Leonardo

If you are not familiar with this journal and its purposes, I would recommend reading Art and Electronic Media (Themes & Movements) first. I first discovered the journal when I read this book. It will give you an excellent idea of what you can expect. A one-year subscription includes six issues. Five cover the visual arts. The sixth issue is a copy of the annual journal, Leonardo Music Journal, which, as you can see, can also be subscribed to on its own. LMJ includes a CD with over an hour's worth of examples of the types of musics discussed in the journal articles.

This journal does not lend itself to passive enjoyment as the articles are of professional grade. I have a BA in studio art and was able to follow most of what I read, but not all of it due to the technical subject matter. More accessible magazines might be Scientific American or Popular Science (1-year), depending on what you are looking for. Of course, only Leonardo specializes in art, music, science, and technology, the other magazines mentioned being much more general. If you are working with experiments similar to those covered in the journal, and certainly if you would consider the artists and musicians peers, this is the journal for you!

As you would imagine, the journal covers electronic arts, computer arts, fractals, nanotechnology, and the like. But it also covers issues of biology and neuroscience. Further, some art relates to land art and environmentalism. Other topics include communication, communication systems, and human perception. Finally, there are also some issues of textiles and fashion covered. The music issue covers contemporary composers and their experiments. This includes electronic instruments that they may build themselves with photos of the finished products as well as detailed schematics. As mentioned earlier, there is a CD included of music and experiments done by the composers on the machines covered in the journal.

There are numerous calls for papers throughout the journal. This is where it can be interactive and encourage networking with like-minded artists and musicians. As a matter of fact, I would say that this is its purpose. This journal is *not* infotainment! Especially with the music issue, if you are not working on the types of projects discussed, much of it can go over your head. But if this is your scene, this journal is an excellent resource. Beyond the main articles, there are also book reviews and information about ongoing projects and what academic institutions are sponsoring them.

This journal could also be helpful to historians, philosophers, or other professionals who are interested in the topics covered. If you can handle the high level of technical discussion, this journal can be a great entryway to a new world or can keep you up on the topics of your interest. Still, primarily, it is a journal of newness and capturing said newness as it unfolds. So, a pre-existing sophistication is all but required to continue to understand the diverse topics covered. In some cases, additional reading may be necessary. Of course, due to the diversity of the material covered, there is likely to be an occasional article that is simply inaccessible due to its esoteric nature. But, still, for the right persons, almost all of the material is perfectly accessible and thoroughly enjoyable!