Jim Campbell

One thing that I have kept in mind when reading about the works of Alan Rath was the human interaction that is crucial to his practice. In searching for other artists whom work in a similar vein, I found artist Jim Campbell. With a lower-tech approach Jim Campbell is interested in looking for intuitive ways for viewers to interact with systems.

In attempting to create systems that respond and progress in recognizably non-random, but un-predictable ways, he has tried to create works that have a destiny of their own. His most recent work, inspired by artificial intelligence, investigates people’s connections with the information age.

In Library (2003), all but the faintest evidence of surveillance is erased. People entering and exiting the New York Public Library are filmed by the artist and then rendered indistinct by Campbell’s technological manipulations. The result is a haunting testimony to the fleeting nature of life itself and, becomes a memorial to all those anonymous people who have been photographed, passed through information systems, and then abandoned as useless data.

Druckrey, Timothy, and Charles Stainback. Iterations: the New Image. New York City: International Center of Photography, 1993. Print.

Rush, Michael. Video Art. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2007. Print.