What does Free, Libre and Open Source software (FLOSS) provide to artists and designers – beyond just free alternatives to established tools from Photoshop to Final Cut?
“FLOSS+Art” is the first book to answer this question. It shows how the value of free software lies in its differences and creative challenges, as opposed to out-of-the-box and off-the-shelf solutions; how it allows to work and collaborate differently with computers, and therefore enable different kinds of art and design.
The Internet – whose infrastructure is based on free software and open standards – is an obvious example of such an adaptable, collaborative artistic medium. “FLOSS+Art” also covers more traditional artistic domains such as graphic and audiovisual design, and how they shift from customer-centric to community-driven work.
FLOSS+Art is an anthology edited by Aymeric Mansoux and Marloes de Valk. The publication critically reflects on the growing relationship between the free software ideology, open content and digital art. It provides a view onto the social, political and economic myths and realities linked to this phenomenon.
With contributions by: Fabianne Balvedi, Florian Cramer, Sher Doruff, Nancy Mauro Flude, Olga Goriunova, Dave Griffiths, Ross Harley, Martin Howse, Shahee Ilyas, Ricardo Lafuente, Ivan Monroy Lopez, Thor Magnusson, Alex McLean, Rob Myers, Alejandra Maria Perez Nuñez, Eleonora Oreggia, oRx-qX, Julien Ottavi, Michael van Schaik, Femke Snelting, Pedro Soler, Hans Christoph Steiner, Prodromos Tsiavos, Simon Yuill.
You can order a copy of FLOSS+Art with Mute or at Amazon. For distributor prices and batch orders please contact books-at-goto10-dot-org.
You can also download the FLOSS+Art eBook there or there.
FLOSS+Art is not only available as a PDF and printed book, the eBook release contains all the fonts, images and Scribus source files that were used to make the book. FLOSS+Art is triple licensed GNU GPL, GNU FDL and Free Art License. Feel free to branch a translation or fork the chapters!
You can read the preface here.