Past, Present, and Future Tense

Given the task at hand, “to select new media works that have changed or are impacting the course of new media art and music,” the author, along with his colleagues, set out to identify the fullness of the digital spectrum. The article explains his selections of artwork by consciously establishing a past, present, and future media collection. He begins with a 1965 piece from Nam June Paik and ends with JODI.org, acknowledging the large jump made from past to present media. Concluding the article with a look at the history of digital art, the author raises comparisons and dilemmas that allow readers to question and reflect on the status of new media art.