On preserving: 'Swimmer', an early example of conceptual film

(Photo source: The Blanton Museum of Art)

I promised a post on the discussion in Hastac III but want to make sure those that heated up the discussion will intervene.

Meantime, though, I was very happy to see that one of my favorite pieces is 'safe' and, better yet, on public display. The Blanton Museum of Art (Austin) acquired Bill Lundberg's 'Swimmer', created in 1975, and one of the earliest examples of the field known as 'conceptual film'.

Lundberg is considered the forefather of video and film installation. He is a professor at the Fine Arts Department at UTAustin, where he founded the Transmedia program, UT hub for young filmmakers that do not quite fit the standard career in film production, direction or screenwriting and want to push the medium's boundaries further. 

New media artists have had a convoluted relationship with the institution called 'museum'.

Yesterday I blogged on the acquisition by the Smithsonian of Nam June Paik's collection. Today, on the beautiful "Swimmer" now on display at the Blanton. 

Tomorrow, I would like to bring up a topic that heated up the discussion at HASTAC III workshop on "Image Analytics", and will try to draw into the debate Robert Baird (UIUC), Virginia Kuhn (USC), and Jodee Stanley (UIUC). I will also nudge Lev Manovich, whom I was sorry not to see at Hastac III...