Myron W. Krueger

“We are incredibly attuned to the idea that the sole purpose of our technology is to solve problems,” said Mryon W. Krueger. Krueger was both a computer scientist and artist, who was just as interested in using the computer for aesthetic as well as engineering purposes. He is considered to be the father of virtual reality, and his ideas probably provided the inspiration for such current inventions as the virtual reality dome that we saw in class. He was also interested in exploring the notion that “The response is the medium,” in the sense that unlike conventional art in galleries which many times was created to be sold, new media art should be designed primarily for the reaction and response of the audience. His 1977 essay on Responsive Environments provides a insight into some of the projects he was referring to, such as the Glowflow, which was a collaborative project that involved installation art, computer technology, and, most importantly, the viewers’ responses to work. Krueger’s would probably be particularly impressed by the Self Organizing Still-life work that we saw at the Sara Tecchia Gallery in Chelsea.