Overview:

At the bottom of it all, I'm a painter that writes. As an architect of interactive content I design problem sets, characters, and the worlds in which they operate. I also engineer interactive systems, develop emerging forms of narrative, design artificial emotion software, lead groups of designers into burning buildings, and lead them out again, unscathed. By way of habit I'm an accomplished nomad and photographer.

The work of the last decade has included work as Artist-in-Residence at Xerox-PARC, as Creative Director for a venture of Stanford Research Institute, and as a co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of a VR and Internet company I founded in 1995 named Construct. I’ve spent time as artist/researcher at The Waag Society, in Holland, and have worked as a consultant for dozens of companies, large and small. My work in research has been spent at the point where reading, interactivity, and visual art intersect.

My 3D animation and interactive design has been flown by a list of companies that include Lucasfilm, Sony Pictures, and Microsoft. Since 1987 I've been selling my artwork in galleries and museums throughout the United States and Europe and in that time I've received awards from Ars Electronica, the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, and The National Information Infrastructure highest honors, among others. Though I’m able to leap small buildings with a single bound I avoid catching bullets with my teeth whenever possible.

This work led me to writing a book, Pause & Effect, The Art of Interactive Narrative. I have authored other books which include, From Hummous To Hamburger, a book of fables, and a portrait of Sri Lanka. I am also working on a book on autonomic computing, artificial intelligence, artificial emotion, and how these systems apply to art and entertainment.

I'm currently based in Los Angeles where I spend my days painting, writing, sailing, and lecturing on my work.

Education:

I completed my bachelor's degree in math, philosophy, and literature from St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Prior to that I managed to avoid completing degrees at The San Francisco Art Institute (painting and photography), University of Colorado (philosophy), Harvard University (biology), and Bemis Art School (painting).

Personal Information:

Born on the bayou in Biloxi, Mississippi, USA, September 28, 1968. Will probably die sometime around October of 2053, also in Biloxi, Mississippi, according to the insurance agents. These days, however, I am happily alive and speaking. I'm fluent in French and English and can quickly confuse most Spanish-speakers. I'm able to de-code attic and Homeric greek, as well as Latin, Java, C++, and cocktail conversation. In 1995 I co-founded and served as principal of Construct Internet Design, and in 1992 did the same with Blowtorch Communications. I've also fought forest fires (Pike and Sierra National Forests, 1989-1993) and raced bicycles (US National Track Cycling Team/USOTC, 1985-1987). I know how to start a fire, play the concertina, spit over three meters, and (if properly inspired) will dance 'til dawn.

Personal websites are "The BOAR.DOM," which consist of BORE.COM, BOAR.COM and BOOR.COM.

Testimonials from ‘Pause & Effect’:

"Meadows is one of those rare beings who is a working artist as well as theoretician. His in-depth consideration of the role of perspective and image adds new dimensions (pun intended) to the idea of interactive narrative."

Brenda Laurel, Author of The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design, Computers as Theater, and Utopian Entrepreneur.

"Interactive narrative remains to be a holy grail of new media. Meadows' gem of a book makes a unique contribution to our understanding of how interactive narratives work and how they can develop in the future.."

Lev Manovich, Author of The Language of New Media.

"A multi-talent, Mark Meadows represents one of those new creatures that lives between art and design, science and technology. No one knows what they are capable of quite yet, but their early experiments make me want to throw all my old clothes out the window."

Rich Gold, Xerox-PARC, Director of Research in Experimental Documents.

"Mark Meadows' journey as an artist, theoretician, and electronic pioneer has been remarkable to observe. He has ferocious passion for ideas, yet is grounded in the actual materials of the artforms he works within. He is open-minded and curious, essential when navigating uncharted worlds. And he has generosity of spirit, which I've seen during half a dozen engagements at the AFI over the years. With this new investigation of interactive narrative, he brings to bear all of these qualities, and we are all the richer for his contribution to understanding this emerging mode of storytelling."

Nick DeMartino, Director, American Film Institute

Professional Dateline:

12/01- now: Artist, Writer, etc
03/00-12/00: Creative Director, Stanford Research Institute
08/98-03/00: Artist in Residence, Xerox-PARC
08/95-08/98: Chief Creative Officer, Construct Internet Design
09/94-10/95: Online Director, IMF ("Arc Awards")
11/93-06/94: Webmaster, The WELL (third commerical webserver on internet)
07/93-05/94: Freelance Digital and Online Designer, Professional Painter
04/90-04/94: Forest Fire Fighter (Category One, IRC)