| TELEMATICS |
| The name telematics is one of those inventions that comes into being when a new word is needed to describe an object or process that has no precedent in the course of human affairs. Telematics, from the French word Telematique, was coined by Simon Nora in 1978 in his report to President Mitterand of France describing the new technology which finds itself at the convergence of computers and telecommunications. |
| Telematics describes a variety of telecommunication processes, therefore when speaking of the use of telematics in an art exchange it is important to be very specific in identifying which process of connectivity is being used, such as: networking computer to computer (phone net/modem); telefacsimile (FAX); slowscan television (SSTV); videophone, and HF (short wave Ham) or FM radio. Characteristics common to all telematic art activity are often described by using such words and phrases as: collective or dispersed authorship, off-site learning, collaboration, and inter-connectivety. |
| The use of telematics is new, and it wasn't until experiments by artists in the mid-seventies demonstrated the advantages of using interactive technologies that the idea of artistic interaction became a reality. Telematics as a process has many applications. The concept of interactive systems is revolutionizing the way people relate to each other. The new relationships created by electronic networking have erased the old boundaries of regionalism or nationalistic art as we have known the meaning of those words. |
| Telematics creates the possibility of a new setting for interactive participation between individuals and groups giving new meaning to the use of the words collective or dispersed authorship. lt removes the individual from the rigors of local systems by placing the artist in an international forum free from the constraints of parochial thinking. Telematics provides, through electronic networking, a means of instantaneous and immediate dissemination of information giving to the individual a choice between simple retrieval or intricate interactive collaborative art events. Networking creates higher levels of caring, and a sense of companionship through a global awareness resulting from the dynamic of interacting in a world community. |
| Bruce Breland, Executive Director The DAX Group, Spokane January 21, 1990* |
*Revised: September 15, and October 1, 1993 |