科技在過去十多年的迅速發展，成就了電腦及互聯網絡的普及，將人類推向一個未知的新紀元。我們正處於一個影像數量前所未有地泛濫、流通的時代，更多影像媒體的出現，導致我們對於觀看的方式有了新的體驗。視覺媒介與及影像長久以來也在藝術創作、以至人類文明中佔據著主導地位，作為當代藝術家如何對應這個時代的科技與影像文化變遷？本文從三個章節去探討當代藝術創作在數位科技下對新媒體影像的探討與反思。一）影像的定義與科技發展的歷史脈絡：先探討當下數位影像跟觀看方式的轉變，透過檢視影像建構意義的過程去確立一個討論的環境前提；並追朔媒體與空間概念跟影像科技發展的歷史脈絡。二）新媒體與數位影像：界定新媒體的定義，及其發展對影像意義、角色定位所帶來的轉變；延伸至當下虛擬與真實的空間概念轉變。三）非物質的物質化呈現：以當代藝術創作為例子，去闡述新媒體影像及其媒介平台在當代生活中的各種面向。本章所論述的藝術創作集中在以傳統媒介為基礎去對應新媒體影像的藝術作品，而非以新媒體本身為作品媒介的「新媒體藝術創作」。在文末附以本人的藝術作品以供參考。 / The rapid development in technology caused the popularization of computers and internet over the past decades and it generated a new era to human beings. We are at the age of unprecedented number of image, the new visual media has led to a new way of looking. Images and visual media have long been a dominant position in art and human civilization, how to respond with this era of technology and visual culture change as a contemporary artist becomes an important issue. This thesis is divided into three chapters which aim at exploring contemporary artistic creation, discussion and reflection of images of the new media in the digital technology. 1) The definition of image through historical context and development of visual technology: The first phase discusses the change on the way of looking according to the present digital images, the process of constructing meaning through looking the image are introduced to establish a background for the discussion; and traced the historical context of media technology with image development. 2) Of the digital images and new media: The second phase defines the definition of new media, and its influence on the meaning and role of extends to the changes in the concept of virtuality and real space. 3) Representation of the non-material substance: Use contemporary artistic practices as examples to describe the various aspects of new media image in contemporary life. Discussions in this chapter of artistic creation is concentrated in the work of traditional media that use new media image as subject rather than works of new media art". At the end of the thesis, my artworks which relate to the topic are introduced for reference. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / 李天倫. / "2012年8月". / "2012 nian 8 yue". / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-79). / Abstract in Chinese and English. / Li Tianlun. / 引言 --- p.7 / Chapter 第一章 --- 影像的定義與科技發展的歷史脈絡 / Chapter 1.1 --- 當代生活的視覺經驗 --- p.8 / Chapter 1.2 --- 觀看與再現 --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3 --- 影像的意義構成 --- p.10 / Chapter 1.4 --- 數位影像的意義構成 --- p.11 / Chapter 1.5 --- 媒體與空間概念 --- p.15 / Chapter 1.6 --- 影像科技發展的歷史脈絡 --- p.17 / Chapter 第二章 --- 新媒體與數位影像 / Chapter 2.1 --- 新媒體的定義 --- p.23 / Chapter 2.2 --- 新媒體的特質 --- p.24 / Chapter 2.3 --- 觀看方式的轉變 --- p.28 / Chapter 2.4 --- 數位影像的複製、原真性與「靈光」 --- p.29 / Chapter 2.5 --- 虛擬與網絡－空間觀念的轉變 --- p.31 / Chapter 第三章 --- 非物質的物質化呈現－對應新媒體影像的藝術創作 / Chapter 3.1 --- 感知的回歸 --- p.34 / Chapter 3.2 --- 當代視覺語言的體現 --- p.37 / Chapter 3.3 --- 從無形到有形－資訊影像化 --- p.41 / Chapter 3.4 --- 網絡與影像流通 --- p.45 / Chapter 3.5 --- 數位影像與流行文化 --- p.49 / Chapter 3.6 --- 虛擬與真實的糾結 --- p.52 / 結語 --- p.55 / 附錄 / 我的作品 --- p.57 / 圖片來源 --- p.75 / 參考書目及資料 --- p.77

Watermana is a concept, the title of this thesis and the title of the work produced in conjunction with this thesis. The word 'mana' loosely translates as a form of spiritual power. In the form of Water Mana, it specifically means spiritual empowerment of feelings or emotions. This work is closely entwined with the video 'Watermana'. The research documented here both leads to the work and arose from its process. It reflects finding connections with Celtic shamanistic practices, and utilizing them in a modern urban context. It also explores poetry, its relationship to shamanism, and its possible structural relationships to film. 'Watermana' is a twelve-minute video produced using three-dimensional computer modelling and animation and live video, edited and composited digitally. It is a representation of a shamanistic journey and an introduction to the shamanistic process. / Master of Arts (Hons)

The thesis describes the development during the 1990s of visual artists' utilisation of computer-based interactive multimedia and the production internationally, with a focus on Australian artists, of artworks on the CD-ROM media format. Earlier parts of the author's research led to the exhibition, 'Burning the Interface &lt International Artists' CD-ROM&gt', which he co-curated, opening at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, in 1996, before touring to Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide. The thesis surveys the range of practice by artists working with digital media and the opportunities for exhibition in the public spaces of museums, galleries and the street, and advances scenarios for correcting the laxity of response by the exhibiting institutions to the vigour with which Australian artists represented their work and ideas at this time in national and international forums. Four published artists' work on CDROM are analysed in detail, and a concluding chapter about 'interactive multimedia' and its usefulness as an art medium to the artist introduces the studio practice component of this MFA submission. This takes the form of a prototype 'experimental' version of an interactive multimedia work on CD-ROM, ('Strangers on the Land') a copy of which is contained in a pocket at the rear of the bound version.

Black-and-white imagery is a popular and interesting depiction technique in the visual arts, in which varying tints and shades of a single colour are used. Within the realm of black-and-white images, there is a set of black-and-white illustrations that only depict salient features by ignoring details, and reduce colour to pure black and white, with no intermediate tones. These illustrations hold tremendous potential to enrich decoration, human communication and entertainment. Producing abstract black-and-white illustrations by hand relies on a time consuming and difficult process that requires both artistic talent and technical expertise. Previous work has not explored this style of illustration in much depth, and simple approaches such as thresholding are insufficient for stylization and artistic control. I use the word wholetoning to refer to illustrations that feature a high degree of shape and tone abstraction. In this thesis, I explore computer algorithms for generating wholetoned illustrations. First, I offer a general-purpose framework, “artistic thresholding”, to control the generation of wholetoned illustrations in an intuitive way. The basic artistic thresholding algorithm is an optimization framework based on simulated annealing to get the final bi-level result. I design an extensible objective function from our observations of a lot of wholetoned images. The objective function is a weighted sum over terms that encode features common to wholetoned illustrations. Based on the framework, I then explore two specific wholetoned styles: papercutting and representational calligraphy. I define a paper-cut design as a wholetoned image with connectivity constraints that ensure that it can be cut out from only one piece of paper. My computer generated papercutting technique can convert an original wholetoned image into a paper-cut design. It can also synthesize stylized and geometric patterns often found in traditional designs. Representational calligraphy is defined as a wholetoned image with the constraint that all depiction elements must be letters. The procedure of generating representational calligraphy designs is formalized as a “calligraphic packing” problem. I provide a semi-automatic technique that can warp a sequence of letters to fit a shape while preserving their readability.

Black-and-white imagery is a popular and interesting depiction technique in the visual arts, in which varying tints and shades of a single colour are used. Within the realm of black-and-white images, there is a set of black-and-white illustrations that only depict salient features by ignoring details, and reduce colour to pure black and white, with no intermediate tones. These illustrations hold tremendous potential to enrich decoration, human communication and entertainment. Producing abstract black-and-white illustrations by hand relies on a time consuming and difficult process that requires both artistic talent and technical expertise. Previous work has not explored this style of illustration in much depth, and simple approaches such as thresholding are insufficient for stylization and artistic control. I use the word wholetoning to refer to illustrations that feature a high degree of shape and tone abstraction. In this thesis, I explore computer algorithms for generating wholetoned illustrations. First, I offer a general-purpose framework, “artistic thresholding”, to control the generation of wholetoned illustrations in an intuitive way. The basic artistic thresholding algorithm is an optimization framework based on simulated annealing to get the final bi-level result. I design an extensible objective function from our observations of a lot of wholetoned images. The objective function is a weighted sum over terms that encode features common to wholetoned illustrations. Based on the framework, I then explore two specific wholetoned styles: papercutting and representational calligraphy. I define a paper-cut design as a wholetoned image with connectivity constraints that ensure that it can be cut out from only one piece of paper. My computer generated papercutting technique can convert an original wholetoned image into a paper-cut design. It can also synthesize stylized and geometric patterns often found in traditional designs. Representational calligraphy is defined as a wholetoned image with the constraint that all depiction elements must be letters. The procedure of generating representational calligraphy designs is formalized as a “calligraphic packing” problem. I provide a semi-automatic technique that can warp a sequence of letters to fit a shape while preserving their readability.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Freiburg, 2008. / Additional digital material and illustrations are available online. Includes bibliographical references.

This project created a multi-media work that combined music and visual images in a video format to culminate my graduate studies. I explored computer graphics and video technology while drawing from a multi-faceted background in art. This project attempts to communicate through visual expression the innate qualities of music and sound, while reflecting my interests as an artist. I intend this work to be viewed as either a live performance piece to be accompanied by the piano duet, Sonata for Two Pianos, or as a recording on a computer monitor or television. / Department of Art

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-51).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1988. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 22-23).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1994. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-55).