Kite aka Suzanne Kite is an award winning Oglála Lakȟóta performance artist, visual artist, composer and academic raised in Southern California, known for her sound and video performance with her Machine Learning hair-braid interface. Kite’s groundbreaking scholarship and practice explore contemporary Lakota ontology through research-creation, computational media, and performance. Kite often works in collaboration, especially with family and community members. [www.kitekitekitekite.com]
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