This page is an attempt to collect a list of notable artworks, artists, documentaries, papers and other resources related to the course Audiovisual Studio at Aalto Media Lab. The focus is on works that specifically explore the connection between sound/music and visuals, real-time media, or works that have had a significant impact on the field in some other way.
This list is by no means exhaustive and is constantly updating. It is an ongoing research and note-taking process that will probably never come to a conclusion.
It is also important to note that most of this list is compiled from the perspective of working as an audiovisual artist in Finland by a person educated in Finland and Canada. I very warmly welcome perspectives and suggestions from a non-western point of view.
1600s
- 1659, Christiaan Huygens, credited as the inventor of the Magic Lantern (Lanterna Magica)
1700s
1800s
- 1825, Thaumatrope
- 1833, Phenakistiscope
- 1834, Zoetrope
- 1877, Praxinoscope
- 1879, Zoopraxinoscope
- 1891, Kinetoscope
1900-1919
1920–1929
- 1921, Hans Richter, Rhythmus 21 (silent film)
- 1923, Hans Richter, Rhythmus 23 (silent film)
- 1924, Viking Eggeling, Symphonie Diagonale (silent film)
- 1929, Len Lye, Tusalava (silent film)
1930–1939
Highlights
- Graphical (drawn) sound experiments and inventions in Soviet Russia (Excellent research by Andrey Smirnov)
- Len Lye
- Oskar Fischinger
Examples
- 1930, Variophone
- 1932, The invention of the Dufaycolor technique
- 193?, Nikolai Voinov, Paper Sound Technique
- 1934, Nikolai Voinov, The Thief
- 1935, Len Lye, A Colour Box
- 1935, Len Lye, Kaleidoscope (in Dufaycolor)
- 1936, Len Lye, Rainbow Dance (in Gasparcolor)
- 1937, Len Lye, Trade Tattoo (in Technicolor)
- 1938, Oskar Fischinger, An Optical Poem
- 1938, Len Lye, Color Flight
- 1939, Len Lye, Swinging the Lambeth Walk
1940–1949
- 1940, Disney, Fantasia
1950–1959
- 1951, Norman McLaren, Pen Point Percussion
- 1955, Norman McLaren, Blinkity Blank
- 1956, Norman McLaren & Evelyn Lambart, Rhytmetic
- 1958, Norman McLaren, La Merle
1960–1969
Highlights
- Erkki Kurenniemi
- John Whitney
- Nam June Paik
- Daphne Oram (Oramics)
- Delia Derbyshire
Examples
- 1961, John Whitney, Catalog
- 1963, Delia Derbyshire, The Original Dr. Who Title Sequence Music also listen to the full song
- 1964, Erkki Kurenniemi, Electronics in the World of Tomorrow
- 1964, Norman McLaren, Canon
- 1968, Norman McLaren, Pas de Deux
- 1968, John Whitney, Permutations
- 196?, Daphne Oram, Bird of Parallax
- 1968, Evelyn Lambart, Fine Feathers
- 1969, Evelyn Lambart, The Hoarder
1970–1979
Highlights
- Rutt/Etra
- Scanimate
Examples
- 1971 Erkki Kurenniemi & Riitta Vainio Interactive dance performance with DIMI-O synthesizer
- 1972, Bill & Louise Etra, Laser Quantum L
- 197? Bill Etra & Louise Etra, Tales from Beneath the Sheets
- 1973, Bill Etra, Abstractions on a Bedsheet
- 1973, Bill Etra & Louise Etra, Heartbeat
- 1974, Steve Rutt and Bill Etra, Rutt/Etra Video Synthesizer Demo
- 1975, Lis Rhodes, Light Music
1980–1989
Highlights
Examples
1990–1999
- 1992, Pipilotti Rist, Pickelporno
2000–2009
Highlights
Examples
- 2000, Hexstatic, Rewind album
- 2002, The First Pixelache Festival (the early iterations of the festival were very much focused on VJ culture and audiovisual art, starting from 2009 the focus shifted towards the notion of Commons and art activism)
- 2004, The First Live Performers Meeting
- 2005, The First Mapping Festival