Panel Statement

Panel: Literature, Journalism and the Telematic Society 1: Coming to Terms with Interactivity

In the wake of recent claims made in the name of multimedia and the ‘new’ possibilities opened up by ‘new’ technologies, this paper argues that, if we are to escape from the seductive pull of’new’ digital effects, and succeed in producing ‘new’forms ortexts'(‘new’ ways of presenting information), which open ‘new’ perspectives for readers/viewers; we need to consider the design of’new’ graphic spaces in semiological rather just in visual terms (ie consider the nature, placing and interaction between each graphic element and their effects). The paper argues that close (and selective) attention to the theoretical discussions which occured in film and literary theory, and a methodical search for alternative parameters appropriate to multimedia environment — rather than gratuitous play with plug-ins and special effects—is the surest way to help multimedia come of age and escape the vagaries and hypes of today fashion.

• Gérard Mermoz, France/UK, Coventry University, UK, Studied literature and art history at Aix-en-Provence University, France. Moved to England. Taught art history at Bristol University, and Liverpool Polytechnic. Moved to Coventry in 1991 to teach Graphic Design. Gained an MA in Electronic Graphics at Coventry University (1994). Currently teaching graphic design at Coventry University, with special emphasis on typography and multimedia. Course leader for the new MA in Design & Digital Media. Member of the Rencontres Internationales de Lure (French Typographic Society). Honorary member of the Brno Biennale (1996). Exhibitions: various exhibitions of col­lages, sculptures and mixed media. Recently became inter­ested in electronic media. Dear John, multimedia piece about experimental typography, exhibited at Stations Arts Electroniques, Rennes, France and Brno Biennale, Czech Republic (1996); Conference presentations/Publications: On Typographic Reference, EMIGRE #36 (1995); Deconstruction and the Typography of Books, Acts of the Symposium of 17th Brno Biennale (1996); The “body of the text”: Typographic Interface and Interactive reading (theoretical text about interface design in an electronic hypertext      envi­ronment) published in the acts of INTERFACE3 symposium: Labile Ordnungen, Hamburg, 1997; Multimedia: Towards a new Language?, paper read at the symposium organized by Video Positive, Manchester (1997); On Typographic Communication, paper read at GRAPHILL, the annual con­ference of ‘Norske grafiske designere og illustratører’, Oslo.  gerardmermozartist.blogspot.com