Digital Art Discussion

Computer art found resistance in its infancy in being accepted as real visual "art". What are your thoughts on computer generated creations being accepted as "art". Consider Duchamp's idea that art could take any form. This shocked the art world.

I absolutely think computer generated art is real art. In fact, for ages "real" artists have employed assistants who have painted pieces for them. So in some sense computer assisted artwork is no different. In another sense, the photographer, painter, illustrator all have tools of their trade. The digital or interactive artist uses the computer as a tool just as any of these other artists would. So while I'm not sure I agree with Duchamp, I don't think it's a hard sell to have digital art considered to be 'real' art.

Does computer generated art need to be rational and understood for it to be successful?

No. Just as any other artwork does not need to be rational or understood. One could probably argue the extent to which any artwork can be understood from the artist's side or the viewer's side. I think Freud would say something along those lines...

Do computer games qualify as art, as cinema may qualify as an art form?

I think it's a possibility. I think part of 'art' is the artist declaring a thing a work of art. Sort of like what Duchamp did. While I don't totally agree with him, there is a sense in which that is true. So I think the intent with which the game was created is important. If my intent is purely educational, I'm not expecting you to call it art. It may be finely crafted even still, but I would not call it 'art' in the proper.