Computational Practice and Perspectives in the Arts

Anton, Gabriella Elise

doi:https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-mtr7-vn70

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Computational Practice and Perspectives in the Arts

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Art has been tied to scientific and technological advancements throughout history, providing methods and mediums for communication, expression, and exploration. Art is a dialogic domain that evolves with the technological advances in society–incorporating technology and computational tools to create new genres of art. We live in an increasingly computational and technological society, which is reflected in the emergence of many new tech-based and computational genres of art. Computers and computation have dramatically changed how and what artists can create and what ideas can be explored. Yet is naïve to assume that this is a one-way relationship that computing has changed the arts. In fact, since the advent computation, artists have been leveraging, critiquing, extending, and creating, computational tools as part of their artistic practice. The relationship between the artist and computer is important to people in both the arts and sciences, as well as to society as a whole. Our increasingly computational world necessitates greater computational literacy. Not only are computers being used in everyday contexts, but the practices in myriad domains are transformed as they incorporate new computational tools and methods. As such, there has been an increased push for computing education and while these efforts have received support from funders and educators, major questions remain unanswered regarding how best to facilitate computing education for all–or for that matter, what computing education should entail. This dissertation seeks to contribute towards these efforts expanding computing for all by pushing on our understanding and exploration of the concept of computational thinking (CT). As we move toward providing all students with opportunities and experiences in computing, it is vital to reflect on how we are representing computational ways of thinking and knowing, in additional to computational practices. Are we, as a field, privileging computing education that is designed to fill future jobs, or are we representing the diverse ways that computing can be leveraged in real world contexts? In parallel with other constructionist scholars exploring the intersection of CT and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical disciplines (STEM), this work constructs a situated definition of CT in the arts in order to broaden access to computational and artistic practice as well as to increase the perspectives and epistemologies represented in computing education. We are at a beautiful time in history where computation is relatively young and evolving at a rapid pace. Artists are in the process of incorporating these computational tools, negotiating what computation should mean for society, and sparking new pathways for computational progress. In order to capture these practices, this work leverages methodological approaches of others who have constructed situated definitions of CT in STEM through interviews with practicing computational scientists and mathematicians–exploring the computational art experiences of artists in order to capture their unique perspectives. This dissertation leverages qualitative methodology, particularly in-depth case studies, to develop an understanding of the computational practices and perspectives of artists. A new theory and associated methodology, called computational art ecologies, is explicated and applied to analyze the ten distinct cases and then used to systematically characterize artists’ practice within the rich landscape of computational and technology-based art. These cases highlight unique practices, perspectives, experiences, and relationships between computation and art. They also highlight the rigorous computational practices and epistemologies that emerge in computational art. Finally, the practices and perspectives identified through these cases are consolidated to develop an emergent Framework of Computational Engagement and Perspectives in the Arts. This framework advances scholarship around computational thinking, particularly that of constructionist scholars who have worked to develop situated definitions of computational thinking across contexts and domains. This new theory and associated methodology are introduced to allow for a systematic approach to capturing these diverse artistic experiences with computation. Additionally, we contribute to efforts in computing education to identify situated computational thinking and to expand definitions of computing education to reflect the diversity of computational practice in the world.

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