Abstract:

More discussions exist on the field of glitches in music composition than there ever have been. In music classification the glitch has even been elevated to the prestigious status of having its genre. However, there have been very little discussions of the practice of creating and capturing visual manifestations of glitches in today’s highly signal perfect media and pixel perfect computer interfaces. This seems paradoxical in relation to earlier trends of discussing qualities of media and is testament to the fact that we are becoming more silent as technology finds its own voice. The underlying theme also in this study, was to find out what it is that drives visual glitch artists in their desire to create glitches and to seek an answer to the question, can the glitch be an effective medium in the ‘pantheon of artforms?’[1] - While Glitch Music has experienced a greater amount of exposure, other forms of Glitch Art have remained more obscure. Some have not been conceptualized as art at all.(Motherboard 2002) This dissertation aims to address this and surrounding issues.

1. Introduction 6

1.1. Statement 8

1.1.1. Why I chose the glitch and when I started. 9

1.1.2. Relation to practical work 11

1.1.3. What I seek to do in this study (objectives of the study) 11

1.2. Methods 12

1.2.1. Research 12

1.2.2. Research into practice 13

2. Glitch Autopsy (surgery) 15

2.1. The Glitch 15

2.1.1. Definition 15

2.1.2. Pure Glitch 16

2.1.3. The Glitchalike 17

2.1.4. Glitch and communications (layer & content – wanted / unwanted). 18

2.1.5. Visual history of glitches 20

2.1.6. Visual Characteristics of the Glitch 24

2.1.7. Not Net Art: Multiplicity Lack of Category 27

2.1.8. medium and artform. Polymorphism 27

2.2. Glitch Science 27

2.2.1. Ben Fry 27

2.2.2. Quarks: measuring changes changes the content. Viewing in wordpad glitches the image 27

2.2.3. Crypytology 29

3. Glitch Aesthetics 30

3.1.1. why its important, scientific usage. Popular spectacle. 30

3.1.2. in this study 30

3.2. Formal Aesthetics (Aesthetic Theory) 31

3.2.1. Subjectivity : differing views on beauty 31

3.2.2. Situational perspective, dealing with contextual meaning 31

3.2.3. glitch creativity artistic process 32

3.2.4. Relation to artistic practice – 33

3.2.5. Relation to Painting – turner, richter, Picasso, Expressionism 34

3.2.6. Relation to screen based med-appreciation of dead media 34

3.2.7. Relation to Screen: Film / Digital – Semantic (AI) [long] 35

3.2.8. Relation to invention 36

3.2.9. Relation to Auto Destructivism. 37

3.2.10. Poetics of the Glitch : Chaos and Randomness – autechre on controlled randomness. 37

3.3. Glitch Philosophy 38

3.3.1. Fetishisation 38

3.3.2. Ars Accidentals 41

3.3.3. philosophy of Imperfection 41

3.3.4. philosophy of balance In creation 42

3.3.5. on Nostalgia 42

4. Glitch at large 43

4.1. Formal Discussion 43

4.1.1. Art of the Accident 44

4.1.2. Science 45

4.2. Live – Staged – Recorded – Synthesised 45

4.2.2. Unique Status 45

4.2.3. The Fetishists – The Nostalgics – The fringe 45

4.2.4. Sengmuller 45

4.2.5. Glitch Music the Overpowering sound 46

4.2.6. New bleep Retro 46

4.2.7. Radio Qualia 46

4.2.8. Captured, logged. 46

5.1. Necessary appreciation 46

5.2. Age of the accident. 46