Digital Humanities

People

Marc Downie

Lecturer in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies, Media Arts and Design, and the College

Marc Downie is a Scottish-born digital artistHis pioneering approach to digital art combines three signature elements: non-photorealistic computational imagery; the incorporation of body movement by motion-capture and other means; and the autonomy of artworks directed by artificial intelligence. Over the last decade his studio, OpenEndedGroup, has worked in the broadest variety of contexts: making art for façade, gallery, dance, cinema and VR. Always in collaboration and always crossing disciplinary boundaries, his work enters and exit fields without permission from, and without deference to, established disciplinary structures. His collaborative works respond to an ever-expanding range of materials — drawing, film, motion capture, photography, music, and architecture.  In the field of dance, Downie has worked closely with Merce Cunningham, Bill T. Jones, Trisha Brown and Wayne McGregor. His public artworks include outdoor projections and performances in spaces ranging from York Minster Cathedral to Barclays Center Brooklyn. OpenEndedGroup has presented work at Lincoln Center, MoMA, Hayward Gallery, ICA Boston, Sadler’s Wells, Festival d’Automne, Detroit Institute of Art, SITE Santa Fe, the film festivals of Sundance, New York, Rome, Berlin and many others. Downie has had residencies in museums, schools and research institutions including the Gardner Museum, the University of Chicago, IRCAM, Stanford, ZKM, Le Fresnoy, the University of Michigan and EMPAC.