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Marian Saunders

New perspectives on VJ practice: The art of performing moving image

VJing is the art of mixing visuals live in response to sound. This practice-based research focuses on VJ practice, framing the VJ as a performing artist who ‘plays’ moving image though improvised performance.

Through reflective, contextual, and critical analysis of key histories, artists, and theorist​s this research will reveal a rich artistic practice at the forefront of contemporary digital arts and an important contributor to global visual culture.

Employing an “insider ethnographic” methodological framework places me as participant observer, granting unprecedented access to primary source material and enabling me to present notable original findings on this largely unexplored field. In rethinking the boundaries of the practice, this research makes significant original contributions to knowledge across the fields of VJing, moving image, and performance art.

Through acknowledging the diverse history, myriad influences and its value in contemporary digital arts practice, the legacy and potential of VJing can be established.

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