As accessibility and understanding of electronic media grow, its use by artists has become both widespread and increasingly instrumental in the latest developments in contemporary art. A comprehensive, timely international survey that addresses the relationship between art and electronic technology, this volume explores the presence and meanings of mechanics, light, graphics, robots, virtual reality and the Web in the art and visual culture of the last hundred years. It also considers the reaction, development and future of artistic practice in the face of new technology.

Survey Art and technology scholar Edward A. Shanken gives a lucid, engaging evaluation of the subject, contextualizing it in a broader art-historical and political framework and outlining the importance of figures previously neglected by art history.

Works provides an extensive colour plate section with extended captions for every artwork. Divided into seven thematic sections, the book follows a broadly chronological approach.

Over two hundred artists, including Robert Adrian, Laurie Anderson, Marcel.lí Antúnez Roca, Blast Theory, Chris Burden, Nancy Burson, John Cage, Donna J. Cox, Douglas Davis, Diller + Scofidio, Olafur Eliasson, Dan Flavin, Lucio Fontana, Naum Gabo, Hansen + Rubin, Agnes Hegedüs, Gary Hill, Susan Hiller, Jenny Holzer, Rebecca Horn, Pierre Huyghe, Ryoji Ikeda, Toshio Iwai, Natalie Jeremijenko, Joan Jonas, Gyorgy Kepes, Billy Klüver, Myron Krueger, Ben Laposky, Brenda Laurel, Robert Lazzarini, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Christian Marclay, Mario Merz, Marta Minujin, Bruce Nauman, Simon Penny, Jane Prophet, Robert Rauschenberg, Carolee Schneemann, Mikami Seiko, Stelarc, Wen-Ying Tsai, James Turrell, Stan VanDerBeek, Steina + Woody Vasulka, Wolf Vostell, Peter Weibel.

Documents includes a compendium of artists' statements, plus essays, papers and articles by writers and experts in the field.