[-empyre-] Week two: our guests on empyre

[Simon Biggs]

We would like to thank the past week's two discussants, Marc Garrett and
Christina Spiesel, as well as other contributors to the debate, for their
insightful and incisive contributions to this month's theme. The personal,
legal and political dimensions of the netopticon have been mapped out and
diverse modes of engagement posited. Christina's summary this Sunday evening
is far more concise and complete than anything I could contribute. We hope
that Marc, Christina and other list members will continue to contribute to
the debate as we enter the second week and welcome two more discussants, Jon
Thomson & Alison Craighead and Davin Heckman. Through their artistic and
editorial/curatorial activities they each engage a range of issues
concerning the utopian/dystopian/netopian, surveillance, authorship and
creativity. Their backgrounds and specific approaches to this month's theme
will provide further distinctive perspectives upon the issues.

Davin Heckman (USA) is the author of "A Small World: Smart Houses and the
Dream of the Perfect Day" (Duke UP, 2008). He is Supervising Editor of the
Electronic Literature Directory (directory.eliterature.org) and Associate
Professor of English at Siena Heights University, where he teaches courses
in writing, literature, and media studies.

Jon Thomson and Alison Craighead (UK) are artists who are fascinated with
how global communications networks continue to transform the way we perceive
and understand the world around us. They live and work in London and
Kingussie, in Scotland, make artworks for galleries, online and sometimes
outdoors. Jon lectures at The Slade School of Fine Art, University College
London, while Alison is lecturer and reader at Goldsmiths, University of
London and University of Westminster respectively.

The January edition of empyre "Contesting the Netopticon" is moderated
by Simon Biggs (UK/Aus), edinburgh college of art.


Simon Biggs
simon at littlepig.org.uk
http://www.littlepig.org.uk/

s.biggs at eca.ac.uk
http://www.elmcip.net/
http://www.eca.ac.uk/circle/



Edinburgh College of Art (eca) is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC009201