Katherine J. Thomson-Jones F'12

ACLS Fellowship Program 2012
Assistant Professor
Department: Philosophy
Oberlin College
The Philosophy of Digital Art

This project explores the digital as a philosophically significant artistic category. First, it examines how the basic features of digital representation—its manipulability, copy-ability, and medium-independence—affect art appreciation. It goes on to take up three philosophical issues in relation to three kinds of image: the realism of the digital photograph; changes in the artist-audience relationship with interactive digital imagery; and our emotional and imaginative engagement with 3D stereoscopic digital imagery. Finally, it addresses the same three issues—ontology, authorship, and engagement—in relation to digital music.