In 1992, Marc Scarpa was hired by Kevin Begos, Jr., to help produce “the Transmission” of Agrippa. This entry in Scarpa’s digital scrapbook provides some details about the event. (The Agrippa transmission was Scarpa’s first netcast production. He later became a leader in the field of live networked productions [bio].)

“My role was to translate the text on the disc into a transmission of information that would eventually reach millions of people around the net. The goal was to make sure core groups were to obtain the ‘transmission’ and we bet on the fact that they would then post it to message boards (remember this is pre-web) around the globe.”

Article offers a substantial analysis and description of Dennis Ashbaugh’s artwork.

“…they are based instead on the DNA analysis that scientists use to identify inidvidual genetic makeup. Ashbaugh enlarges the image taken from isolating the characteristic DNA protein molecule to create his large-scale abstract portraits.”

Site features information about many of Gibson’s popular works, as well as information related to Agrippa, including a few photographs of the work.

“‘Agrippa’ was released on a limited edition encrypted diskette that erased itself page by page as you read. The book itself contained artwork by Dennis Ashbrough, a painter from New York, related to the content of the poem (such as advertising posters from the 1920s). It was made using a special ink that disappeared after prolonged exposure to light…All the pages are filled with lines of genetic code that are actually an encoding of the novel. On December 9, 1992, ‘Agrippa’ was made available to the public for one day, at museums across America, through the internet. The (supposedly unhackable) poem text was soon cracked and put on various internet sites.”

Ralls Collection offers biographical information about Dennis Ashbaugh, as well as 31 images of the artist’s mixed-media work.

Article includes a biography of Gibson with a description of Agrippa.

“In “Agrippa,” Gibson weaves together the ancient art of bookmaking and the cold touch of modern binary encryption code technology with New York artist Dennis Ashbaugh. It is an elaborately conceived marriage of antique bookcraft and modern computer technology that may alter our conceptions of the immortality of art. Gibson’s book challenges the fundamental assumptions about books, art and reality.”

Article offers straightforward biographical information about William Gibson.

“Gibson remembers picturing cyberspace in “the first micro-photographs of computer chips – which looked a lot like aerial photographs of cities.” He says: “One insight I’ve had recently is that the Internet may be important because we are seeing something akin to what we did when we invented cities.” Gibson glances to the horizon, at Victoria Day fireworks making zinnia blooms in the distance. “We invented this, as a species! Amazing really,” he says, looking out at the city – like someone staring up at the stars and glimpsing infinity.”

This site features an artistic statement by Dennis Ashbaugh, as well as an image his “genomic” artwork “Bio-Gel (aka The Jolly Green Giant).”

“The year I was born, Barnett Newman painted a work called Genetic Moment in his search for a new beginning for painting. That fact was never lost on me. It is now a question of whether art is leading reality around or reality is leading art around, which seems to matter very little at this point, since time has collapsed so completely on itself.”

CBA site offers some brief biographical information about Dennis Ashbaugh.

“Ashbaugh is known for his large computer virus and DNA portrait paintings which have been acquired for the permanent collections of the Hirschorn Museum, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Los Angeles County Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum in New York.”