The Portfolio

Dance Video Project Final…

Project # 3

Assignment # 5, Responce to Chapter Three

What are the major themes in digital art?

The major themes in digital art include artificial life and intelligence, telepresence, telematics, and telerobotics, body and identity, data visualization and mapping, text and narrative environment, gaming, and tactical media, activism, and hacktivism.  All of these themes are created by a digital meduim rather than a traditional medium.

Artificial life definitely blurrs the line between humans and machine.  The assimilation of the two also adds an interesting relationship between them.  According to NorbWiener, communication, control, and feedback are essential concepts in both organisms and systems.  perhaps, the most interesting part of artificial life is when and interaction is made possible between humans and machines that act as organisms.  Austrian Artist, Christa Sommerere and Laurent Misnonneau did exactly that.  They created virtual creatues that humans can interact with in a water filled glass pool.

Telematics can be defined as a combination of computers and telecommunications.  It explores the ides of global consciousness.  The Internet is a telepresence environment that enables people to be present all over the world.  Telerobotics such as web cameras allow us to share live views in the Internet.  This brings up the question of privacy, surveillance, and voyeurism.  Technological advances such as telepresence, telematics, and telerobotics made such invasive activities easier and faster.

Check out my Slide Show!

Poster Upgrade

So, I took some of my classmates advice and changed my poster.  All black and white except the rainbow ring.  I think this one look much better, thanks everyone for your comments in class.

It’s Better to be Gay than Grumpy!!!!!!

 I choose to create an ad poster supporting gay rights and specifically supporting gay marriage.  In the background are symbols for gay and lesbian marriage.  The focal point of the poster is the couple holding hands, which shows the union of two people.  I did not distinguish male or female characteristics in the hands to keep the mystery alive.  Are they two men holding hands or two women holding hands, I don’t know.  The point is that love comes in many forms, people might not understand it but I choose to accept it.  Banning same sex marriage is discriminating.  Since when did it become a bad thing to be in love and be in a marriage.  Like it say’s in the title ” It’s Better to be Gay then Grumpy.”

Assignment # 3 – Response to chapter 2

What is the difference between using digital technologies as a tool versus as a medium?

     Digital technology can act as both a tool and a medium.  Digital technology as a medium is any art in which computers play a role in production or display.  These forms of digital art can be instillations, film, video, animation, internet art, nomadic networks, software art, art works with visual reality or augmented reality, sound and music.  According to Christiane Paul, the digital medium is interactive, participatory, dynamic and customizable. Digital art can also have many manifestations.  It can be any  combination of things, for example, the Color Panel Series by John F. Simon, Jr (page 69).  This piece uses hardware, software, and  liquid crystal display (LCD) screens. 

     Digital artworks do not necessarily have to be shown in a screen of a computer.  Installation are some of the most interesting and interactive form of artwork. Digital art installations come in many forms and are highly effective.  Some artists prefer large scale video projections and some like to create an actual or a virtual environment.  Jeffrey Shaw, The Distributed legible City (page 73), allowed viewers to interact with the artwork as well as with other viewers.  He had viewers ride stationary bicycles to navigate a virtual reality of a city of letters.  The cyclist could also come in interaction with virtual representation of themselves and other cyclist, whom they can communicate with if they were near each other.  

     In contrast to Jeffrey Shaw’s, Legible city which was a virtual environment, Asymptotes’s Fluxaspace challenges to inter-merge both virtual and actual realities to create actual space, by projecting distorted urban landscape images in the middle of a room with mirrors.

     All forms of artwork are created using certain tools.  Digital technologies act as tools in order to create digital artwork and digital mediums.  These tools consist of technology such as the internet, software, scanners, cameras, etc.  However to become a digital artist knowledge of software and computer skills alone aren’t enough, a creative mind must be present as well.

Ad Assignment

What makes an ad successful is its ability to catch attention.  This ad works for me.  It caught my eye very quickly.  It’s simple and elegant.  The black background and the white curves work together to show the love between a man and a woman.  A diamond is forever and so is their love.

Assignment #2

Assignment # 2
How does digital art/ new media relate to or impact different aspects of our western culture?

Digital art/ new media art hold infinite possibilities of method and function. Just like any other form of art such as drawing, painting, photography, sculptures, etc digital art conveys the same purpose. The purpose of art is to communicate or express an idea using nonverbal means. People use art for religion, politics, education, entertainment, aesthetics, or simply for fun.
Art is a constructive and creative way of communicating. Digital art provides for the same purpose with improved results. The western culture is highly influenced by consumerism. It is a fast paced world with high demands for technology. The technology is always changing and improving for the better. The western society is extremely dependent on gadgets and technological devices. But not only is there a demand for technology, there is also a demand for aesthetics. We live in a world surrounded by manmade beauty, beautiful homes, cool cars, sleek computers and cell phones. Cleanliness, sophistication, and high performance are an ordinary part of our western culture. Digital art advancement is linked to science advancement and technology advancement. As scientists produce faster, enhanced computers, digital artists can create enhanced images.
The role of digital art not only satisfies the general needs of the western culture but it also plays an important part in the professional scene. We see the use of digital art in the media, law enforcement, science, art, corporate, politics, and entertainment. Advertising is an essential part of western culture. Advertising is a form of communication to reach the consumers, voters, or followers. Now days, it is easy and quick to reach viewers due to digital television, high speed internet, cell phones, etc. Due to technological advancement not only is the message getting across faster, but it is getting across in high quality. The picture of videos, films, television, and photography has advanced tremendously, thanks to devices such as HD television and high speed internet. Western culture and digital art are connected through the fact that both are always progressing for better or worse.
The Digital medium is more compatible with film, video, and photography versus drawing and painting. Digital art produces alternate realities. Image manipulation can dramatize, distort and change the relationship of and object to its surroundings. This effect has a major role in the entertainment business. Movies and Hollywood has a major influence in western culture. Whether, it is be science fiction, animation, or action movies. We love watching cool special effects that we don’t see in our ordinary lives.
I would not call digital art a traditional form of art, such as painting and drawing. The digital medium is a fairly new medium which has tremendous potential. This medium has room for change and growth. The connection between digital art and technology assures the fact that this medium will be a part of our future.