In 1992, fiction novelist William Gibson, artist Dennis Ashbaugh and publisher Kevin Begos Jr.
created Agrippa (A Book of the Dead). The work consists ofa 300-line semi-autobiographical electronic poem by Gibson, embedded in an artist's book by Ashbaugh.Gibson's text focused on the ethereal, human-owed nature of memoriesretained over the passage of time(the title referred to a Kodak
photo album from whichthe text's memories are taken).
created Agrippa (A Book of the Dead). The work consists ofa 300-line semi-autobiographical electronic poem by Gibson, embedded in an artist's book by Ashbaugh.Gibson's text focused on the ethereal, human-owed nature of memoriesretained over the passage of time(the title referred to a Kodak
photo album from whichthe text's memories are taken).
Its principal notoriety arose from the fact that the poem, stored on a 3.5" floppy disk, was programmed
to encrypt itself after a single use; similarly, the pages of the artist's book were treated with photosensitive chemicals, effecting the gradual fading of the words and images from the book's first exposure to light. The work is recognised as an early example of electronic literature.
to encrypt itself after a single use; similarly, the pages of the artist's book were treated with photosensitive chemicals, effecting the gradual fading of the words and images from the book's first exposure to light. The work is recognised as an early example of electronic literature.
The construction of the book and the subject matter of the poem within it share a metaphorical connection in the decay of memory. In this light, critic Peter Schwenger asserts that Agrippa can be understood as organized by two ideas: the death of Gibson's father, and the disappearance or absence of the book itself. In this sense, it instantiates the ephemeral nature of all text.
The Font “AGRIPPA” is a transformative experimental project.When the user types in Gibson’s poem, it makes the text dissapear into a Ligature.
