Intro

Reading Prompts

  • Edge of Art, Intro

    Use of Internet to promote art throughout the world Find artists and people who use art forms on Internet aka myspace

    Is Internet an art itself?

    Using the Internet to view galleries throughout the world that we will never get to see in person. This is something that has helped many online classes here at UMO as far as finding works of other artists and being able to view and share them.

    Facebook is another medium on the net that has caused a global frenzy It has made it possible for famous artists, music producers, celebs, and more to find average people and turn their potential into a real life dream. Many of the music artists we see today were discovered through myspace. Along with celebs you wouldn’t think of like Playboy for instance.

    We have gone from artists like Van Goh and Bob Ross with pallets and paint brushes to digital art and technology that can be shared with the click of a mouse!

    The use of webcams has also given people another form of artistic expression…whether it’s frowned upon or not, its able to connect people with the same sexual interest, or used for means of keeping in contact with people throughout the world. Skype is a prime example for this. Couples who can’t be together all the time can engage in webcam skype, which opens up a whole new level of intimacy.

    So what defines the EDGE of art? How far until we go over the edge when we are not into art anymore?

    1-Why is art happening outside the usual art institutions--gallery, museum, art school? Where is it happening? Can you explain why it has shifted?

    This is a good question and I have always wondered this, but I think its because we are adapting to our way of life. Back in Da Vinci and Michael Angelos day, painting was their way of portraying art. Now, as the years pass, we find new ways of portraying art. It makes it easier for people in school to do projects and research when they need to find art. They just go to google and can view the Mona Lisa and all the information they needed on it.

    2-According to the authors, is "art" still an important term? Do we still want or need to distinguish it from "non-art"? If so, why or why not?

    3-How is technology a virus, and if technology acts like a virus, how does "art" function like an antibody? Does this mean that art is opposed to technology? Is the immune system opposed to all foreign bodies (consider mitochondria in every one of our cells, or intestinal friendly flora). What then, is the relation between art and technology as portrayed in The Edge of Art?

    Technology is a virus because we are so addicted to it and its killing our society. I know people who cant go a day without being on facebook or need their cell phone. We are becoming so addicted to using technology that is actually kind of scary. It is in a way a virus, but art is an antibody because most of the time, we are producing something of meaning and creativity on these technological devices. People use computers to design all sorts of things from visual art to interactive art. So as long as we are using it for something other than taking in useless knowledge, we are going to be ok..its just knowing when to break yourself of viewing it online and seeing it in person.

    Eli Prariser: The world needs you to see it with fresh eyes

    1-Professor Anne O'Dwyer taught me about cognitive dissonance - the psychological discomfort which occurs when you are confronted with a set of facts suggesting that what you are doing or believing is irrational or stupid. (quote from essay)

    I relate to this greatly because I go through this discomfort quite a bit seeing as how I believe and want to pursue things that most people in my area will not. For instance, tonight, I told one of my good friends my plans to move to LA once I graduate, with a friend, and try and get a job working for google. She bluntly told me that was such a ridiculous idea and that I should think realistically. Although she MAY be right, it is a long shot, it’s still a dream I want to pursue and if it doesn’t work, well then I can at least say I tried.

    I like how he uses the metaphor of someone better hop in the drivers seat and take charge if we want to survive the ‘precipice’ or ‘challenges’ we face in life. We all have to take charge of our own life, and how we go about doing it is up to us. Whether we have the choice to control our situation, or something we MUST do. In the case of grabbing the steering wheel, he had a choice, go ahead and let the car crash and die and know you failed when you had another option, OR grab the steering wheel and save the lives of you and whoever else is in the car.

    I have come to believe - and here I certainly include myself - that nobody knows exactly what they are doing

    Amen to that brotha! I don’t think anyone really knows what their doing, especially people in the political aspect. They THINK they know what’s best, but all they care about is money and social status. Parents, for instance, have no clue what they are doing, some of them, take the role and do it better than others, with good intentions, some fail miserably but tried, and some just don’t try at all. But they all went into doing it when the same ‘none knowledge’ as everyone else.

    His ending speech sends a powerful message that we NEED to act, we need to ask questions that no one else will ask, the only way things are going to get accomplished is if we take the initiative to make it happen. Go after your dreams, follow your heart, and be ready to take on the challenges that life throws at us with grace, leadership, and above all courage!

    2-In what way have you been encouraged to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show and how can you grab the steering wheel before we go over the edge?

    I have been told that numerous times. Especially when it comes to movies. Well, I get antsy when watching certain movies and want to take control of it, do things differently, especially horror movies. I always wonder what I would do diffrently in those given situations. A movie I know of that actually gives you some what of control to figure out the ending is Final Desitination 3, where the movie pauses at certain spots and asks you, does this person do this, or that? leaving you in control to decide the fate.

    However, I am always told to just sit back and enjoy the ride, its not about what happens in the future, but what is happening right now. I've learned this from different expereinces, one being relationships. I learned not to force things or take control when deciding who to date, now that I am single, but worry about myself first, and if it happens, it happens. I am learning to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

    Vin Crosbie: What is new media?

    Vin Crosbie writes a blog discussing his viewpoints on new media. Once again we find Crosbie telling us how he doesn’t think new media is websites, Internet, newspapers, magazines, radio, radio stations, TV, or TV stations. He also states Companies that broadcast programs or that publishes newspapers are having a problem understanding and adapting to why and how one-billon consumers are using internet-based technologies to receive news, information, and entertainment. (Digital Deliverance). As you read on, he explains that those companies know nothing because they simply do not understand the meaning of media or medium. He kind of ridicules companies for their misunderstanding and misuse of the term media, and says, It is the root of the companies problems (Digital Deliverance). But when he says that industries usage of the terms medium and media are wrong, he is trying to …return previous meanings to those terms before advertising industry coining the current colloquialism in 1923 (Digital Deliverance).

    Crosbie uses a quote from the Theory of Relativity to explain his reasoning for understanding the words media and medium. That what makes it difficult for some people to comprehend is its simplicity. That you dont need to acquire more information to understand it, but hat you must instead discard preconceived notions that block your understand. I agree here with this saying. If you are already misled and think bad thoughts in the beginning, you are obviously going to continue thinking bad thoughts no matter what. But if you discard any of that misleading information, you will have better thoughts! He believed this with understanding media too.

    Once again, we find him telling us that the internet, websites, email, newspapers, magazines etc., are all just vehicles for transporting information and are not the actual medium or media.

    I think he has made excellent points about his considerations of what media and medium are and how they are misunderstood. The fact that we have all been taught that media is anything with information such as newspapers, magazines, photographs, it would be hard to completely block out all the pre-conceived notions, which would allow us to have a new perspective on what media is. I can understand where he is going with his ideas, but more and more people are going to continue thinking that media is what he considers to be just ways of transporting information rather then being media itself.

    (Worked with Ellison on reading responses)

    1-What are the three transportation media? What is the difference between a transport medium and a transport vehicle?

     Land, water, and Sky. Transport medium is limited by the medium and a transport vehicle helps us perceive the media (Ellison Haddix)

    2-What are the three communication media? Give examples of communication media vs communication vehicles. Email uses which communication medium?

     The three communications in the media are interpersonal media, mass media, and new media. A example, could be conversation vs. email and utterances and speeches vs. webcasting. Email uses interpersonal media.<--agreed.

    3-What are the advantages/disadvantages of interpersonal communication? of broadcast communication?

     In interpersonal communication the person is able to have full control over the materials presented, allowing the person to get completely what the person is trying to accomplish. The more people get involved with interpersonal communication the less personal it becomes for certain individuals. In broadcasting everyone has the same amount of content by having one person with full access over the material. Thus the individuals can’t have control or option of privacy.

    4-What are the characteristics of the New Medium? Is a many-to-many communication possible without the new technology of laptop, iphone and internet?

     The New Medium information that can be sent to everyone without a limited amount of numbering and people can navigate how much they want control over the information. A many-to-many communication is not possible without the laptop, iphone, and Internet (Ellison). However, I on the other hand think that it is possible, and has been done for many years. How was information distributed before technology took a booming turn? Newspapers, books, magazines, etc. Yes it requires reading on paper, but whats the difference between reading on paper and reading on a screen? Paper you can bring anywhere at anytime to view and read. Technology isnt always as successful, you need it to be charged and if it requires wireless, to make sure you have it. There are ways of keeping in contact with people without technology, we are just lazy and need ways of doing it quick and easy.

    Code and Hactivism

    Reading Prompts

    Code as a Muse

    1-In Code art, the artist rarely works alone. Instead she calls upon the power of code to assist. Give examples of different kinds of codes that Code Artists use & abuse to create their work. Given this procedural approach, how do you distinguish this kind of creativity from art made with pen & ink or paint & canvas? How has the artists role changed? How has the art changed?

    An example of coding is is that it repeats the same methods. We are just re-using the same approach over and over again to find answers. Follow the rules and this will happen. If you dont follow the rules, then this will happen.

    2-What function distinguishes the artistic use of code from a merely technical use? Give some examples of this function in a few art works from the chapter.

    The codes help artists make their work come together but when they go above and beyond the coding, I feel that’s when it starts to get sloppy. I feel that the public would criticize more on the piece if artists go outside the boundaries since it’s not in the standards that the audience wants. One example that stood out for me was CODeDOC piece by Christiane Paul (Ellison Haddix).

    3-Give examples of three mususes of browser technology to create art. What was the nature of the misuse/creative use and what was the effect? What issues were raised?

    Three mususes are 1. Pop when it opens the main screen window so that companies can take time to show you want they have to afford for their services. Now there is an option for users to click that will let us. 2. Using alternative browsers also known as “web stalker. ” Thus allowing the users to open up many windows so that you can open up different sites. 3. Web pages, can be divided into separate catagories so that people can see images and written documents in other screens. It also shows different types of website designs so people will be able to find what sites fits their personal needs.

    4-Give an example for each of the following: code as syntax, code as tool, and code as experience.

    Code as tool: Illustrator, Photoshop, etc Code as experience: Martin Wattenberg plot of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” (Ellison Haddix) Code syntax Mary Anne Breez’s Mezangelle (Haddix)

    Designing Politics

    1. Describe the difference between Political Design and Hacktivist Art. Use an example of each and describe how that work fits the category of design or art.

    Hacktivist “this leads to both the terms hackers and activism". The term hacking, which in relation to computers has the modern connotation of making an invisible break into a computer by manipulating the security code and/or firewall with "clever computer usage/programming.” Allowing people to view the projects so people could interact with the project. Political design has a variety of groups that are composed of different designs allowing people to do deeper thinking than what is portrayed in front of them. Everyone could get access to view the projects.

    2. What does execution mean? How does it relate to computers (ie .exe files). What are some example of executatb;e art? How is execution different from representation? In other words how does each realte to the media paradigms of one-to-many vs many-to-many?

    Execute to carry out fully: put completely into effect or to do what is provided or required by . In computers, Executable culture relates to computers since they show certain directions that people follow on technology products to rely on delivering the finish products. The difference between Hacktivist art and executable art is that there is more involvement in executable art and Hacktivist art goes out to a variety of people through out the media.

    3. Why do you think Hacktivist artists find themselves hacking capitalist and political structures that most other people revere? What problem or dangers do they see in these forms of power? Use sample projects to answer this question.

    Most of the time when l hear about hackers, I think that they are trying to fight against everyone who is involved in the government, Internet, and other working companies. Their main goal is to take over the companies and trying to get the attention drawn to the subject they want to get noticed. Sometimes people don’t know when they have been hacked since their work can go without being noticed until the issue gets in between your work area.

    4.How do hacktivists confirm McLuhan's prediction that the 'nation-state' wold not survive the advent of electronic media? Do hackitvists challege or question any critical policies of nation-states? Does their practice suggest any alternatives to the nation-state? Or why are they not really concerned about anarchy?

    In the book it mentions that Hackvisits are a big part of our culture since they make up the digital technology in our culture. I think that Hacktivists are successful because they are able to get the attention of people on any issue that the media wants awareness drawn too. For example, when I go onto the Internet I get a lot of pop up ads that want me to do some reach into their products or certain issues on economic topics.
    Chapters 2 & 3 Readings
    Chapter 4 Readings
    Extra Reading Responses

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