New Landmark Publication: "Roy Ascott" by Moore, Lila, and Edward Shanken. The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of New Media Art: History and Theory

The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of New Media Art: Volume 1 – History and Theory.

Dr Lila Moore’s essay on the theories, pedagogical philosophy, and artistic projects of Roy Ascott, co-written with Edward Shanken, is published in The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of New Media Art: Volume 1 – History and Theory.

Volume 1 covers the history and theory of new media art. Topics range across video art, computer animation, designing behaviour, sound and web art, posthumanism, cyberfeminism, tactical media, and the work of key thinkers such as McLuhan, Deleuze, Haraway, and Ascott. Written by leading scholars in media studies, critical theory, and art history, the articles are grouped in themed sections: origins; the digital age; theories; theorists.

Roy Ascott (b. 1934, Bath, England) is the pioneering artist, primary theorist, and pedagogical innovator of both cybernetic art and telematic art, serving as a bridge between these scientific and artistic domains and playing a key role in their histories since the 1960s. Ascott’s praxis straddles and exceeds modernity and postmodernity, proposing a syncretic paradigm that transcends those discourses and incorporates a strong dose of mysticism.

The essay offers a comprehensive insight into Ascott’s syncretic paradigm and the role of art and artists in the exploration of consciousness through interrelations informed by vanguard scientific thought and ancient, shamanic and spiritual traditions.

Moreover, the publication represents a significant addition to the field of new media art—and what a wonderful foundation and stepping stone it offers for future theories and artistic practices. It’s a must-read for students, researchers, and artists alike.

Citation: Moore, Lila, and Edward Shanken. "Roy Ascott." The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of New Media Art: History and Theory. Ed. Charlie Gere and Francesca Franco. London: Bloomsbury, 2024. Published online in May 2025. Bloomsbury Visual Arts.DOI: 10.5040/9781474207935.025

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