I really enjoyed Ingo Mauer’s work. I appreciated how light-hearted and fun he is, I feel like there’s a lot of work that tries to be too serious. This is also a particularly good trait to have when making experimental light features. The intrinsic nature of light makes places more comfortable and welcoming, and his work certainly does that. His humor and wit can be seen immediately with the talking portraits of Carnegie and the woman. I can tell that he likes to make fun and take things out of context.
Going back to the intrinsic nature of light, he helps to create a welcoming, ‘light’ (as opposed to heavy) atmosphere by making a giant ‘flying’ ribbon as the lamp. I also liked his use of gold in his work. I am usually not a fan of gold, it feels tacky to me, but he used it in a tasteful way. I understand how he used it to emit a certain type of light into a room, a very warm, comfortable light. For this reason, I really liked his gold meditation room. I think it would have been amazing to be able to sit in it for a while and be absorbed by the light. I wonder how it would feel after long periods of time.
The beeswax table was interesting to me because unlike basically everything else he created, it had very little functionality, but I like the idea of creating a surface that reflected a certain light.
Another thing I liked about his art was how simple some of it was. Like the half-heart mirror, when a light shone on it, it created two hearts, one light and one dark. It is just very simple and very elegant. His other simple work that I really enjoyed was his light bulbs with wings. He literally made a cute little representation of light out of an ordinary light bulb. Before this exhibit, I never would have thought to look at a light bulb as something other than what it is. But he transformed the mechanical image of it into something cute and fun.
I didn’t care much for his LED work. It seemed very dated and tacky, like it was from the 80’s. I like the idea of shifting wallpaper, but the presentation didn’t do much for me. I could picture that in a tacky Asian restaurant. His benches with the LED’s floating in the glass did impress me however. It felt very post-modern and space-age, but it was again, very elegant and well executed.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Nam June Paik
This documentary was about the man who first made the scene of video art. He had a few revolutionary exhibitions that featured a neon map of the US with TV’s playing content relevant to that area of the country. I feel like that exhibition is not particularly profound, but I’m sure at the time it was new and therefore profound (the medium is the message).
Paik discredited his ability as a musician, but I like that he incorporated music into his work with the cellist who would play with the TVs. It was a great melding of the mediums. On the whole, I tend to dislike video art. Nothing has ever struck home with me, and I fail to understand its meanings.
The majority of Paik’s work consisted of intensely flashing lights that attacked you. It was very hard to watch any of it for too long. I had to look away from the screen when they held a close-up of one of his TV’s. Apparently they were supposed to access your brain for a split second and then move on. How can I understand something that is in constant change? Am I supposed to feel something? Did he place sub-conscious messages into me? I don’t know, but it gave me a headache.
I suppose that his work does represent his time though, the psychedelic nature of the work was prevalent then. I did like one of his works, and that was the piece where there was a frame of a head with a hat, and in the hat were 3 TVs, and then one where the mouth is. This represented a message that we can relate to, it symbolized how we think, and what comes out of our mouths.
Even though I am studying TV, I have always had a hard time with Video Art. I think it has to do with the relation of the Hot/Cold media that McLuhan talks about. TV shows are very hot, with lots of information, and Paik’s video art is cold because it tells you lots of nothing and I don’t know how to understand that, and I can’t contemplate on it like you can a painting or photograph.
Paik discredited his ability as a musician, but I like that he incorporated music into his work with the cellist who would play with the TVs. It was a great melding of the mediums. On the whole, I tend to dislike video art. Nothing has ever struck home with me, and I fail to understand its meanings.
The majority of Paik’s work consisted of intensely flashing lights that attacked you. It was very hard to watch any of it for too long. I had to look away from the screen when they held a close-up of one of his TV’s. Apparently they were supposed to access your brain for a split second and then move on. How can I understand something that is in constant change? Am I supposed to feel something? Did he place sub-conscious messages into me? I don’t know, but it gave me a headache.
I suppose that his work does represent his time though, the psychedelic nature of the work was prevalent then. I did like one of his works, and that was the piece where there was a frame of a head with a hat, and in the hat were 3 TVs, and then one where the mouth is. This represented a message that we can relate to, it symbolized how we think, and what comes out of our mouths.
Even though I am studying TV, I have always had a hard time with Video Art. I think it has to do with the relation of the Hot/Cold media that McLuhan talks about. TV shows are very hot, with lots of information, and Paik’s video art is cold because it tells you lots of nothing and I don’t know how to understand that, and I can’t contemplate on it like you can a painting or photograph.
William Burroughs
I really enjoyed the William Burroughs Documentary. It was great to see who the man was, and to hear him speak. He is clearly a very smart man, which gives more credibility to his famous cut-up method. Before, I kind of looked at the cut-up method as an experiment, something that an artist stumbled across, but now I see that it is very intentional and profound. It’s hard not to respect him as an artist and a thinker because he is a very thoughtful and articulate speaker. I really liked his quote saying that “art makes people aware of what they know and don’t know.”
McLuhan's Wake
This documentary was about as inaccessible as understanding his philosophy. I am actually in the process of studying The Medium is the Message for another Gallatin class. The documentary we watched in class was a bit hard to understand or follow, but McLuhan apparently wouldn’t care what the message was, because his whole theory is that the medium (the documentary) was the message.
The content of the documentary is another topic though. I really liked all the water imagery, especially in the beginning with the quote from James Joyce. I also enjoyed the whirlpool analogy. I think I would have to see it a few more times to fully understand it, but I liked the animation and it was entertaining. There was a lot of shots of society, and without a previous understanding of McLuhan, the documentary is hard to understand. One of his major points is that the message of the medium is the change of social structure. Perhaps this is showing what the culmination of all the medium’s has created.
The content of the documentary is another topic though. I really liked all the water imagery, especially in the beginning with the quote from James Joyce. I also enjoyed the whirlpool analogy. I think I would have to see it a few more times to fully understand it, but I liked the animation and it was entertaining. There was a lot of shots of society, and without a previous understanding of McLuhan, the documentary is hard to understand. One of his major points is that the message of the medium is the change of social structure. Perhaps this is showing what the culmination of all the medium’s has created.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Timeline
TIMELINE
1940-45 - Vannevar Bush – Primary organizer of the Manhattan Project. Created groundbreaking analog computing projects at MIT. 1940 got grand by Franklin Roosevelt for funding and research between military, industry and academic “iron triangle” which led to new media. 1945 wrote As We May Think.
Doug Engelbart – Inspired by Bush’s “As We May Think”, he invented the mouse, word pressor, and the hyperlink.
1950 – Alan Turing worked to decrypt encoded language. He wrote an essay, Computing Machinery and Intelligence, which discusses the many aspects of artificial intelligence.
1952 – “Grace Murray Hopper programmed the first compiler, computer languages began to take shape.”
1954 – Norbert Wiener began working toward cybernetics, which is “the science of communications and automatic control systems in both machines and living things.” (Apple Dictionary). Wrote the essay Men, Machines, and the World About.
1957 – Allan Kaprow established a new trend in performing arts where the audience became more and more involved with the performance, these were called “happenings”.
1959 – Brion Gysin was an artist who made popular the “cut-up” technique, where he would cut newspapers into sections and rearrange the text.
1960 – J.C.R. Licklider was an American computer scientist famous for his publication of “Man-Computer Symbiosis”. This article describes the need for the symbiosis of computers and man-power.
1962 – Doug Engelbart invented the computer mouse.
1966 – E.A.T. (Experiments in Art and Technology) was founded. Which led to the development of the relationship between artist and engineer.
1968 – “The mother of all demos” Douglas Engelbart and others demonstrated the research behind ARC (Augmentation Research Center) about interactive computing. This led to an explosion of interest in the field.
1977 - Burroughs and Gysin publish “The Third Mind,” a collection of cut-up writings and essays.
1988 – Ivan Sutherland won the Turing Award for his invention of the Sketchpad”
1940-45 - Vannevar Bush – Primary organizer of the Manhattan Project. Created groundbreaking analog computing projects at MIT. 1940 got grand by Franklin Roosevelt for funding and research between military, industry and academic “iron triangle” which led to new media. 1945 wrote As We May Think.
Doug Engelbart – Inspired by Bush’s “As We May Think”, he invented the mouse, word pressor, and the hyperlink.
1950 – Alan Turing worked to decrypt encoded language. He wrote an essay, Computing Machinery and Intelligence, which discusses the many aspects of artificial intelligence.
1952 – “Grace Murray Hopper programmed the first compiler, computer languages began to take shape.”
1954 – Norbert Wiener began working toward cybernetics, which is “the science of communications and automatic control systems in both machines and living things.” (Apple Dictionary). Wrote the essay Men, Machines, and the World About.
1957 – Allan Kaprow established a new trend in performing arts where the audience became more and more involved with the performance, these were called “happenings”.
1959 – Brion Gysin was an artist who made popular the “cut-up” technique, where he would cut newspapers into sections and rearrange the text.
1960 – J.C.R. Licklider was an American computer scientist famous for his publication of “Man-Computer Symbiosis”. This article describes the need for the symbiosis of computers and man-power.
1962 – Doug Engelbart invented the computer mouse.
1966 – E.A.T. (Experiments in Art and Technology) was founded. Which led to the development of the relationship between artist and engineer.
1968 – “The mother of all demos” Douglas Engelbart and others demonstrated the research behind ARC (Augmentation Research Center) about interactive computing. This led to an explosion of interest in the field.
1977 - Burroughs and Gysin publish “The Third Mind,” a collection of cut-up writings and essays.
1988 – Ivan Sutherland won the Turing Award for his invention of the Sketchpad”
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Media Reader 193 - 246
Marshall McLuhan, The Galaxy Reconfigured, The Medium Is the Message
Brought to light the idea that the “medium is the message”, meaning that the new way of expression is more important than the content. He describes the shift from book-culture to a culture of electronic media. He also states that its best not to take the issue of new media too seriously, that it can be a fun horizon to explore with the fusion of ideas instead of separating them.
Experiments in Art and Technology
Formed in the 1966 the EAT (Experiments in Art and Technology) have been playing a pivotal role in the advance of technology and art. The organization held competitions, exhibitions, and discussions. Billy Kluver founded EAT after his first experiences with artists and engineers while working at Bell Telephone Laboratories. He then collaborated with Knut Wiggin from Sweden, the two of them created some exhibitions in New York, getting mixed reviews. The reviews mainly attacked the technological “problems”.
Kluver says that “this experiment in art never fails”, meaning that any mistake will lead to advances, or at the least an artistic voice. This type of performance engineering allows for artists to create and destroy principle’s of mechanics, and to create a performance that manipulates these principles, like Jim McGee’s tennis installation that deals with motion and light.
In Kluver’s article, “The Pavilion”, he describes his project as one that involves the visitors to make choices and have participation. He states that “one of E.A.T.’s objectives in relation to the Pavilion was to demonstrate physically the variety and multiplicity of experiences that the new technology can provide for the individual.
Video art has always meant to be interactive and to be new media. John Cage stated, “the cathode ray tube will replace the canvas.”
In 1968 the ARC (Augmentation Research Center) demonstrated all of their work to a live audience. It was risky, lots could go wrong, but it was a success and led to the expansion of the research. This demonstration introduced the mouse and the precursor to the internet.
Brought to light the idea that the “medium is the message”, meaning that the new way of expression is more important than the content. He describes the shift from book-culture to a culture of electronic media. He also states that its best not to take the issue of new media too seriously, that it can be a fun horizon to explore with the fusion of ideas instead of separating them.
Experiments in Art and Technology
Formed in the 1966 the EAT (Experiments in Art and Technology) have been playing a pivotal role in the advance of technology and art. The organization held competitions, exhibitions, and discussions. Billy Kluver founded EAT after his first experiences with artists and engineers while working at Bell Telephone Laboratories. He then collaborated with Knut Wiggin from Sweden, the two of them created some exhibitions in New York, getting mixed reviews. The reviews mainly attacked the technological “problems”.
Kluver says that “this experiment in art never fails”, meaning that any mistake will lead to advances, or at the least an artistic voice. This type of performance engineering allows for artists to create and destroy principle’s of mechanics, and to create a performance that manipulates these principles, like Jim McGee’s tennis installation that deals with motion and light.
In Kluver’s article, “The Pavilion”, he describes his project as one that involves the visitors to make choices and have participation. He states that “one of E.A.T.’s objectives in relation to the Pavilion was to demonstrate physically the variety and multiplicity of experiences that the new technology can provide for the individual.
Video art has always meant to be interactive and to be new media. John Cage stated, “the cathode ray tube will replace the canvas.”
In 1968 the ARC (Augmentation Research Center) demonstrated all of their work to a live audience. It was risky, lots could go wrong, but it was a success and led to the expansion of the research. This demonstration introduced the mouse and the precursor to the internet.
Dan Blank's "Shadowplay"
Dan Blank’s “Shadowplay” is a very touching, thought provoking short film about the nuclear explosion in Hiroshima. It was a way of showing the tragedy that occurred after the explosion, and showed us all of the life that was destroyed through the shadows imprinted on the walls. The boy that we followed through all the shadows told us about what every one of them was doing at the time of the explosion. As the boy went around to everybody, trying to find answers, we were sent into flashbacks that showed us what was happening before the explosion. Blank does a very good job of making us feel connected to the characters, and to feel saddened by their untimely deaths.
This work is another great example of a fusion of medias. The claymation with the digitally rendered shadow animation worked very well. The use of clay was a great choice for this project, because it has a rough, unfinished look to it. And this works very well when creating a scene of destruction.
This is also what I really like about short projects. You are able to create a scene that is very powerful, but that might not work for a feature. It was great to watch the shadows dance around the walls, but this could never carry an entire feature. I really like how shorts allow room for great experimentation and unorthodox artistic choices.
This work is another great example of a fusion of medias. The claymation with the digitally rendered shadow animation worked very well. The use of clay was a great choice for this project, because it has a rough, unfinished look to it. And this works very well when creating a scene of destruction.
This is also what I really like about short projects. You are able to create a scene that is very powerful, but that might not work for a feature. It was great to watch the shadows dance around the walls, but this could never carry an entire feature. I really like how shorts allow room for great experimentation and unorthodox artistic choices.
Dan Kanemoto's "Whale Song"
Dan Kanemoto’s Whale Song, was a fun short cartoon (at least I think that’s what we’ll call it). I’m really glad he continued to use the similar style of stop motion animation with drawings as a medium. It’s very refreshing to watch good material in a new way. I thought the writing was very good. It was short, brief, and minimalist, almost dummied down so much that it made it funny. Which is a reflection of the overall idea that the best way to take care of a beached whale is to blow it up. I think that this topic would not have been as entertaining had it been done in any other format. If the same story was shot with real actors, the humor wouldn’t have been there, and you couldn’t have done the explosion in any comical way. And if it was done with a smooth motion cartoon, some of the punch lines wouldn’t have worked.
I’m glad that MTV picked up the short to air on TV. For some reason I feel like I’ve seen it before, but it could just be a strange sense of déjà vu. I really enjoyed it, and I would like to see more programming of that material, it opens our minds to new possibilities of creativity, and keeps advancing new media in art forms.
I’m glad that MTV picked up the short to air on TV. For some reason I feel like I’ve seen it before, but it could just be a strange sense of déjà vu. I really enjoyed it, and I would like to see more programming of that material, it opens our minds to new possibilities of creativity, and keeps advancing new media in art forms.
Ken Perlin Lecture
Ken Perlin is a great speaker, he is charismatic and engages us frequently to keep our attention. His work is very fascinating, I really like how everything he does works towards one goal. Which is to make an array of characters that can play out scenes on their own, based on emotional keywords. This could lead to an entirely new form of entertainment, and also for the world or pitching ideas, and experimenting with scripts and formats for TV shows or movies.
I liked his argument that video games stimulate the mind in a positive manner, and that video games can, and are used for educational purposes. This is something that I myself have argued with growing up. My mind is incredibly stimulated during the hours in which I played games, but there was always something guilty about it in the back of my head, like it was a waste of time. I like how he described movies and novels as a passive learning, that the agency is in the story, whereas in a game the agency is within you and you are active with the characters.
His kinetic poetry program reminded me a bit of Dadaist artwork, where it was a “destruction” of the cut-and paste method of poetry, but at the same time created an entirely new idea of random poetry.
If I were into programming, I would love to be in his classes, and get to learn from what he does.
I liked his argument that video games stimulate the mind in a positive manner, and that video games can, and are used for educational purposes. This is something that I myself have argued with growing up. My mind is incredibly stimulated during the hours in which I played games, but there was always something guilty about it in the back of my head, like it was a waste of time. I like how he described movies and novels as a passive learning, that the agency is in the story, whereas in a game the agency is within you and you are active with the characters.
His kinetic poetry program reminded me a bit of Dadaist artwork, where it was a “destruction” of the cut-and paste method of poetry, but at the same time created an entirely new idea of random poetry.
If I were into programming, I would love to be in his classes, and get to learn from what he does.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Bitforms Gallery
I thought the Bitforms Gallery was great. Daniel Rozin created a gallery dedicated to making digital mirrors that reflect movement. I feel like it is a great fusion between technology and art. The message of the art, according to the postcard, is to create a theme of perception of oneself. To me, the gallery wasn’t profound in any way, it was just really cool, especially the ‘mirror’ that incorporates the use of shadow from a light source. I would really like to have that piece in my house. The idea of an interactive mirror is not a completely original idea. I remember when I was in elementary school we went to the science museum in Boston and there was a shadow volleyball game that used our silhouettes to hit a virtual volleyball back and forth.
David Fried’s exhibit with the sound propelled balls fascinated me. I had no idea such a thing could exist. It was very mesmerizing and soothing. I would love to understand more of how they work, there is no electronic device in them, and they generate movement based on sound.
The bubbles exhibit didn’t do a lot for me. The person working there tried to explain that the bubbles can reflect so much of ourselves, but that seemed like a stretch. I think the accomplishment in the gallery is the fact that he was able to find a way to create the photographs.
David Fried’s exhibit with the sound propelled balls fascinated me. I had no idea such a thing could exist. It was very mesmerizing and soothing. I would love to understand more of how they work, there is no electronic device in them, and they generate movement based on sound.
The bubbles exhibit didn’t do a lot for me. The person working there tried to explain that the bubbles can reflect so much of ourselves, but that seemed like a stretch. I think the accomplishment in the gallery is the fact that he was able to find a way to create the photographs.
Eyebeam Gallery
The Eyebeam Gallery was a huge display of various new media artwork. The tour guide was really great, he was clearly enthusiastic about the projects, but he was very difficult to understand.
What I found interesting is the idea between function and art. It didn’t appear to me that the “Safe House” was entirely a piece of art, but more of a conceptual idea that could be used in real life for a purpose. There is a transformative nature behind this artwork is the questions it raises about immigration. This form of art, where it serves to make you question the world around you is found throughout the gallery. I also had a hard time seeing the art in the exhibit that actually follows the flight patterns of government planes that either deviate from their scheduled landing, or fly to Guantanamo Bay.
I enjoyed the video gallery of the bed facing a huge projection of the New York subway. This exhibit seems to me like something that New Yorkers can relate to. It is really interesting to see the subway without the sounds involved in it, and to place the image by a bed, which is a place of rest.
The other video exhibit by Angie Eng was disappointing. It tried to be edgy by doing unconventional things on the streets of New York, but they didn’t seem to be that abnormal or “weird”. The strangers walking past the people who sat in lawn chairs didn’t even give a second glance (there are people who sit in lawn chairs on the sidewalk outside my dorm).
I may have missed the point of the big balloon, but I like the idea of an interactive projection where people can send an e-mail to an address and it gets posted in the gallery. I also thought it was interesting to have a web-site as an exhibit. I like how it exhibits programming as an art-form. The web-site projects which party people donated money to, so you can find out who your neighbors support.
What I found interesting is the idea between function and art. It didn’t appear to me that the “Safe House” was entirely a piece of art, but more of a conceptual idea that could be used in real life for a purpose. There is a transformative nature behind this artwork is the questions it raises about immigration. This form of art, where it serves to make you question the world around you is found throughout the gallery. I also had a hard time seeing the art in the exhibit that actually follows the flight patterns of government planes that either deviate from their scheduled landing, or fly to Guantanamo Bay.
I enjoyed the video gallery of the bed facing a huge projection of the New York subway. This exhibit seems to me like something that New Yorkers can relate to. It is really interesting to see the subway without the sounds involved in it, and to place the image by a bed, which is a place of rest.
The other video exhibit by Angie Eng was disappointing. It tried to be edgy by doing unconventional things on the streets of New York, but they didn’t seem to be that abnormal or “weird”. The strangers walking past the people who sat in lawn chairs didn’t even give a second glance (there are people who sit in lawn chairs on the sidewalk outside my dorm).
I may have missed the point of the big balloon, but I like the idea of an interactive projection where people can send an e-mail to an address and it gets posted in the gallery. I also thought it was interesting to have a web-site as an exhibit. I like how it exhibits programming as an art-form. The web-site projects which party people donated money to, so you can find out who your neighbors support.
Postmasters Gallery
Postmasters Gallery – This exhibit had the work of Eddo Stern. The gallery consisted of the inspiration from his online gaming experience. It depicts the relationship between online characters and the real people behind them. I was really intrigued to learn that two people who were enemies in an online game got so into it that they wanted to fight for real in the real world. The displays to depict these people were talking heads that were created from a collage of digital images that represented who they were.
Along with the talking heads rendered abstractly from images, there was a woman who was created to look realistic. It’s amazing to see how real a digital image can appear; apparently he didn’t have a model for the image, which I thought brought out his artistic talent. He was able to make her have a wide range of emotions and facial expressions, apparently she is supposed to be singing, but I couldn’t hear anything.
Though I wasn’t entirely blown away by the shadow puppets, I thought it was an interesting idea. I liked how he incorporated (comical) action figures such as Stephen Segal and Chuck Norris into the project. This added a level of familiarity and humor to see them in these forms.
Along with the talking heads rendered abstractly from images, there was a woman who was created to look realistic. It’s amazing to see how real a digital image can appear; apparently he didn’t have a model for the image, which I thought brought out his artistic talent. He was able to make her have a wide range of emotions and facial expressions, apparently she is supposed to be singing, but I couldn’t hear anything.
Though I wasn’t entirely blown away by the shadow puppets, I thought it was an interesting idea. I liked how he incorporated (comical) action figures such as Stephen Segal and Chuck Norris into the project. This added a level of familiarity and humor to see them in these forms.
Timeline
TIMELINE
1940-45 - Vannevar Bush – Primary organizer of the Manhattan Project. Created groundbreaking analog computing projects at MIT. 1940 got grand by Franklin Roosevelt for funding and research between military, industry and academic “iron triangle” which led to new media. 1945 wrote As We May Think.
Doug Engelbart – Inspired by Bush’s “As We May Think”, he invented the mouse, word pressor, and the hyperlink.
1950 – Alan Turing worked to decrypt encoded language. He wrote an essay, Computing Machinery and Intelligence, which discusses the many aspects of artificial intelligence.
1952 – “Grace Murray Hopper programmed the first compiler, computer languages began to take shape.”
1954 – Norbert Wiener began working toward cybernetics, which is “the science of communications and automatic control systems in both machines and living things.” (Apple Dictionary). Wrote the essay Men, Machines, and the World About.
1957 – Allan Kaprow established a new trend in performing arts where the audience became more and more involved with the performance, these were called “happenings”.
1959 – Brion Gysin was an artist who made popular the “cut-up” technique, where he would cut newspapers into sections and rearrange the text.
1960 – J.C.R. Licklider was an American computer scientist famous for his publication of “Man-Computer Symbiosis”. This article describes the need for the symbiosis of computers and man-power.
1962 – Doug Engelbart invented the computer mouse.
1988 – Ivan Sutherland “for his pioneering and visionary contributions to computer graphics, starting with Sketchpad…”
1997 – Douglas Engelbart – “for an inspiring vision of the future of interactive computing and the invention of key technologies to help realize this vision.”
1940-45 - Vannevar Bush – Primary organizer of the Manhattan Project. Created groundbreaking analog computing projects at MIT. 1940 got grand by Franklin Roosevelt for funding and research between military, industry and academic “iron triangle” which led to new media. 1945 wrote As We May Think.
Doug Engelbart – Inspired by Bush’s “As We May Think”, he invented the mouse, word pressor, and the hyperlink.
1950 – Alan Turing worked to decrypt encoded language. He wrote an essay, Computing Machinery and Intelligence, which discusses the many aspects of artificial intelligence.
1952 – “Grace Murray Hopper programmed the first compiler, computer languages began to take shape.”
1954 – Norbert Wiener began working toward cybernetics, which is “the science of communications and automatic control systems in both machines and living things.” (Apple Dictionary). Wrote the essay Men, Machines, and the World About.
1957 – Allan Kaprow established a new trend in performing arts where the audience became more and more involved with the performance, these were called “happenings”.
1959 – Brion Gysin was an artist who made popular the “cut-up” technique, where he would cut newspapers into sections and rearrange the text.
1960 – J.C.R. Licklider was an American computer scientist famous for his publication of “Man-Computer Symbiosis”. This article describes the need for the symbiosis of computers and man-power.
1962 – Doug Engelbart invented the computer mouse.
1988 – Ivan Sutherland “for his pioneering and visionary contributions to computer graphics, starting with Sketchpad…”
1997 – Douglas Engelbart – “for an inspiring vision of the future of interactive computing and the invention of key technologies to help realize this vision.”
Friday, October 5, 2007
New Media Reader 73-108
Man-computer symbiosis is the development between the cooperative relationship of men and electronic computers. The main goals are to 1: “let computers facilitate formulative thinking, and 2: “to enable men and computers to cooperate in making decisions and controlling complex situations without inflexible dependence on predetermined programs.” Essentially this symbiosis allows us to organize, access, and publish information in ways that allow us to develop ideas and programs that would otherwise take long periods of time. The outlook of the future for this symbiosis is to have a thought process that is vastly more powerful than the current forms.
During the 1950s and 1960s Allan Kaprow organized many performances and events that were considered “Happenings”. This term has come to be known as the touchstone for the discussion of new media as it relates to interactivity in art. The distinction between actor and spectator fades as the interactivity increases. Happenings “appear to go nowhere and do not make any particular literary point.” They have no plots or outline and they can take place anywhere, lofts, streets, basements, vacant stores, and they can never be reproduced.
William Burroughs describes the cut-up method for media of all sorts. Essentially it is a method of creativity where random words or photos are sequenced to produce a “surreal” meaning. Computers are capable of such a program, but there is a sub-conscious that humans have that computers don’t, which makes random words resonate and have deeper meaning. “Cut-ups often come through as coded messages with special meaning for the cutter.”
Douglas Engelbart invented the mouse, the window, the word processor, as well as helping develop the internet and hypertext. His inventions, however, were not used for what they were initially intended for. His goal is to augment human intellect, which means “increasing the capability of a man to approach a complex problem”.
These articles were very interesting in assessing the various aspects of new media, from the man-computer symbiosis, to the artistic side of it, to the augmentation of our capabilities and intellect.
During the 1950s and 1960s Allan Kaprow organized many performances and events that were considered “Happenings”. This term has come to be known as the touchstone for the discussion of new media as it relates to interactivity in art. The distinction between actor and spectator fades as the interactivity increases. Happenings “appear to go nowhere and do not make any particular literary point.” They have no plots or outline and they can take place anywhere, lofts, streets, basements, vacant stores, and they can never be reproduced.
William Burroughs describes the cut-up method for media of all sorts. Essentially it is a method of creativity where random words or photos are sequenced to produce a “surreal” meaning. Computers are capable of such a program, but there is a sub-conscious that humans have that computers don’t, which makes random words resonate and have deeper meaning. “Cut-ups often come through as coded messages with special meaning for the cutter.”
Douglas Engelbart invented the mouse, the window, the word processor, as well as helping develop the internet and hypertext. His inventions, however, were not used for what they were initially intended for. His goal is to augment human intellect, which means “increasing the capability of a man to approach a complex problem”.
These articles were very interesting in assessing the various aspects of new media, from the man-computer symbiosis, to the artistic side of it, to the augmentation of our capabilities and intellect.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Barack Obama
I’ve never been to a political rally before the Barack Obama speech. I have seen plenty on YouTube, but never in person. It took forever for him to finally get on the stage, even after all the warm-up acts were done (which I thought was really interesting). It was very clear that he was trying to appeal to the college student. He opened with this guy rapping about his campaign, and then also by playing a Kanye West song in between acts. He also played lots of music from different ethnicities to cover the spectrum while they waited for the park to fill in.
I felt kind of bad for him actually, he didn’t really get the crowd going. It seemed like most people (including myself) were only there because there was a big crowd and they happened to stumble onto it. I didn’t stay long because for one thing I’ve heard a rally from him before (youtube), and his politics were just really broad about change and hope. It didn’t make me want to vote for him basically, but I was glad to have seen him in person and to have been to a rally.
I felt kind of bad for him actually, he didn’t really get the crowd going. It seemed like most people (including myself) were only there because there was a big crowd and they happened to stumble onto it. I didn’t stay long because for one thing I’ve heard a rally from him before (youtube), and his politics were just really broad about change and hope. It didn’t make me want to vote for him basically, but I was glad to have seen him in person and to have been to a rally.
Chess Pieces
The documentary on Chess Pieces was a bit of a struggle, although I thought the painting itself was fantastic. I loved the fusion of art and music, I just really wanted to hear the music from the painting! They kept dancing around the music that is within the painting, but we never got to hear it. I thought it would have helped me so much to be able to fully understand the artwork.
The lady that came in to discuss the painting was very entertaining, there was a juxtaposition with the man who was very rigid and nervous to the woman who was over the top excited about the painting with the “Oh! Look, I just found his name in the music notation!” (as if it was a revolution on the spot). The filmmaking was poor, it could have used some more close-ups of the painting and the set and lighting was very bland. I am glad to have been able to be exposed to the artwork however. It was a beautiful piece and I would like to see what else he created.
The lady that came in to discuss the painting was very entertaining, there was a juxtaposition with the man who was very rigid and nervous to the woman who was over the top excited about the painting with the “Oh! Look, I just found his name in the music notation!” (as if it was a revolution on the spot). The filmmaking was poor, it could have used some more close-ups of the painting and the set and lighting was very bland. I am glad to have been able to be exposed to the artwork however. It was a beautiful piece and I would like to see what else he created.
History of the Internet
It was very necessary for me to see the documentary of the history of the internet. I knew so little about it, and it is still to me an abstract concept that I don’t understand. This was able to shed some light on the development of it, and explain a little bit how it works. I didn’t know that the government had a large part in the creation of it, and that for security reasons they created a different system of nodes so that if one was destroyed the message would be relayed through other systems.
I thought it was great that the man who created e-mail did it in his spare time. It reminded me of the creation of Napster, and the college kid who did it because he saw it as a challenge.
The documentary itself did not impress me a whole lot, it was crudely shot and the graphics were nothing special. I would have also liked to learn a bit about the development of the internet in contemporary times, what types of changes are being developed, and what is going to be the future of the internet? I am grateful to have seen the doc though, I realize how many hours I spend on it per day, and I can’t imagine life without it.
I thought it was great that the man who created e-mail did it in his spare time. It reminded me of the creation of Napster, and the college kid who did it because he saw it as a challenge.
The documentary itself did not impress me a whole lot, it was crudely shot and the graphics were nothing special. I would have also liked to learn a bit about the development of the internet in contemporary times, what types of changes are being developed, and what is going to be the future of the internet? I am grateful to have seen the doc though, I realize how many hours I spend on it per day, and I can’t imagine life without it.
Dan Kanemoto's, Letter From the Western Front
Dan Kanemoto’s, Letter From the Western Front was an amazing alternative video. I loved the creativity behind it. I’ve never seen a film created strictly from paintings. It really brought the two mediums together. The emotion and style of oil painting combined with graphic animation brought another level of emotion to the film.
I thought the narration was a bit weak however. I understand that he is an accomplished writer, but I thought his voice didn’t fit the piece. It was great writing, and it held me throughout the film, but his voice didn’t sound like he was in the middle of a war. The direction of the artwork was also very well done, and he incorporated the special effects and lighting on the paintings.
To me, it’s work like this that inspires the independent artist in me. It shows that there are alternative mediums out there that are just as powerful as the mainstream models.
I thought the narration was a bit weak however. I understand that he is an accomplished writer, but I thought his voice didn’t fit the piece. It was great writing, and it held me throughout the film, but his voice didn’t sound like he was in the middle of a war. The direction of the artwork was also very well done, and he incorporated the special effects and lighting on the paintings.
To me, it’s work like this that inspires the independent artist in me. It shows that there are alternative mediums out there that are just as powerful as the mainstream models.
Second Life
Second Life sounds like an amazing phenomena, one that was bound to happen, and that amidst its theoretical possibilities, it is bound to have its repercussions. Essentially this is the Sim’s game multiplied by infinity, with an ever-growing database with endless possibilities. Gaming to me has always been a guilty pleasure. I love them, it’s a great distraction, but it can interfere with your life negatively if you allow it to take precedence over your real life. Which is why I’m hesitant to create a character on Second Life. But I am truly intrigued by this virtual world, and I would like to do some exploring of it.
The businesses that are getting behind the virtual world are viewing it as an actual franchise, like Peugeot. How realistic are these cars? Do they break down ever? The fact that you can make money in the virtual world is very interesting to me. Essentially one can make a living inside this world, and use that to live in the real world. I’m no economist, but this seems like something that is horrible for the economy, meaning it takes people out of the work force that would in turn make everything a bit more expensive. But this would only be a problem if a significant amount of people does this.
Overall, I am not against it, in fact I am probably going to start a character next chance I get.
The businesses that are getting behind the virtual world are viewing it as an actual franchise, like Peugeot. How realistic are these cars? Do they break down ever? The fact that you can make money in the virtual world is very interesting to me. Essentially one can make a living inside this world, and use that to live in the real world. I’m no economist, but this seems like something that is horrible for the economy, meaning it takes people out of the work force that would in turn make everything a bit more expensive. But this would only be a problem if a significant amount of people does this.
Overall, I am not against it, in fact I am probably going to start a character next chance I get.
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