Justin Lincoln

"Don't interpret. Experiment." - Gilles Deleuze

"When Information is brushed against information the results are startling and effective. The perrenial quest for involvement, fill-in, takes many forms." - Marshall McLuhan

The cornerstones of my digital art-making are my desires for experimentation and for interpersonal connection. My experiments have roots in the multi-disciplinary art of John Cage and Allan Kaprow, numerous video artists and underground film-makers, as well as in the open source programming community surrounding the programming language Processing. As was the case for Cage and Kaprow, an important aspect of my work is how it connects to my teaching as well as my life.

My digital work, whether in video, drawing, writing or code has always been a kind of ongoing sketchbook. Composition, both in the visual and musical senses, takes priority over story in my work. I am particularly interested in generative means of making my work surprising and unpredictable. My method of working is notational and modular. Parts of the work may appear in an online journal or blog, a gallery installation, a festival screening, a panel discussion, or maybe some combination of these formats. Altogether these different modes of exhibition allow me to “think out loud”, as well as revise and remix that thinking over time and space.

Over the years I’ve worked with friends, family, students, strangers, and community members to explore how digital media open up new channels for communication and self-discovery. The process of creating, recording, editing, and distributing work provides joy and flow in my life. Since the electronic means for these processes are always becoming more affordable and accessible, it is a real pleasure to share my skills and interests with those around me. My enthusiasm for sharing these things can be viewed as a mission, not simply a career.

The ubiquitous presence of cameras, sensors, computers and the internet will all come to bear on changes in art, education, and everything else we encounter. The ability to critically view and creatively produce objects, whether digital or analog, will be increasingly important types of literacies heading into the future. The task of coming to grips with these literacies calls for a willingness to experiment and connect with other people. This is where people like you and I might lend a hand.