TRANSHUMANIST ARTS STATEMENT
(written 1982, revised 2002)
Transhumanist Arts represent the aesthetic and creative culture of
transhumanity.
Transhumanist Artists are developing new and varied modes of art.
Our aesthetics and expressions are merging with science and technology in
designing increased sensory experiences.
Transhumanist Artists want to extend life and overcome death.
We plan to do so with vitality and amplified creativity.
Emotions are integral to sensing and understanding life.
We exercise a transhumanist ecology and freedom of self-awareness and
self-responsibility.
If our art represents who we are, then let us choose to be transhumanist not
only in our bodies, but also in our values.
The Transhumanist Arts embrace the creative innovations of transhumanity.
We are ardent activists in pursuing infinite transformation, overcoming death
and exploring the universe.
As Transhumanist Art comes into focus, as the tools and ideas of our art
continue to evolve, so too shall we.
Natasha Vita-More, written 1982.
Copyright © 2003.
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1. FAQ What is
Transhumanist Arts?
Transhumanist Arts is an art period reflecting creative works of
transhumanity. Just as Modern Art represents much of the arts of the 20th
Century, Transhumanist Arts covers the late 20th Century into the 21st Century.
The Transhumanist Arts period coalesces arts, sciences and technologies in
reflecting the efforts of transhumans in enhancing and augmenting our minds and
bodies as we strive for superlongevity and ultimately indefinite lifespans. The
ideas generated by those whose work is transhumanist in scope, exemplifies the
content of the transhumanist culture and is generated through many modes, from
painting to New Media, and modes yet to be discovered. Transhumanist Arts
include creative works by scientists, engineers, technicians, philosophers,
athletes, educators, mathematicians, etc., who may not be artists in the
traditional sense, but whose vision and creativity are integral to
transhumanity.
The Transhumanist Arts Statement (link http://www.extropic-art.com) was authored
by Natasha Vita-More (formerly Nancie Clark) (link http://www.natasha.cc) in
1982 and edited in 1999. The Transhumanist Arts period encompasses the Extropic
Art genre and its subsets Automorph and Exoterra arts. Extropic Arts is
Transhumanist Arts with a spin - an extropian flare. The Extropic Art Manifesto
(link http://www.extropic-art.com) was authored by Natasha Vita-More in 1997 and
is on board the Cassini on its voyage to Saturn. This is the first time the
written words "We are transhumans" will be leaving our Planet on its
way through our Solar System. Hundreds of people around the world have signed
the Manifesto.
The first Transhumanist Arts piece was Performance Art " Breaking
Away" which storyline themes human evolution in breaking away from our
biological restraints and breaking away from earth's gravity as we head into
space. The piece was performed by Natasha Vita-More at Red Rocks Amphitheater
and sponsored by the University of Colorado Film Department. Don Yannacito,
Director of Film Studies Program for independent filmmakers, filmed the
performance.
Later Transhumanist Arts (or "TransArt") pieces include a painting
exhibition at EZTV Los Angles, video "2 Women in B&W" which
received special recognition at Women In Video, 1985, "T - and
Counting" (in deference to FM-2030, Marvin Minsky, Carl Sagan, Hans Moravec,
Anais Nin, Susan Sontag and other transhumans, futurists and great thinkers)
which was exhibited at the United States Film Festival, 1992. There have been
many digital art pieces and net.art pieces covering the 1990s.
2. FAQ What were early
influences on Transhumanist Arts and the Extropic Art Movement?
Early artists who were interested in Transhumanist Arts that I either
collaborated with or exhibited with in the art world were Timothy Leary http://www.leary.com/
(icon), John Dorr (famous for starting EZTV http://www.eztvmedia.com/ which is
now internationally recognized Video art performance space), Eric Orr (who has
exhibited his sculpture throughout the World), Robert Thrumbull (Kinetic artist
and architect), Howard Cohen first artist to work with robotics, Bill Viola
(video maverick), Francis Ford Coppola http://www.zoetrope.com/ was an early
collaborator and inspiration when I was at his studio Zoetrope in Hollywood and
we worked on the first High Definition Film which I was in. Another truly
incredible artist is Richard Lowenberg who set up the first Internet community
and who I collaborated with on the 1979 project "Arts & Sciences
'79" in which 30 well known artists and 30 well known scientists met for a
week of brain storming. Other remarkable artist is Pam Lifton-Zoline
(established a foundation and school for creativity in Telluride, Colo), Vito
Acconci Italian performance artist http://www.artincontext.com/artist/a/vito_acconci/
and probably the recognized performance artists in the world and who was an
early influence and collaborator in the 1980s when I met him in San Francisco.
Also, an early colleague and inspiration in the area of video was and is Bill
Voila http://www.cnca.gob.mx/viola/index.html who is an internationally famous
video artist. I love his work and am honored that we met early on. Marian Gray
was also an early fabulous inspiration and collaborator. As a photographer
of performance art, Marian's photographic collection is superlative. Today
Stelarc http://www.stelarc.va.com.au/ may collaborate on a mountain muscle
Internet piece, and Marque Cornblatt's http://www.falsegods.com/ with a
transhumanist exhibition. Some others who have had influence on Transhumanist
Arts are Marvin Minsky http://www.ai.mit.edu/people/minsky/minsky.html, Fiorella
Terenze http://www.fiorella.com/, Karl Sims http://www.biota.org/conf97/ksims.html,
Ebon Fisher http://www.word.com/jaime/bionic/page2.html, Charles Ostrum, and
David Bowie.
3. FAQ Is Extropic Art a Movement?
Extropic Art is a movement and there are several hundred artists and scientists who have signed the manifesto.
If you would like names of movements, genres and periods as well
as individuals who inspired Transhumanist Arts period and Extropic Art, then it
would be all art periods and movements and all creative individuals.
Specifically, however, Abstract Art, Performance Art, Kinetic Art, Cubism,
Techno Art, science fiction and Communications Art. In these specific genres are
numerous artists whose work has influenced Transhumanist Arts and Extropic Art
and continues to influence. Today, however, Transhumanist Arts is more
influenced by the work done in the sciences, especially biotechnology and
molecular engineering, which will have great impact on the art of our future.
Soon artists will be designing new bodies and new types of senses.
I have a later list from 1997 onward, hundreds of artists have written to me and
sent their names to be added to the Extropic Art
Manifesto.
Also, a great influence and colleague is ASCI http://www.asci.org/ which we are
delighted to be affiliated with. ASCI puts on excellent conferences in New York
and is at the center of arts and sciences.
3. FAQ What is the
Transhumanist Culture?
In my book Create/Recreate: the 3rd Millennial
Culture (http://www.extropic-art.com/createrecreate.htm) I explain the
beginnings of transhumanist ideas as presented by FM-2030 at UCLA in the 1980s,
and at the New School earlier on. I also cover the extropian influence on
transhumanism as well as the influences of science and technology on our
emerging culture.
Art works were produced and exhibited at the well known LA Digital Gallery EZTV,
at Electronic Café International, at the University of Colorado, UCLA, San
Francisco Art Center, and videos were exhibited in "Women In Video",
US Film Festival. The art world is an important culture (and a multimillion
dollar industry) and has a lot of influence on society. Thus, I would add
Transhumanist Arts as an important cultural event in the early 1980s. On
television, the first transhumanist show was produced in 1985 called "Transcentury
Update" which I produced and hosted with the advice of FM-2030.
4. FAQ Why Art in a World of Science
and Technology?
The question of why we want to live longer, healthier and grow more intelligent,
live indefinitely and develop an enhanced intelligence, creativity and
transhumanist compassion. The art of life.
'We have responsibilities and concerns and the wisdom to deal with them. How we
use technology and science, and what type of content we lend to our arts is not
a flimsy affair. We must be conscientious and sensible, as well as daring and
innovative. We must consider who we are in a world where the machine is becoming
smarter and smarter, where the impossible is now quite possible."
("Culture In The Making" from Create/Recreate)
When we think of the arts, it is necessary to stretch our imaginations to a time
when humanity will steer evolution. We are at the precipice of navigating this
course now.
There are many concerns and theories about the future of the arts, but if the
focus overemphasizes theory, content is neglected. Theory is necessary to assess
content, but content must arise out of culture. Content is the pulse. It can
reflect culture as a cultural portrait or it can steer culture by presenting a
vision. How we engage in new technologies will reflect this.
5. FAQ How do we
achieve/maintain direction as Transhumanist Artists?
By checking and rechecking the barometer of society and planning for the long
range. If the pioneering technologies are focusing on extreme life extension and
the innovative biotechnologies that will augment our brains and bodies are in
the forefront, this is a cue. To learn more about the international art
movement, please refer to the Transhumanist Arts Center located at http://www.extropic-art.com.
Here you will find the Transhumanist Arts Statement http://www.extropic-art.com/transart.htm
Become active on the Internet, join Extropy
Institute, the Foresight Institute, The Singularity Institute, and
contribute ideas to Transhuman Culture
InfoMark. Also, you may want to exhibit your own creative ideas on at the
Transhumanist Arts Virtual Gallery.
Thank you!
The best defense is an aesthetic offence.