The The Best of Creative Computing Volume 3 (1980)

Something from the Atari Archives, a book published in 1980 compiling the best of the 1977 issues. Its kind of like a Comm Tech of the era, pulling together an assessment of the possible futures of the technology of the time and reviewing its social and cultural consequences. There is some fascinating analysis of the technology of the time as well, a lot of which still seemed relevant to the technology of today. you can read it all here.

"Electronic music studios predated computer art studios, leading a number of visual artists to seek information about computers from university music departments."

There's such a natural connection between the visual and the audio side of creative computing, they just seem to go hand in hand. Plus it's funny because there's amazing similarities between the two, like the emergence of computer based art was most prevalent in Germany and America - the first Computer Art exhibitions were held in New York and Stuttgart - two countries where electronic and synthesizer based music was at its most innovative by far. And the connection is more than relevant today, visuals have become an integral part of any forward thinking club night, Britain's most established electronic label Warp has an incredible array of computer based artwork, interactive art and web orientated visuals, plus there's so much software available that ties the two together.

Another quote I like that is still applicable to today's creative practice was the reference to the computer as

"..a tool for enhancing the on-the-spot creative power and productivity of the artist by accelerating and telescoping the creative process and by making available to its user a multitude of design options that otherwise might not occur to him"

Still totally true when considering the increasing availability and accessibility of creative tools, allowing artists complete spontaneity with their work, a computer can completely change the user's perspective on a project just by purely using certain software.

In reference to the 'glitch' work I've been doing this totally grabbed me, the idea of using computers to...

"...produce combinations of forms never seen before, either in nature or in museums, to create unimaginable images."

Of course the more aware of computer art you are, especially now rather than 1980, things become less 'unimaginable'. But every time I try something new I feel like I'm creating forms I've never seen before, forms I didn't even know I could generate.