Lines of Sight in the "Network Society": Simulation, Art Education, and a Digital Visual Culture

Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts... A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding... (Gibson, 1984, p. 51)The social and technological networks that 'cyberpunk' science fiction author William Gibson (1984) has created serve as relevant forms of critique within our digital age. The Internet is possibly the most complex of these contemporary networks-connecting large portions of the world's population, allowing for new forms of communication and commerce, and the exploration of terrains previously unseen. This process of exploration represents both the exhilaration of newfound friendship and acquired knowledge, as well as the danger of power unchecked-the impulse to colonize these territories creating connections that constrain.In Neuromancer, Gibson (1984) describes a future society that operates through various forms of simulation. Advancements in biomedical technology have allowed for rampant cloning and techno-human interfaces, allowing individuals to merge with the thoughts and actions of others through "simstim"-simulated stimulation. Individuals also have the ability to merge with computer systems in the vast geometries of cyberspace, the "simulation matrix" that combines aspects of the physical world with the virtual qualities of data.Gibson's term "cyberspace" is now commonly used to describe the Internet-the contemporary networks of physical infrastructure and ephemeral interactions that include the text and image oriented webpages of the World Wide Web, the communication-based interactions of e-mail and Instant Messenger, and the recent diary-like weblog (blog) phenomenon. His descriptions of networked interactions have been equally influential in works of literature, popular movies, and video games. These highly influential fictions have had a direct impact on the language and perception of simulated interactions that take place on the Internet, affecting numerous aspects of contemporary lives lived within increasingly complex networks.This article will explore the role that simulation plays in contemporary artistic practice, specifically looking at individuals and collectives that create and critique using tactics that are unique to our interconnected times. The simulation of visual information facilitated by networked digital computers challenges many Western art historical traditions and complicates the current discussion of visual culture and art educational practices. This analysis of simulation will provide art educators with examples of critical practices that might then find application within the spaces of art education: practices that operate within the complex interconnections of the "network society."The "network society" as described by Castells (1996) represents an interlinking of networked digital technologies with global trade and social interaction. As he suggests, there are no aspects of contemporary life that lie outside of complex social, cultural, and technological networks, no individual whose actions are not in some way interconnected with those of another. From the massive power outages that affected large portions of the northeastern United States in the summer of 2003 to the War on Terror, in which many nations are confronted by a dispersed web of terrorists, the notion of the decentralized network is of particular relevance in contemporary life. Addressing the role that art educators play within these complex networks-particularly those that make use of and reference digital forms of simulation-might lead to practices that are socially relevant and technologically critical, that help us to think through current moments of unthinkable complexity. …