General Meeting: 02/02/95

                 SUMMARY:  Meeting Number Three
                         2 February 1995
                     Room 125, Memorial Hall
                              Noon

I.  The meeting began with a group introduction, and then moved
immediately into reports from the three focus groups.  Material
from those reports fed into discussion in this meeting.

   A.  THEORY:  The Theory Group has held two meetings.  These
focused on two immediate objectives:  (1) developing and main-
taining a bibliography of recent scholarship that theorizes or
analyzes works of art produced or experienced by new tech-
nologies; and (2) functioning as a forum for the exchange and
discussion of ideas.  The first stage of the bibliographic work
has been completed, and if you would like to obtain a copy of
that document, please contact Nancy Sherlock (hf.nan@forsythe).
The group also discussed the implications of Arlene Croce's dis-
missal of Bill T. Jones performance/dance work at the Public
Theatre (see THE NEW YORKER, 28 December/2 January) in which she
claims that his inclusion of video statements by terminally ill
people -- segments of "the real" -- remove his work from
criticism so that it cannot be discussed.  This interaction
between "the real" (mediated through video) and the aesthetic
marks many new forms of performance and needs to be discussed.
This article has been extremely controversial within the arts
community.   Chuck Lyons will continue to act as interim chair of
the Theory Group, but the group will work toward the selection of
a permanent chair.

   B,  PRAXIS:  The Praxis Group made a commitment to several
actions that were discussed at the meeting on 2 February:

   (1)  Organizing a RETREAT early in the Spring Quarter (for one
or two days) in which members of the INITIATIVE could discuss
their current projects and interests in depth, sharing ideas and
perspectives, working toward the building of a community.  The
establishment of a supportive community became an important addi-
tion to the statement of "immediate objectives" distributed
before the meeting.  The Praxis Group made that recommendation to
the Initiative Meeting on 2 February, and it was accepted as a
project for the whole group.  Barbara Hayes-Roth and Larry Fried-
lander agreed to chair an organizing committee for the retreat,
to set time, place, and structure.  The idea of the retreat was
endorsed by the INITIATIVE as a whole.

   (2)  Establishing a database or two databases that (a) docu-
mented the range of arts/technology work being done at present on
campus and identifying the participants; and (b) a database that
maintained information on resources, personnel, administrative,
and equipment available for experimentation in technologically
based art on campus.  Laura Selznick, Director of URO, attended
the meeting, and we discussed with her the possibility of align-
ing this data with the database URO maintains on faculty research
interests.  As that database is revised to become more interac-
tive and connected to the WWB, we may be able to tie into it for
a considerable body of the data we need.  Laura, of course, is
interested in the identification of faculty who could assist or
sponsor work by students in this area.  Our range of
participants, of course, extends beyond faculty.  Professor
Leifer noted that the idea of "database" was itself somewhat old-
fashioned in light of the accessiblity and new modes of informa-
tion retrieval on the World Wide Web.  We may think of this func-
tion as an intermediate step.  We shall continue to keep in touch
with Laura Selznick as this project progresses.

   (3)  Establishing the STANFORD ARTS & TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE as
a page on the World Wide Web.  This would become an activity of
the INITIATIVE as a whole.  In the course of the meeting on the
second, we discussed this activity extensively.  Larry Leifer has
agreed to coordinate this project.  A separate call for col-
laboration on this project will be sent to all participants.

   (4)  Towards the end of Spring Quarter, the Drama Department
is producing an original play by Laura Farabough, a Ph.D.
candidate in Drama, who is a well-known, well published, and
extensively discussed experimental playwright.  The production
will be technologically intensive.  The Praxis Group proposes
aligning with that performance, creating a video installation of
some kind in the lobby in two different forms:  a display of com-
puter generated art and a work station that would allow informa-
tion to be entered by spectators.  This project would be the
activity of the Praxis Group although the group welcomes ideas
and collaboration from the group as a whole.  You shall be hear-
ing more from them on this project!

   (5)  The Praxis Group recommended that we consider estab-
lishing a separate Arts & Technology section of the 1995 COURSES
& DEGREES that would list University courses being offered in
this area to provide a helpful resource for students who wish to
develop their understanding and skill in this evolving area.
Lyons has contacted Thomas Stephens, editor of COURSES & DEGREES
and initiated the process of getting approval for that listing.
We have about 60 days to complete this project if we get adminis-
trative approval soon.

   (5)  The Praxis Group will have co-chairs:  Barbara Hayes-Roth
from Computer Science and Michael Ramsaur from Drama.

   (6)  PRAXIS will meet next on Thursday, 2 March, room 125
Memorial Hall.  In addition, Sean White will organize an evening
meeting at the Electronic Cafe.

   C.  ACCESS.  The ACCESS focus group has meet, with some dif-
ferences in participation, two times.  The second meeting fol-
lowed our 2 February INITIATIVE meeting.  Larry Friedlander has
agreed to chair this focus group.  ACCESS continues to work with
self-definition.  Larry will be preparing a definition statement
and, perhaps, suggestions for a name that aligns more clearly its
mission.  The group discussed a range of activities and will be
communicating those ideas in the near future.  In general, the
group would like to address the ways in which existing works of
art are being studied, analyzed in scholarship and classroom
teaching, through new technologies and, as well, providing
information for people who are inexperienced with these
activities but would like to begin to use them in their research
and/or teaching.  Marco Trevisani (from French & Italian and
CCRMA) has made a proposal to Senior Associate Dean John
Etchemendy and the Literature and Language Division to establish
a series of computer clusters for work in Humanities and Technol-
ogy and Arts and Technology.  Marco, who is a member of PRAXIS
and ACCESS will keep us informed about possibile collaboration
with this project.

   E.  Sean White, from Interval Research, reported on the pro-
gress of the ELECTRONIC CAFE, 955 Alma Street, Palo Alto.  This
"cafe" will be a site for experimentation in computer-based art
with a capability for interaction among a series of other elec-
tronic cafes (for example, Venice CA, Paris, New York).  P

   D.  We also discussed the possibility of revising the nature
of the Symposium planned for the fall to include the display of
local work as well as imported work.

Chuck Lyons
Chair, Stanford Arts & Technology Initiative