B. Scott Crawford Lecture Series

Join us as B. Scott Crawford presents the first lecture in his series, Artistic Footprints Through Time: The Preservation and Remembrance of Self. The Digital Revolution has launched an unprecedented communications revolution. Individuals have an ability to now promote themselves at a global level at any time and in a matter of seconds. The selfie has emerged as the latest means for individuals to project images of themselves for public viewing, but now, through digital technologies, in a democratic manner. No longer is portraiture reserved for the wealthy; access to a ubiquitous mobile phone and a free social media account can allow an individual to share self-images with audiences possibly larger many traditional portraits ever reached! This presentation will explore the art behind the preservation of images of individuals, spanning cave art to Instagram. Through this journey over time, we may very well find that the selfie is not as much about megalomania as it is about simply magnifying a timeless component of human nature. However, with the introduction of artificial intelligence, we will end with a reflection of how AI may, through training, be embracing this nature as well!
 

This event is free and part of our 2025 Lecture Series which will focus on Blacksburg history, community, and culture plus intriguing history and arts topics in general.