Robert Cotton
Diploma in Art and Design (Hons)
Fine Art
Portsmouth College of Art
Postgraduate internship at the Light/Sound Workshop
Hornsey College of Art
Senior Lecturer (Associate),FdA Digital Media Production
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
Bob’s current research informs the creation of a history of innovation in media since 1900: an illustrated chronology or timeline of the dominant developments in media, communications and computing in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The history takes the form of an illustrated book, an experimental website and a graphic printed timeline for exhibition display. An early proof, The Inspiration Timeline, was shown at the Research Centre, London College of Communication (July 2006). In 2007-8, Bob worked on Futureflux, a partnership to develop and deliver events that focus on providing showcase overviews of aspects of new media and digital arts innovations. Clients include the ICA, University of Westminster, University of the Arts, London (London College of Communication and Central St Martin’s Innovation), Paddington Development Trust and CreateKX. Symposia organised by Bob in 2008 include ‘Design in an Era of Continuous Innovation’ for Central St Martin’s Innovation (June) and ‘Design and the Visual-Sonic Interface’ for Create KX, Birkbeck University Cinema (September). Conference papers include ‘The New Media Opportunity-Space’ (Designs on e-Learning Conference at London College of Fashion, September 2005) with work subsequently contributed to ‘Designs on e-learning’ CDROM (University of the Arts, London, October 2005). Bob’s work ‘A Timeline of Pop Festivals’ was exhibited (2006 onwards) at the Julia Margaret Cameron Museum, Freshwater, Isle of Wight.
Bob is academic supervisor appointed by London College of Communication to liaise and guide the Media Futures Associate on the Press Association / University of the Arts Knowledge Transfer Partnership, 2008 – 2011, a government-funded project to encourage KT between industry and higher education.
This is one of several approaches to illustrating a ‘timeline of media convergence’ by Robert Cotton. Other products include a book format, and a merged concept-map and timeline. Bob’s aim is to illustrate the important developments along the road to the media-scape we now live and work in. These include developments in all the converging sectors of media-content design, film and video, animation, web-design, publishing, computing and telecoms.