Peter Lunenfeld
Encyclopedia
Peter Lunenfeld is a critic
and theorist of digital media
. He is a professor in the Design|Media Arts department at UCLA, director of the Institute for Technology and Aesthetics (ITA), and founder of mediawork: The Southern California New Media Group.
Lunenfeld is a leading figure in digital aesthetic theory, set on establishing philosophical quandaries regarding digital technology and its role in art, design and culture. His most famous book, Snap to Grid incorporates traditional and continental theories of art to account for digital media. His work revolves around the discources of technology, aesthetics
, and cultural theory, establishing the complexity of digital aesthetics while simultaneously categorizing it.
His books include USER:InfoTechnoDemo, Snap to Grid, and The Digital Dialectic. He is the editorial director of the highly designed Mediawork pamphlet series for the MIT Press. These award-winning "theoretical fetish objects" cover the intersections of art, design, technology, and
market culture. Included in the series is Utopian Entrepreneur (2001) by Brenda Laurel
, designed by Denise Gonzales Crisp; Writing Machines (2002) by N. Katherine Hayles
, designed by Anne Burdick; Rhythm Science (2004) by Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky
that Subliminal Kid, designed by COMA; and, Shaping Things (2005) by Bruce Sterling
, designed by Lorraine Wild
. Lev Manovich
, the author of The Language of New Media, lauded these 100 page "mind bombs" in the tradition of McLuhan and Fiore¹s The Medium is the Massage as a new operating system for the book.
Lunenfeld has a B.A. in history from Columbia University
, an MA in Media Studies from SUNY Buffalo
, and a Ph.D. from UCLA
in Film & Television. He worked as the Applications Coordinator at the Academy Award
winning hardware and software company Lyon Lamb. He has been awarded support from the Rockefeller Foundation
, the Hirsch Foundation, the Plitt Foundation, and the Columbia University
Institute for Scholars at Reid Hall in Paris. He has given lectures and led workshops at Harvard, Yale, Oxford, the MIT Media Lab
, the Royal College of Art, the University of Stockholm, the Interaction Institute Ivrea in Italy, the Getty Research Center, UC Berkeley, UCSB, UCLA, UCSD, USC and CalArts. He lives in Los Angeles
, CA.
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
and theorist of digital media
Digital media
Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
. He is a professor in the Design|Media Arts department at UCLA, director of the Institute for Technology and Aesthetics (ITA), and founder of mediawork: The Southern California New Media Group.
Lunenfeld is a leading figure in digital aesthetic theory, set on establishing philosophical quandaries regarding digital technology and its role in art, design and culture. His most famous book, Snap to Grid incorporates traditional and continental theories of art to account for digital media. His work revolves around the discources of technology, aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
, and cultural theory, establishing the complexity of digital aesthetics while simultaneously categorizing it.
His books include USER:InfoTechnoDemo, Snap to Grid, and The Digital Dialectic. He is the editorial director of the highly designed Mediawork pamphlet series for the MIT Press. These award-winning "theoretical fetish objects" cover the intersections of art, design, technology, and
market culture. Included in the series is Utopian Entrepreneur (2001) by Brenda Laurel
Brenda Laurel
Brenda Laurel is a pioneering writer, researcher, designer and entrepreneur in the fields of human-computer interaction, interactive narrative and cultural aspects of technology ....
, designed by Denise Gonzales Crisp; Writing Machines (2002) by N. Katherine Hayles
N. Katherine Hayles
N. Katherine Hayles is a postmodern literary critic, most notable for her contribution to the fields of literature and science, electronic literature, and American literature. She is professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Program in Literature at Duke University. -Background:Hayles was...
, designed by Anne Burdick; Rhythm Science (2004) by Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky
DJ Spooky
Paul D. Miller , known by his stage name DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, is a Washington DC-born electronic and experimental hip hop musician whose work is often called by critics or his fans as "illbient" or "trip hop". He is a turntablist, a producer, a philosopher, and an author...
that Subliminal Kid, designed by COMA; and, Shaping Things (2005) by Bruce Sterling
Bruce Sterling
Michael Bruce Sterling is an American science fiction author, best known for his novels and his work on the Mirrorshades anthology, which helped define the cyberpunk genre.-Writings:...
, designed by Lorraine Wild
Lorraine Wild
-Biography:Lorraine Wild was born in Ontario, Canada, but has lived in America for a greater part of her life. She is a world-famous graphic designer, published writer, art historian, and art instructor of design. In 1973, she entered the Cranbrook Academy of Art program which was, at the time,...
. Lev Manovich
Lev Manovich
Lev Manovich is an author of new media books, professor of Visual Arts, University of California, San Diego, U.S. and European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, where he teaches new media art and theory, software studies, and digital humanities...
, the author of The Language of New Media, lauded these 100 page "mind bombs" in the tradition of McLuhan and Fiore¹s The Medium is the Massage as a new operating system for the book.
Lunenfeld has a B.A. in history from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, an MA in Media Studies from SUNY Buffalo
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
, and a Ph.D. from UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in Film & Television. He worked as the Applications Coordinator at the Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
winning hardware and software company Lyon Lamb. He has been awarded support from the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, the Hirsch Foundation, the Plitt Foundation, and the Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Institute for Scholars at Reid Hall in Paris. He has given lectures and led workshops at Harvard, Yale, Oxford, the MIT Media Lab
MIT Media Lab
The MIT Media Lab is a laboratory of MIT School of Architecture and Planning. Devoted to research projects at the convergence of design, multimedia and technology, the Media Lab has been widely popularized since the 1990s by business and technology publications such as Wired and Red Herring for a...
, the Royal College of Art, the University of Stockholm, the Interaction Institute Ivrea in Italy, the Getty Research Center, UC Berkeley, UCSB, UCLA, UCSD, USC and CalArts. He lives in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CA.
External links
Related books
- Peter Lunenfeld: The Secret War Between Downloading and Uploading: Tales of the Computer as Culture Machine, MIT Press, April 2011 ISBN 9780262015479
- Peter Lunenfeld: USER:InfoTechnoDemo, MIT Press (2005), visuals Mieke Gerritzen ISBN 0-262-62198-3
- Peter Lunenfeld: Snap to Grid: A User's Guide to Digital Arts, Media and Cultures, MIT Press (2000) ISBN 0-262-62158-4
- Peter Lunenfeld, ed.: The Digital Dialectic: New Essays on New Media, MIT Press (1999) ISBN 0-262-62137-1