1970-Software--Information Technology. This was an exhibit organized by Jack Burnham which featured the work of Ted Nelson, The Architecture Machine Group, John Baldessari, Vito Acconci, Hans, Haacke, and Joseph Kosuth among others. This exhibition was the first which called upon visitors to operate computers. There were also many technical difficulties which many experienced for the first time though they remain commonplace today.
1970-Hans Magnus Enzensberger (1929-present). German writer and poet, he wrote "Constituents of a Theory of the Media" which deals with New Left Socialism and refers to the media as "the Consciousness Industry."
1972-Jean Baudrillard (1929-present). French cultural theorist, philosopher, sociologist, etc. etc. Champion of post-modern thought. His essay "Requiem for the Media" is a response to Enzensberger's 1970 writing which Baudrillard opposes.
1972-Raymond Williams (1921-1988). Welsh, Marxist academic/novelist. His essay "The Technology and the Society" criticized television's role in society and intruduced the concept of flow (organizing principle of television.)
1974-Ted Nelson's Computer Lib/Dream Machines. This was "the most important book in the history of new media, because it accurately predicted the arrival of the personal computer as we know it.
Reaction:
I can't tell the difference between Enzensberger and Baudrillard. I have no idea what they're talking about and that's why I can't really explain their two schools of thought. My history of media class has taught me that it takes an average of 300-500 years to find the most effective use for any new medium, so how could anyone possibly understand the uses and effects of media that were barely 20 years old at the time?
The software-info tech exhibit made me laugh just because of all the technical difficulties. It's like that story from the history of the internet where one of the programmers was trying to demonstrate the new network to IBM for the first time and the whole system crashed. New things are already under closer scrutiny and people are quick to criticize, no one will excuse you if you haven't worked all the bugs out. When I think about the exhibits we saw at the galleries in chelsea though, it's apparent how far we've come.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Okami
It's funny, as I was reading this article, my roommate came home and turned on his playstation. His brother had just given him Okami, so I actually got to see it in action. Personally, I don't have much patience for videogames which require investing lots of time to explore and decipher--I prefer games like Katamari where you just have to roll a giant ball of stuff--but Okami is so different, and so fun just to look at. This game to me was like an interactive version of Princess Mononoke, just because of the way all the characters spoke and all the Japanese mythology involved. The animation is also really unique, I don't think there's anything else like it on the market right now.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Responses to Articles
Cyberface:
This technology reminds me of that Al Pacino movie, "Simone" that came out a few years ago about a virtual actress who programmed and controlled by her director. The Cyberface technology looks a lot like Ken Perlin's face program, though more sophisticated. Is it possible for a computer-animated mask to have a person's "soul?"
E-books:
I have never liked the idea of e-books, or the idea of paying for files or media that can only be viewed on a computer, but this sony e-vention has potential. They need to fix that backlighting thing, but if I could keep all my books in one device and still read them like normal books, life would be amazing.
Musical robot:
Will this change the way musicians play? Will they try to imitate these machines after they're done imitating us? While this could be a useful tool for musicians practicing at home, I would expect music played by a machine would lack the...life that music we play ourselves has.
Virtual Reporter:
I think everyone knows how I feel about all these virtual worlds, and businesses that endorse them and make it seem okay to live their instead of here with the rest of us. I thought it was really interesting though, how Reuter's wouldn't set up in WOW because the players were "too uncivilized."
This technology reminds me of that Al Pacino movie, "Simone" that came out a few years ago about a virtual actress who programmed and controlled by her director. The Cyberface technology looks a lot like Ken Perlin's face program, though more sophisticated. Is it possible for a computer-animated mask to have a person's "soul?"
E-books:
I have never liked the idea of e-books, or the idea of paying for files or media that can only be viewed on a computer, but this sony e-vention has potential. They need to fix that backlighting thing, but if I could keep all my books in one device and still read them like normal books, life would be amazing.
Musical robot:
Will this change the way musicians play? Will they try to imitate these machines after they're done imitating us? While this could be a useful tool for musicians practicing at home, I would expect music played by a machine would lack the...life that music we play ourselves has.
Virtual Reporter:
I think everyone knows how I feel about all these virtual worlds, and businesses that endorse them and make it seem okay to live their instead of here with the rest of us. I thought it was really interesting though, how Reuter's wouldn't set up in WOW because the players were "too uncivilized."
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Inside the Actor's Studio: George W. Bush (via cut-up method)
Preface
The dialogue that follows did not actually take place, rather, it did, but not as it is presented here. President George W. Bush is one of the most controversial presidents this country has ever seen. He is the leader of the free world, and before his $400,000 a year presidential salary kicked in he was worth over $20 million. Though this is a small fortune by today’s standards, President Bush is arguably the most powerful man in the world.
Rather than attempt to interview the president myself--a difficult feat, even for Katie Couric--I chose the most famous, oft-spoofed, and capable interviewer of all: James Lipton.
What follows is a dialogue constructed from transcripts of Inside the Actor’s Studio and “Bushisms” compiled by the fine people at www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com. In some cases, the word “actor” has been changed to relate to politics, and words or symbols in brackets may have been added for continuity. Otherwise, these are all direct quotes from the President of the United States, and James Lipton.
. . .
James Lipton: In each generation, it falls to two or three actors to define their time; in succession: Brando, Nicholson, DeNiro, Pacino, Streep and Sean Penn…have left indelible imprints on their craft, and although the books are barely open on the emerging generation, there is one young actor who is virtually unrecognizable from one film to the next and unforgettable in every one of them. The actor’s studio is proud to welcome [President George W. Bush].
President Bush: Thank you all very much. Please be seated. (Applause). Thank you. Sonny, thanks for the introduction. Thanks for your leadership. Every time I’m invited to this rostrum I’m humbled by the privilege and mindful of the history we’ve seen together.
JL: Here’s a very political guy. Did any of that derive from your feelings as a child living in a political household?
PB: I’m a follower of American politics, [but] if people want to get to know me better, they’ve got to know my parents and the values my parents instilled in me, and the fact that I was raised in West Texas, in the middle of the desert, a long way from anywhere, hardly. There’s a certain set of values you learn in that experience.
JL: Was it easy? Was it difficult? Was it interesting?
PB: I think--tide turning--see, as I remember--I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of--it’s easy to see a tide turn--did I say those words?
JL: Talking about your mother, she had very political and feminist…
PB: We stand for things.
JL: So she’s a prominent feminist.
PB: You know, it’s hard work to try to love her as best as I can, […] so thank you for reminding me about the importance of being a good mom and a great volunteer as well.
JL: I also understand that there were some near fist fights over who, which of you was getting the true and authentic method.
PB: It’s a myth to think I don’t know what’s going on. It’s a myth to think that I’m not aware that there’s opinions that don’t agree with mine, because I’m fully aware of that. I can only speak to myself.
JL: Clearly, you were not dissuaded.
PB: As a matter of fact, I know relations between our governments is good.
JL: Let me ask you a question about the gladiatorial contests. They look dangerous…
PB: The United States of America is engaged in a war against an extremist group of folks […] Trying to stop suiciders--which we’re doing a pretty good job of on occasion--is difficult to do. And what the Iraqis are going to have to eventually do is convince those who are conducting suiciders who are not inspired by Al Qaeda, for example, to realize there’s a peaceful tomorrow.
JL: You have said that you always approach [politics] with a rock and roll mentality. Is that true?
PB: My views are one that speaks to freedom. My answer is bring them on.
JL: When you are in the Oval office and you are praying, about to give this speech, no in order to get to a place like that how do you protect yourself on a set, to carry through and reach that point?
PB: I always jest to people, the Oval Office is the kind of place for people standing outside--they're getting ready to come in and tell me what for, and they walk in and get overwhelmed by the atmosphere, and they say, “Man, you're looking pretty." They’ve seen me make decisions, they’ve seen me under trying times, they’ve seen me weep, they’ve seen me laugh, they’ve seen me hug. And now they know who I am, and I believe they’re comfortable with the fact that they know I’m not going to shift principles or shift positions based upon polls and focus groups.
JL: I’m sure that when people talk to you about that role, they refer to one act, the one activity in it…
PB: I cut the taxes on everybody. I didn’t cut them. The Congress cut them. I asked them to cut them. I’m the decider, and I decide what is best.
JL: Both are plagues.
PB: We look forward to hearing your vision, so we can more better do our job. That’s what I’m telling you. I speak plainly sometimes, but you’ve got to be mindful of the consequences of the words.
JL: Mimicry isn’t really acting is it? But it’s something amazing…
PB: I’m also mindful that man should never try to put words in God’s mouth. I mean, we should never ascribe natural disasters or anything else to God. We are in no way, shape, or form should a human being, play God.
JL: We begin our classroom with the questionnaire invented by the great Bernard Pebo. What is your favorite word?
PB: Uninalienable.
JL: What is your least favorite word?
PB: Erection--election.
JL: When this goes on the air…what this gentleman gave us tonight is going to ruin your reputation! People will think you’re a pussycat. What turns you on?
PB: A good-old Texas girl, like me.
JL: What turns you off?
PB: If it were to rain a lot.
JL: What sound or noise do you love?
PB: If you listen carefully, if Saddam were president of the United States he would still be in power, and we’s be a lot better off.
JL: What sound or noise do you hate?
PB: Tribal sovereignty.
JL: A question I’ve been waiting nine and a half years to ask you. What is your favorite curse word?
PB: Brownie.
JL: Excellent! What profession, other than yours, would you like to attempt?
PB: Occasionally reading.
JL: What profession would you absolutely not like to participate in?
PB: Retiring.
JL: Finally, if heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
PB: We all thought there was weapons there, [George]!
JL: Here are your students.
Student #1: Hi, my name is Melinda. I’m a first year actress. I just have to say--first of all, I’m so excited that you’re here, so, thanks for coming.
PB: Thank you.
Student #1: My question is about your process…
PB: I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what’s moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who probably read the news themselves.
Student #2: Hi, my name is Sarah Wilson.
PB: Hi!
Student #2: And my question is actually…um…You’ve been so open and honest with us tonight in everything you’ve been telling us. And my question is how do you remain so open and honest in your work and in your own life?
PB: Let me put it to you bluntly: in a changing world, we want more people to have control over your own life. Because the--all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculated, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There’s a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those--changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be--or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It’s kind of muddled. Look, there’s a series of things that cause the--like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those--if that growth is affected, it will help on the red.
Student #3: Good evening Mr. President.
PB: Hi.
Student #3: My name is Michael Romani. I’m a first year actor and…um...I notice that you choose your work with such integrity. And I’m wondering if there was ever a point early in you career where there was a very difficult decision to make about what work to do based on: “God, I have to eat,” and what helped you keep with the integrity that you seem to have so innately?
PB: I think younger workers--first of all--younger workers have been promised benefits the government--promises that have been promised, benefits that we can’t keep. That’s just the way it is. It means your own money would grow better than that which the government can make it grow. And that’s important. If you’re a younger person, you ought to be asking members of Congress and the United States Senate and the president what you intend to do about it. If you see a train wreck coming, you ought to be saying, “What are you going to do about it, Mr. Congressman, or Madam Congressman?” I believe we are called to do the hard work to make our communities and quality of life a better place.
The dialogue that follows did not actually take place, rather, it did, but not as it is presented here. President George W. Bush is one of the most controversial presidents this country has ever seen. He is the leader of the free world, and before his $400,000 a year presidential salary kicked in he was worth over $20 million. Though this is a small fortune by today’s standards, President Bush is arguably the most powerful man in the world.
Rather than attempt to interview the president myself--a difficult feat, even for Katie Couric--I chose the most famous, oft-spoofed, and capable interviewer of all: James Lipton.
What follows is a dialogue constructed from transcripts of Inside the Actor’s Studio and “Bushisms” compiled by the fine people at www.thetruthaboutgeorge.com. In some cases, the word “actor” has been changed to relate to politics, and words or symbols in brackets may have been added for continuity. Otherwise, these are all direct quotes from the President of the United States, and James Lipton.
. . .
James Lipton: In each generation, it falls to two or three actors to define their time; in succession: Brando, Nicholson, DeNiro, Pacino, Streep and Sean Penn…have left indelible imprints on their craft, and although the books are barely open on the emerging generation, there is one young actor who is virtually unrecognizable from one film to the next and unforgettable in every one of them. The actor’s studio is proud to welcome [President George W. Bush].
President Bush: Thank you all very much. Please be seated. (Applause). Thank you. Sonny, thanks for the introduction. Thanks for your leadership. Every time I’m invited to this rostrum I’m humbled by the privilege and mindful of the history we’ve seen together.
JL: Here’s a very political guy. Did any of that derive from your feelings as a child living in a political household?
PB: I’m a follower of American politics, [but] if people want to get to know me better, they’ve got to know my parents and the values my parents instilled in me, and the fact that I was raised in West Texas, in the middle of the desert, a long way from anywhere, hardly. There’s a certain set of values you learn in that experience.
JL: Was it easy? Was it difficult? Was it interesting?
PB: I think--tide turning--see, as I remember--I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of--it’s easy to see a tide turn--did I say those words?
JL: Talking about your mother, she had very political and feminist…
PB: We stand for things.
JL: So she’s a prominent feminist.
PB: You know, it’s hard work to try to love her as best as I can, […] so thank you for reminding me about the importance of being a good mom and a great volunteer as well.
JL: I also understand that there were some near fist fights over who, which of you was getting the true and authentic method.
PB: It’s a myth to think I don’t know what’s going on. It’s a myth to think that I’m not aware that there’s opinions that don’t agree with mine, because I’m fully aware of that. I can only speak to myself.
JL: Clearly, you were not dissuaded.
PB: As a matter of fact, I know relations between our governments is good.
JL: Let me ask you a question about the gladiatorial contests. They look dangerous…
PB: The United States of America is engaged in a war against an extremist group of folks […] Trying to stop suiciders--which we’re doing a pretty good job of on occasion--is difficult to do. And what the Iraqis are going to have to eventually do is convince those who are conducting suiciders who are not inspired by Al Qaeda, for example, to realize there’s a peaceful tomorrow.
JL: You have said that you always approach [politics] with a rock and roll mentality. Is that true?
PB: My views are one that speaks to freedom. My answer is bring them on.
JL: When you are in the Oval office and you are praying, about to give this speech, no in order to get to a place like that how do you protect yourself on a set, to carry through and reach that point?
PB: I always jest to people, the Oval Office is the kind of place for people standing outside--they're getting ready to come in and tell me what for, and they walk in and get overwhelmed by the atmosphere, and they say, “Man, you're looking pretty." They’ve seen me make decisions, they’ve seen me under trying times, they’ve seen me weep, they’ve seen me laugh, they’ve seen me hug. And now they know who I am, and I believe they’re comfortable with the fact that they know I’m not going to shift principles or shift positions based upon polls and focus groups.
JL: I’m sure that when people talk to you about that role, they refer to one act, the one activity in it…
PB: I cut the taxes on everybody. I didn’t cut them. The Congress cut them. I asked them to cut them. I’m the decider, and I decide what is best.
JL: Both are plagues.
PB: We look forward to hearing your vision, so we can more better do our job. That’s what I’m telling you. I speak plainly sometimes, but you’ve got to be mindful of the consequences of the words.
JL: Mimicry isn’t really acting is it? But it’s something amazing…
PB: I’m also mindful that man should never try to put words in God’s mouth. I mean, we should never ascribe natural disasters or anything else to God. We are in no way, shape, or form should a human being, play God.
JL: We begin our classroom with the questionnaire invented by the great Bernard Pebo. What is your favorite word?
PB: Uninalienable.
JL: What is your least favorite word?
PB: Erection--election.
JL: When this goes on the air…what this gentleman gave us tonight is going to ruin your reputation! People will think you’re a pussycat. What turns you on?
PB: A good-old Texas girl, like me.
JL: What turns you off?
PB: If it were to rain a lot.
JL: What sound or noise do you love?
PB: If you listen carefully, if Saddam were president of the United States he would still be in power, and we’s be a lot better off.
JL: What sound or noise do you hate?
PB: Tribal sovereignty.
JL: A question I’ve been waiting nine and a half years to ask you. What is your favorite curse word?
PB: Brownie.
JL: Excellent! What profession, other than yours, would you like to attempt?
PB: Occasionally reading.
JL: What profession would you absolutely not like to participate in?
PB: Retiring.
JL: Finally, if heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
PB: We all thought there was weapons there, [George]!
JL: Here are your students.
Student #1: Hi, my name is Melinda. I’m a first year actress. I just have to say--first of all, I’m so excited that you’re here, so, thanks for coming.
PB: Thank you.
Student #1: My question is about your process…
PB: I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what’s moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who probably read the news themselves.
Student #2: Hi, my name is Sarah Wilson.
PB: Hi!
Student #2: And my question is actually…um…You’ve been so open and honest with us tonight in everything you’ve been telling us. And my question is how do you remain so open and honest in your work and in your own life?
PB: Let me put it to you bluntly: in a changing world, we want more people to have control over your own life. Because the--all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculated, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There’s a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those--changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be--or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It’s kind of muddled. Look, there’s a series of things that cause the--like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those--if that growth is affected, it will help on the red.
Student #3: Good evening Mr. President.
PB: Hi.
Student #3: My name is Michael Romani. I’m a first year actor and…um...I notice that you choose your work with such integrity. And I’m wondering if there was ever a point early in you career where there was a very difficult decision to make about what work to do based on: “God, I have to eat,” and what helped you keep with the integrity that you seem to have so innately?
PB: I think younger workers--first of all--younger workers have been promised benefits the government--promises that have been promised, benefits that we can’t keep. That’s just the way it is. It means your own money would grow better than that which the government can make it grow. And that’s important. If you’re a younger person, you ought to be asking members of Congress and the United States Senate and the president what you intend to do about it. If you see a train wreck coming, you ought to be saying, “What are you going to do about it, Mr. Congressman, or Madam Congressman?” I believe we are called to do the hard work to make our communities and quality of life a better place.
Monday, October 16, 2006
timeline reactions
All of the pioneers covered in this installment seem interconnected, like the cybernetic artists and engineers who collaborated. I had no idea that WIRED had been around so long, it always seemed so..new, but I guess that's how it surived. the ARC demonstration sounds like it was a huge rock concert for computer people, it's pretty exciting. The 60s were just full of so much energy and progress. I wonder if the people actually living those times felt it, or if it just seems glamorous to us now. What will people think of this period later?
The timeline returns...
--1962, 1964 Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) Canadian English Lit. professor and communications theorist. He founded WIRED Magazine. He was the first to suggest that new media should be studied, and he was the first "true celebrity" academic.
--1961, 66,67,72 E.A.T. Experiments in Art and Technology. Movement began in 1960 when Billy Kluver invented the technology for Jean Tiguely's sculpture "Hommage to New York." The group was actually founded in 1966 by Kluver, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Whitmen, and Fred Walhauer. EAT formulated the artist-engineer relationship and indirectly launched sound artist John Cage, dancer Merce Cunningham, and Andy Warhol.
--1964 Nam June Paik (1932-2006) South-Korean/American artist. He was the first to use tv in his art and is considered the first video artist.
--1968 Augmentation Research Center This was William English and Douglas Englebarts' group. In 1968 they performed the "mother of all demos" at the Fall Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco. This was one of the first live, public demonstrations of interactive computing.
--1961, 66,67,72 E.A.T. Experiments in Art and Technology. Movement began in 1960 when Billy Kluver invented the technology for Jean Tiguely's sculpture "Hommage to New York." The group was actually founded in 1966 by Kluver, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Whitmen, and Fred Walhauer. EAT formulated the artist-engineer relationship and indirectly launched sound artist John Cage, dancer Merce Cunningham, and Andy Warhol.
--1964 Nam June Paik (1932-2006) South-Korean/American artist. He was the first to use tv in his art and is considered the first video artist.
--1968 Augmentation Research Center This was William English and Douglas Englebarts' group. In 1968 they performed the "mother of all demos" at the Fall Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco. This was one of the first live, public demonstrations of interactive computing.
Eric Rosenthal
His background is impressive and he had some interesting things to say, however Mr. Rosenthal needs to work on his public speaking skills. His lecture didn't really hold my attention, and I'm not sure I agreed with what he had to say. I know that no media comes anywhere close to reproducing an image as well as we see with our eyes, but I believe that's as it should be. Television and photographs and the like are both representational and subjective mediums--any image that we reproduce is like shorthand for the eyes. An artist doesn't want to show you what they see exactly as they see it, it's usually one isolated aspect or message. If televesion or photographs looked as real the world, I think it would be more dangerous than beneficial to society. If that were the case, media could easily become a replacement for the real world, and that shouldn't happen.
As for the discussion at the end about not having a durable means of recording our history, that's an extremely bleak, materialistic, and pessimistic technological goal. As it stands we have fairly accurate records of human history dating back to biblical times, and calling current digital media inadequate for this purpose is ridiculous. Pointing out all of digital and paper media's recordkeeping fallacies anticipates the worst case scenario both for our civilization and our meida. Why should we live everyday assuming not only that our cds will get eaten by tropical bacteria, but that something is going to wipe out our civilization and the memory of it. Our media lasts as long as we need it to, and human beings, believe it or not, are capable of memory. Everything we know, the next generation will know too, and the next, and if the next one gets wiped out, no one will care that they don't remember because they'll be dead. Why are people obsessed with "what they'll leave behind" and all these artificial forms of immortality? If we manage to record every detail of every aspect of our lives on some form of futuristic durable media, what purpose will it serve? Who will read it? why?
As for the discussion at the end about not having a durable means of recording our history, that's an extremely bleak, materialistic, and pessimistic technological goal. As it stands we have fairly accurate records of human history dating back to biblical times, and calling current digital media inadequate for this purpose is ridiculous. Pointing out all of digital and paper media's recordkeeping fallacies anticipates the worst case scenario both for our civilization and our meida. Why should we live everyday assuming not only that our cds will get eaten by tropical bacteria, but that something is going to wipe out our civilization and the memory of it. Our media lasts as long as we need it to, and human beings, believe it or not, are capable of memory. Everything we know, the next generation will know too, and the next, and if the next one gets wiped out, no one will care that they don't remember because they'll be dead. Why are people obsessed with "what they'll leave behind" and all these artificial forms of immortality? If we manage to record every detail of every aspect of our lives on some form of futuristic durable media, what purpose will it serve? Who will read it? why?
Monday, October 09, 2006
Chelsea Galleries
Postmasters:
I really enjoyed Natalie Jeremijenko's interactive bird art, however I would have liked to know more about the data she gathered. Do birds prefer fast food to vegan food? Which perches did they like best? Were they scared when their perch started talking to them? I was also disappointed that we couldn't play with the remote control ducks.
Gehry Building:
I don't know what to make of the Gehry building really. I suppose it's good right, because it's green and energy-efficient and all that? I like the way the glass is clear, not green, so it interacts more with the sky. When I was in Vancouver last summer I noticed all the glass skyscrapers were sort of greenish, like a dirty fish tank. It looked even worse under the sky, which remains overcast something like 80% of the year.
Bitforms:
This gallery was really fun. I wanted the belts to do more though. I spent most of the time in front of the screen with all the tiny images constructing a larger image. Some of the images were being filmed in real time but others were from way before. I kept standing there trying to figure out the program, trying to time how long before it would switch. Was it just picking random images? Was it drawn to images wherein one color made up the whole frame? then I realized, the longer I stood there, the more prominently I would become part of this art.
Eyebeam:
I could have sat and watched the time-lapse footage of manhattan for hours. That space was so amazing, it was like 6 or 8 times the size of my apartment. The simulation though, makes me uneasy. Are meteors going to be the next generation of fireworks? The way technology keeps evolving, it's silly of me to feel uneasy about any of it. in my history of media class right now we're talking about socrates debating the evils of writing (a new technology at the time). his argument was that it was a cheaper, less truthful form of speech. however, I wouldn't know about his argument if plato never wrote it down. maybe fireworks should stay within the atmosphere.
Pace-Wildenstein:
I could make this. I saw the movie about the flowers, but the one I was really into was the one with the chicken. It was hands, a chicken, a plate, and a mirror. I think he was taking the chicken apart and putting it on the plate, but I only saw half and a mirror image so it became like a kaleidoscope. Dead flesh being ripped apart and manipulated times 1000 plus sound effects. Awesome.
As for the other NYTimes articles, I'm exited about the onyx project, because i would love a choose your own adventure movie, however I like watching good movies more than once. Because I wouldn't be able to do that with this, I guess I'd have to come up with a new way to evaluate it. Either way, I could waste many hours on something like that. As for the special effects one, no matter how the technology improves, it still looks fake. 3/4 of all movies made today seem to be shot against the green screen, and it shows. give me 1980s Cronenberg effects any day.
I really enjoyed Natalie Jeremijenko's interactive bird art, however I would have liked to know more about the data she gathered. Do birds prefer fast food to vegan food? Which perches did they like best? Were they scared when their perch started talking to them? I was also disappointed that we couldn't play with the remote control ducks.
Gehry Building:
I don't know what to make of the Gehry building really. I suppose it's good right, because it's green and energy-efficient and all that? I like the way the glass is clear, not green, so it interacts more with the sky. When I was in Vancouver last summer I noticed all the glass skyscrapers were sort of greenish, like a dirty fish tank. It looked even worse under the sky, which remains overcast something like 80% of the year.
Bitforms:
This gallery was really fun. I wanted the belts to do more though. I spent most of the time in front of the screen with all the tiny images constructing a larger image. Some of the images were being filmed in real time but others were from way before. I kept standing there trying to figure out the program, trying to time how long before it would switch. Was it just picking random images? Was it drawn to images wherein one color made up the whole frame? then I realized, the longer I stood there, the more prominently I would become part of this art.
Eyebeam:
I could have sat and watched the time-lapse footage of manhattan for hours. That space was so amazing, it was like 6 or 8 times the size of my apartment. The simulation though, makes me uneasy. Are meteors going to be the next generation of fireworks? The way technology keeps evolving, it's silly of me to feel uneasy about any of it. in my history of media class right now we're talking about socrates debating the evils of writing (a new technology at the time). his argument was that it was a cheaper, less truthful form of speech. however, I wouldn't know about his argument if plato never wrote it down. maybe fireworks should stay within the atmosphere.
Pace-Wildenstein:
I could make this. I saw the movie about the flowers, but the one I was really into was the one with the chicken. It was hands, a chicken, a plate, and a mirror. I think he was taking the chicken apart and putting it on the plate, but I only saw half and a mirror image so it became like a kaleidoscope. Dead flesh being ripped apart and manipulated times 1000 plus sound effects. Awesome.
As for the other NYTimes articles, I'm exited about the onyx project, because i would love a choose your own adventure movie, however I like watching good movies more than once. Because I wouldn't be able to do that with this, I guess I'd have to come up with a new way to evaluate it. Either way, I could waste many hours on something like that. As for the special effects one, no matter how the technology improves, it still looks fake. 3/4 of all movies made today seem to be shot against the green screen, and it shows. give me 1980s Cronenberg effects any day.
Timeline part deux
1963--Ivan Sutherland (1938- ) American computer programmer. He invented the sketchpad system in 1963 for developing military radar. It was the "graphical ancestor" of today's computer interface and graphics systems.
1964--Roy Ascott (European?) First to connect cybernetics and didactics to art. His essay, "The construction of change" is considered by many to be the first published discussion of new media art.
1965--Ted Nelson (1937- ) American sociologist, philosopher, and internet pioneer. He invented the term "hypertext" among others, and the concept that goes along with it.
1961, 1973, 1981--The Oulipo (Ouvrior de Litterature Potentielle--Workshop for Potential Literature). This was a group of French-speaking writers and mathematicians who sought "new structures and patterns which may be used by writers in any way they enjoy." The group was founded by Raymond Queneau and Francois le Lionnais in 1960. Members included Jean Lescure, Claude Berge, Paul Fournel, and Italo Calvino
Ivan Sutherland's sketchpad idea reminded me of both, Ken Perlin's pad program and a demonstration video for a touch-screen interface at tisch.
I don't think I really understand what Ascott's art is all about, but it made me think of early 90s video art made of walls of television screens. i don't know why.
Ted Nelson was cool because he wasn't trained in computer programming per-se, yet he made the internet as we know it possible.
I had never heard of the Oulipo before reading about this, and I certainly had no idea Italo Calvino's work was created with the help of computers. I have heard of such things as novels written without the letter e or the letter s, but it never occured to me that one would need a computer to accomplish such a thing.
1964--Roy Ascott (European?) First to connect cybernetics and didactics to art. His essay, "The construction of change" is considered by many to be the first published discussion of new media art.
1965--Ted Nelson (1937- ) American sociologist, philosopher, and internet pioneer. He invented the term "hypertext" among others, and the concept that goes along with it.
1961, 1973, 1981--The Oulipo (Ouvrior de Litterature Potentielle--Workshop for Potential Literature). This was a group of French-speaking writers and mathematicians who sought "new structures and patterns which may be used by writers in any way they enjoy." The group was founded by Raymond Queneau and Francois le Lionnais in 1960. Members included Jean Lescure, Claude Berge, Paul Fournel, and Italo Calvino
Ivan Sutherland's sketchpad idea reminded me of both, Ken Perlin's pad program and a demonstration video for a touch-screen interface at tisch.
I don't think I really understand what Ascott's art is all about, but it made me think of early 90s video art made of walls of television screens. i don't know why.
Ted Nelson was cool because he wasn't trained in computer programming per-se, yet he made the internet as we know it possible.
I had never heard of the Oulipo before reading about this, and I certainly had no idea Italo Calvino's work was created with the help of computers. I have heard of such things as novels written without the letter e or the letter s, but it never occured to me that one would need a computer to accomplish such a thing.
Monday, October 02, 2006
timeline etc.
--1941 Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) Argentinian librarian/poet. He wrote the "Garden of Forking Paths " and invented the idea of the hypertext novel.
--1946 Vannevar Bush (1890-1974) American engineer who played a political role in developing the atomic bomb. He described the idea of the memex--an information storage/compression device, basically the precursor to the internet--in his essay "As We May Think."
--1950 Alan Turing (1912-1954) English mathematician and cryptographer. He discussed artificial intelligence in his essay "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" wherein he introduced the "Turing Test" designed to differentiate between "sentients" and computers.
--1954 Norbert Weiner (1894-1964) American mathematician who founded the study of cybernetics during WWII research under Vannevar Bush. He discussed his early theories and ethical dilemmas of science and technology in the nuclear age in "Men, Machines, and the World About."
--1960 Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider (1915-1990) American scientist/mathematician who led ARPA from 1962-1964. In his essay "Man-Computer Symbiosis" Lick introduced the idea that computers could be more than calculating devices, they could be communication devices. He was the first to recognize the importance of computer networking.
--1961 Allan Kaprow (1927-2006) American artist. Through his "Happenings in the New York Scene" he developed the earliest performance art and interactive art--new media.
--1961 William Burroughs (1914-1997) American beat writer. In his essay "The Cut-Up Method of Brion Gysin" he referenced computer pioneer John von Neumann, and basically discussed hands-on physical hypertext and its uses. He was famous for his non-linear style of writing, i.e. hypertext novels.
--1962 Douglas Englebart (1925-) American inventor and internet pionneer. He invented the mouse, and with the help of a team developed the window, the word processor, hypertext and computer networking. His "Augmenting the Human Intellect" discusses how artifacts, language, methodology, and training can make humans more effective.
first of all, I really enjoyed meeting Ken Perlin. He strikes me as a lovable genius whose mind works in ways very different from our own. I wish I had some talent which came as easily to me as computer graphics and programming seems to come to him.
While reading Bush's descriptions of the memex, I kept picturing the filing system and the graphics from the Yiddish Theatre documentary. It struck me that, though he pictured it differently in his quasi-futuristic-1940s-atomic-age mind's eye, this was exactly what he was talking about. We have arrived.
Turing's writing sort of scared me, because back then he was already envisioning a time where it would be necessary to administer a test to tell man from machine. This raises other questions for me, as did "Blade Runner," why is it bad if machines become sentient, or start thinking for themselves? Why can't they just be like Data on Star Trek? Why can't we all just get along?
Norbert Weiner's scientific ethics about withholding scientific information from those who plan to use it for evil were truly inspired. Though Bush never said so explicitly, it seems to me he would have felt the exact opposite. There appear to be two camps of scientists: those who feel that any advancement or new technology is good, and those who feel that technology is only as good as its use. Were I scientific in any capacity I would be of the latter group, thus I have a lot of respect for Weiner.
I don't have much to say about Licklider. Networking is important and it must have been hard to figure that out back in the day but his paper was boring.
Why did Allan Kaprow tone it down after the sixties? Wikipedia alluded to his performances toward the end of his career only requiring audiences to clap. You can't invent performance art and be all in the moment then go back to being boring. That's just counter-productive and hypocritical.
Before reading this I had never linked Burroughs with hypertext. Now I totally understand Naked Lunch. Have you ever seen Cronenburg's film version of that book? It's amazing; same thing, you don't have to watch it in order or in one sitting.
Englebart clearly did not get enough credit for all that he did for computing ant the internet, however he was not deterred and that's admirable. One thing I find fault with however, in everything I've read about him, every text mentions how people only know him as "the guy that invented the mouse," but all the other things he did would stick in my head a lot better if everyone didn't keep bringing up the mouse. He should complain.
--1946 Vannevar Bush (1890-1974) American engineer who played a political role in developing the atomic bomb. He described the idea of the memex--an information storage/compression device, basically the precursor to the internet--in his essay "As We May Think."
--1950 Alan Turing (1912-1954) English mathematician and cryptographer. He discussed artificial intelligence in his essay "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" wherein he introduced the "Turing Test" designed to differentiate between "sentients" and computers.
--1954 Norbert Weiner (1894-1964) American mathematician who founded the study of cybernetics during WWII research under Vannevar Bush. He discussed his early theories and ethical dilemmas of science and technology in the nuclear age in "Men, Machines, and the World About."
--1960 Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider (1915-1990) American scientist/mathematician who led ARPA from 1962-1964. In his essay "Man-Computer Symbiosis" Lick introduced the idea that computers could be more than calculating devices, they could be communication devices. He was the first to recognize the importance of computer networking.
--1961 Allan Kaprow (1927-2006) American artist. Through his "Happenings in the New York Scene" he developed the earliest performance art and interactive art--new media.
--1961 William Burroughs (1914-1997) American beat writer. In his essay "The Cut-Up Method of Brion Gysin" he referenced computer pioneer John von Neumann, and basically discussed hands-on physical hypertext and its uses. He was famous for his non-linear style of writing, i.e. hypertext novels.
--1962 Douglas Englebart (1925-) American inventor and internet pionneer. He invented the mouse, and with the help of a team developed the window, the word processor, hypertext and computer networking. His "Augmenting the Human Intellect" discusses how artifacts, language, methodology, and training can make humans more effective.
first of all, I really enjoyed meeting Ken Perlin. He strikes me as a lovable genius whose mind works in ways very different from our own. I wish I had some talent which came as easily to me as computer graphics and programming seems to come to him.
While reading Bush's descriptions of the memex, I kept picturing the filing system and the graphics from the Yiddish Theatre documentary. It struck me that, though he pictured it differently in his quasi-futuristic-1940s-atomic-age mind's eye, this was exactly what he was talking about. We have arrived.
Turing's writing sort of scared me, because back then he was already envisioning a time where it would be necessary to administer a test to tell man from machine. This raises other questions for me, as did "Blade Runner," why is it bad if machines become sentient, or start thinking for themselves? Why can't they just be like Data on Star Trek? Why can't we all just get along?
Norbert Weiner's scientific ethics about withholding scientific information from those who plan to use it for evil were truly inspired. Though Bush never said so explicitly, it seems to me he would have felt the exact opposite. There appear to be two camps of scientists: those who feel that any advancement or new technology is good, and those who feel that technology is only as good as its use. Were I scientific in any capacity I would be of the latter group, thus I have a lot of respect for Weiner.
I don't have much to say about Licklider. Networking is important and it must have been hard to figure that out back in the day but his paper was boring.
Why did Allan Kaprow tone it down after the sixties? Wikipedia alluded to his performances toward the end of his career only requiring audiences to clap. You can't invent performance art and be all in the moment then go back to being boring. That's just counter-productive and hypocritical.
Before reading this I had never linked Burroughs with hypertext. Now I totally understand Naked Lunch. Have you ever seen Cronenburg's film version of that book? It's amazing; same thing, you don't have to watch it in order or in one sitting.
Englebart clearly did not get enough credit for all that he did for computing ant the internet, however he was not deterred and that's admirable. One thing I find fault with however, in everything I've read about him, every text mentions how people only know him as "the guy that invented the mouse," but all the other things he did would stick in my head a lot better if everyone didn't keep bringing up the mouse. He should complain.
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