KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Thin Air: An Interview with Intermedia Artist, Iain Baxter
Analog Audio
Event Type
InterviewsOrigin
KPFAIdentifier
TA.1970.08.22.c1Program Series
Thin AirProgram Length
24 minDates
1970-08-22 | broadcast| 1970-08-08 | created
Description
On August 8, 1970, Charles Amirkhanian visited with intermedia artist Iain Baxter in his North Vancouver, British Columbia home. The residence doubled as the headquarters for an unusual corporation, called the N.E. Thing Co., Ltd.. Charles probes the motivations for setting up such an institution and discusses several projects of the company with Mr. Baxter, who preferred to be introduced as “president” of the N.E. Thing Company. Years before the invention of the Macintosh computer or the World Wide Web, Baxter was already envisioning a future where information would be considered the most valuable of commodities and technology would allow artists to collaborate over huge distances. In fact he was perhaps the first person to experiment with sending visual images across electronic networks by utilizing Telex Teleprinters, a precursor to the Internet used by Western Union. Other topics discussed include the proposed making of a 5,000 mile movie documenting the drive across Canada, and the introduction of new terminology for describing the visual and aural arts.Genres
Modern ArtInteractive Art
Subjects
Conceptual artArt, Modern
Inter-media art
Art and technology
Acknowledgment
Funding for the preservation of this program made possible through a grant by the GRAMMY Foundation.Related places
Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) (was recorded at)Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)
Related Entities
N.E. Thing CompanyAmirkhanian, Charles
Baxter, Iain