Theses Master's

The World of Hyperbooks: Contemporary Artists’ Publications in Digital Time

Olmstead, Darcy

This thesis explores how contemporary artists use the form of the book to reflect on a world of speed and hyper-culture brought about by digitization. It highlights three recent multimedia projects by artists Neta Bomani, Stephanie Syjuco, and Katie Paterson. Not one of these artists creates a singular “book” in the traditional sense. Rather they use aspects of the book to reflect upon changes in perceptions of time due to technological advancements in publishing. Each of the artists selected dwell on issues of time—be it archival time, the rapid influx of information online, or the deep time of the environment—and binds these problems into physical and digital media. Contemporary artists’ publications encompass a much broader world of issues that require an awareness of the non-physical book as much as the traditional one. Therefore, this thesis serves to expand upon the definition of what an “artists’ publications'' can be and how artists use the format to combat issues that have arisen from our digital, hypercultural condition.

Keywords: Digital Time; Artists' Publications; Contemporary Art; Neta Bomani; Stephanie Syjuco; Katie Paterson; Internet Art

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More About This Work

Academic Units
Modern and Contemporary Art: Critical and Curatorial Studies
Thesis Advisors
Joseph, Branden Wayne
Degree
M.A., Columbia University
Published Here
June 21, 2023