Throughout my explorations of these ancient texts my colloquium theme has evolved and I have expanded my definition of the term "image." My concentration is about communication, telling stories via art, language, writing, and new media. When I speak of images, I refer not only to pictures, graphics and illustrations, but also to literary imagery--the pictures created by language.
The Roman de Renart is a series of tomes or "branches" written by various (usually unknown) authors about a character named Renart. Usually Renart is a fox, but sometimes he is a man. No matter what his form, he is a trickster--a Bugs Bunny type of character. Every child born in France since the 12th century through today has read the Roman de Renart. The story is so popular that the medieval french word for fox, "goupil" was replaced by the word "Renart." The story features two-dimensional characters, usually personifications of animals and, like the Fabliaux, Renart is more or less a peasant hero designed to appeal to the lower classes and expose the clergy who are usually portrayed as villains.
Branche IV--Renart and Isengrin in the well deals heavily in metaphor. Isengrin and Renart both represent poor peasants who are starving because the nearby monks are hording all the food in the region. Using animals instead of people to make this sort of social commentary is a means of sugar-coating the critique of those in power, softening the blow.
The most powerful image in this branche is that of all the monks dressed completely in white (representing innocence and godliness) beating Isengrin the wolf within an inch of his life. The scene uses a marriage of visual and literary language to convey the hypocrisy of the monks and ridicule medieval Catholicism.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
on "the Prince"
Chapters 15-21 of Machiavelli's controversial work deal with the very modern idea that an exemplary public image is essential to a prince's ability to maintain his power. I agree that a good image is important for all public figures, especially politicians, however I personally am an idealist and I disagree with Machiavelli's assertion throughout these same chapters that a Prince must, if necessary lie, cheat, steal and kill in order to stay in power, all the while projecting the image of a model ruler to his people.
The world as we know it would not exist without public relations firms attempting to govern the thoughts of modern society. Everyone posesses to some extent a public image which is often somewhat different to who they really are. In this way Machiavelli's advice is the direct opposite of Plato's theory of objects, because he insists that all people are basically self-serving and dishonest though they appear to be virtuous and generous. I believe that both points of view are too extreme to be correct.
The world as we know it would not exist without public relations firms attempting to govern the thoughts of modern society. Everyone posesses to some extent a public image which is often somewhat different to who they really are. In this way Machiavelli's advice is the direct opposite of Plato's theory of objects, because he insists that all people are basically self-serving and dishonest though they appear to be virtuous and generous. I believe that both points of view are too extreme to be correct.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Response to misuse of images
The Lais of Marie de France and Les Fabliaux are French oral traditions that were written down around the 12th century but must have been passed down via jongleurs or minstrels for many years prior. The lais were written by a lady of the Norman court who identified herself only as Marie. Her Lais were dedicated to a king (assumed to be Henry II) and written in French for a French-speaking noble class in England. Her themes often have to do with forbidden love and mismatched marriages but in the end propriety prevails--whether the married woman who is in love with another stays with her husband or the unfaithful wife is banished and her good, honest husband can live his life in peace.
England and France in the 12th century were both Catholic, God-fearing nations yet despite the commandment given to Moses in the book of Exodus, the middle ages saw the creation of some of the most ornate and magnificent churches and cathedrals the world has ever known--complete with depictions of virtually every biblical character in sculpture, painting, and stained glass. Perhaps this is because these "dark ages" were a time when people had lost touch with the true meaning of the Bible, but I feel it is more likely a result of the availability of more diverse interpretations, the idea that the same text can have multiple meanings and should therefore be questioned and considered rather than taken at face value.
In Marie de France's "Bisclavret" the prevailing truth is that "the real" is not always as it appears. This idea is communicated most obviously through the main character, Bisclavret who is a loup-garou or werewolf. When he is a man, he is an honorable noble married to a seemingly honorable and loving wife. When the wife finds out that her husband is a werewolf, she betrays him and her true character is revealed. When the king discovers Bisclavret, on the other hand, he sees nothing more than an unusual animal--he is unaware that despite his appearance, Bisclavret is really a man and his wife is really an abomination. Only when the pieces come together and the truth about Bisclavret and his wife are revealed to the king does he really see the true nature of these two individuals--because they are not what they appear to be. During the climax when the wolf Bisclavret attacks his deceitful wife, he bites off her nose, and to prevent future confusion regarding this woman, all of the females of her lineage from then on are born without noses. This way these otherwise attractive and seemingly kindhearted women will always be seen for what they truly are: thoroughly ugly, inside and out.
The Fabliaux are similar oral traditions written down by unknown poets, designed to present humorous charicatures of the clergy and the lower classes (depending on the audience) rather than share morals and tales of romance. In "Brunain, the Priest's Cow," the humor lay in the priest's selfish interpretation of the Bible and the peasant's gullible response. This relates to my theory that images are not a negative force in society. Though this fabliau doesn't demonstrate that images are a powerful means of communicating ideas, it suggests that the Bible can be interpreted to further one's own goals, and person should make their own decisions regarding God, reality, and appearances.
England and France in the 12th century were both Catholic, God-fearing nations yet despite the commandment given to Moses in the book of Exodus, the middle ages saw the creation of some of the most ornate and magnificent churches and cathedrals the world has ever known--complete with depictions of virtually every biblical character in sculpture, painting, and stained glass. Perhaps this is because these "dark ages" were a time when people had lost touch with the true meaning of the Bible, but I feel it is more likely a result of the availability of more diverse interpretations, the idea that the same text can have multiple meanings and should therefore be questioned and considered rather than taken at face value.
In Marie de France's "Bisclavret" the prevailing truth is that "the real" is not always as it appears. This idea is communicated most obviously through the main character, Bisclavret who is a loup-garou or werewolf. When he is a man, he is an honorable noble married to a seemingly honorable and loving wife. When the wife finds out that her husband is a werewolf, she betrays him and her true character is revealed. When the king discovers Bisclavret, on the other hand, he sees nothing more than an unusual animal--he is unaware that despite his appearance, Bisclavret is really a man and his wife is really an abomination. Only when the pieces come together and the truth about Bisclavret and his wife are revealed to the king does he really see the true nature of these two individuals--because they are not what they appear to be. During the climax when the wolf Bisclavret attacks his deceitful wife, he bites off her nose, and to prevent future confusion regarding this woman, all of the females of her lineage from then on are born without noses. This way these otherwise attractive and seemingly kindhearted women will always be seen for what they truly are: thoroughly ugly, inside and out.
The Fabliaux are similar oral traditions written down by unknown poets, designed to present humorous charicatures of the clergy and the lower classes (depending on the audience) rather than share morals and tales of romance. In "Brunain, the Priest's Cow," the humor lay in the priest's selfish interpretation of the Bible and the peasant's gullible response. This relates to my theory that images are not a negative force in society. Though this fabliau doesn't demonstrate that images are a powerful means of communicating ideas, it suggests that the Bible can be interpreted to further one's own goals, and person should make their own decisions regarding God, reality, and appearances.
Friday, July 06, 2007
On images being bad
At this point my rationale is about images as a means of communication. My personal belief is that images are a completely valid and powerful medium, and in my rationale I am presenting opposing views--in addition to those in support of my position--as proof that images are powerful enough to generate fear in the form of opposition.
Gilgamesh
The Bible decries that man should not create, look at, worship, or have anything to do with images, sculpture or any representational art form. However, in The Epic of Gilgamesh (which predates the Bible by 500+ years) Gilgamesh himself creates images and representations of his deceased friend, Enkidu. He encourages his people to do the same and calls upon all the artisans in the city. There are two main differences between this instance of creating images and those that occur in the Bible. First, the images are created in hommage of a deceased man, not in reverence of a false god. Second, Gilgamesh himself is 2/3 god and 1/3 man, so though the Sumerians, Akkadians and Babylonians were all polytheistic it goes along with the Bible's point that only God (or in this case, a god) can create...anything.
Baudrillard
He states more eloquently my interpretation of the bible. "(The iconoclasts') rage to destroy images arose precisely because they sensed this omnipotence of simulacra, this facility they have of effacing God from the consciousness of men, and the overwhelming, destructive truth which they suggest: that ultimately there has never been any God, that only the simulacrum exists, indeed that God himself has only ever been his own simulacrum."
According to Baudrillard, images are only a simulation of the real thing, yet he asserts that "the divinity that breathes life into nature" can be represented. The problem with the representation of God lay in the fact that there is no "real" version present with which we can compare the image. See, if someone paints or photographs a chair, you know that it is a photograph or a painting of a chair which actually exists because you've seen one. You also know the difference between the real thing, a painting and a photograph. This is troublesome when it comes to God for obvious reasons.
Gilgamesh
The Bible decries that man should not create, look at, worship, or have anything to do with images, sculpture or any representational art form. However, in The Epic of Gilgamesh (which predates the Bible by 500+ years) Gilgamesh himself creates images and representations of his deceased friend, Enkidu. He encourages his people to do the same and calls upon all the artisans in the city. There are two main differences between this instance of creating images and those that occur in the Bible. First, the images are created in hommage of a deceased man, not in reverence of a false god. Second, Gilgamesh himself is 2/3 god and 1/3 man, so though the Sumerians, Akkadians and Babylonians were all polytheistic it goes along with the Bible's point that only God (or in this case, a god) can create...anything.
Baudrillard
He states more eloquently my interpretation of the bible. "(The iconoclasts') rage to destroy images arose precisely because they sensed this omnipotence of simulacra, this facility they have of effacing God from the consciousness of men, and the overwhelming, destructive truth which they suggest: that ultimately there has never been any God, that only the simulacrum exists, indeed that God himself has only ever been his own simulacrum."
According to Baudrillard, images are only a simulation of the real thing, yet he asserts that "the divinity that breathes life into nature" can be represented. The problem with the representation of God lay in the fact that there is no "real" version present with which we can compare the image. See, if someone paints or photographs a chair, you know that it is a photograph or a painting of a chair which actually exists because you've seen one. You also know the difference between the real thing, a painting and a photograph. This is troublesome when it comes to God for obvious reasons.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Misuse of Images
The Bible and Plato both suggest that images are a negative force in society. According to Plato's "theory of forms" images are merely representations of ideas or copies of the actual form that they depict. He seems to view imagess as a waste of time because they are only shadowy reflections of reality and a person would do better to concern himself merely with actual forms and ideas.
In the book of Genesis 1:26-27, God creates man "in his own image." In Exodus 20:4, Moses gives the people of Israel the second commandment, which forbids them to construct any image or representation of...well, anything. God would view this as proud, vain, and also ungrateful. God created man in his own image, but man is not God--he is not the creator. If man were to create anything in his own image it would be like saying he doesn't need God, and is ungrateful for that which God has given him. Worshipping false idols--though God writes it off as "that would piss me off because I'm jealous", it's really the same as creating something in the image of man. It would be like saying "man invented God" if that makes sense.
This commandment is reiterated many times throughout not only the book of Exodus but the rest of the Bible as well. In Exodus 34:13, the people of Israel are commanded to destroy all remnants of the citizens of Canaan once they have moved in an taken their land. This happens again in Numbers, Deuteronomy, Judges...etc. The lord drives these people from their land so that the Israelis can live there, but any remnant of the previous culture, of these false idols and images is an affront to the "true God" so they must be destroyed.
Though the biblical version of why images are "bad" is more complicated than that of Plato, it's the same idea: we should only be concerned with the thing itself, rather than waste time with mediocre copies.
In the book of Genesis 1:26-27, God creates man "in his own image." In Exodus 20:4, Moses gives the people of Israel the second commandment, which forbids them to construct any image or representation of...well, anything. God would view this as proud, vain, and also ungrateful. God created man in his own image, but man is not God--he is not the creator. If man were to create anything in his own image it would be like saying he doesn't need God, and is ungrateful for that which God has given him. Worshipping false idols--though God writes it off as "that would piss me off because I'm jealous", it's really the same as creating something in the image of man. It would be like saying "man invented God" if that makes sense.
This commandment is reiterated many times throughout not only the book of Exodus but the rest of the Bible as well. In Exodus 34:13, the people of Israel are commanded to destroy all remnants of the citizens of Canaan once they have moved in an taken their land. This happens again in Numbers, Deuteronomy, Judges...etc. The lord drives these people from their land so that the Israelis can live there, but any remnant of the previous culture, of these false idols and images is an affront to the "true God" so they must be destroyed.
Though the biblical version of why images are "bad" is more complicated than that of Plato, it's the same idea: we should only be concerned with the thing itself, rather than waste time with mediocre copies.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Heroes
I haven't seen the show, but I'm not quite sure how it realates to new media. The previews reminded me of "Smallville" but the wikipedia article made it sound too complicated, too many characters. The heroin-addict who sees the future when he's high sounds hilarious; in season two will we discover that his real superpower is the ability to remain conscious for more than 4 hours a day? Amazing! All the RNA symbols and all that stuff gives it a kind X-Files feel, so it could be really cool. I almost want to watch simply to see a cheerleader mangle her hand in an in-sink-erator.
The END of the Line
-1994 Philip E. Agre. American professor of information studies. Agre's 1994 essay "Surveillance and Capture" addressed directions privacy and surveillance could head in as a result of the "information age". Agre has been an advocate for internet privacy since the beginning, defending us from the far-seeing eye of the ever-looming "Big Brother."
-1994 Espen J. Aarseth (1965-present). Important figure in the field of "video game studies." His essay "Nonlinearity and Literary Theory," is about the field of literary theory and criticism in the hyper/cybertext age. He was one of the first to address nonlinear text as a new form of literature, whith its own brand of theory and criticism.
-1994 Critical Art Ensemble--organization consisting of five members with various new media expertise (video, animation, graphic and web design, etc.) whose is focus the exploration of the intersections between art, critical theory, technology, and political activism. "Nomadic Power and Cultural Resistance" discusses their theories about how the internet has made traditional activism impossible and most new technologies only benefit "the man" anyway, so the only place to "stick it to him" is in cyberspace.
-1994 "The World-Wide Web", this article written by "Berners-Lee et al" describes and defines every aspect of the modern www phenomenon. The essay also compares alternate proposed versions of the web which didn't make it to the one that did. In the end the web didn't have to be amazing, just good enough to send email.
Reaction:
Surveillance--I understand the privacy concerns and how big brother-like the web must have seemed in the beginning. This is especially relevant now with the patriot act and that big long list of possible terrorists which has prevented tons of normal people from flying. I'm honestly surprised that the government is that organized. On the one hand, I don't care if people are watching me, but on the other hand--who are they, and why are they doing it? I throw out tons of tracking cookies every time I scan my computer, but it didn't stop someone in Madrid from emptying my bank account last September. I got the money back, but my questions have not been answered.
Espen Aarseth--who is this guy? I bet he made up that name, anyone who studies video games and their profundity as "just games, meant to be played" needs a name like that. I don't understand why he went off on this cyber lit theory tangent though.
CAE--Words like "cyberhippies" are so funny to me! I think this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. "Cyber sit-ins?" are you kidding? Maybe I'm still stuck in a print mentality.
WWW--I've heard my grandpa talk about how flawed the internet was for years; he's probably the only person over 60 I've ever known who's better at figuring out technology than my 10-year-old cousins. I remember when it first became public and there were all these ads on the radio encouraging people to "get connected" and "join the information superhighway." Now we can't do anything without it.
-1994 Espen J. Aarseth (1965-present). Important figure in the field of "video game studies." His essay "Nonlinearity and Literary Theory," is about the field of literary theory and criticism in the hyper/cybertext age. He was one of the first to address nonlinear text as a new form of literature, whith its own brand of theory and criticism.
-1994 Critical Art Ensemble--organization consisting of five members with various new media expertise (video, animation, graphic and web design, etc.) whose is focus the exploration of the intersections between art, critical theory, technology, and political activism. "Nomadic Power and Cultural Resistance" discusses their theories about how the internet has made traditional activism impossible and most new technologies only benefit "the man" anyway, so the only place to "stick it to him" is in cyberspace.
-1994 "The World-Wide Web", this article written by "Berners-Lee et al" describes and defines every aspect of the modern www phenomenon. The essay also compares alternate proposed versions of the web which didn't make it to the one that did. In the end the web didn't have to be amazing, just good enough to send email.
Reaction:
Surveillance--I understand the privacy concerns and how big brother-like the web must have seemed in the beginning. This is especially relevant now with the patriot act and that big long list of possible terrorists which has prevented tons of normal people from flying. I'm honestly surprised that the government is that organized. On the one hand, I don't care if people are watching me, but on the other hand--who are they, and why are they doing it? I throw out tons of tracking cookies every time I scan my computer, but it didn't stop someone in Madrid from emptying my bank account last September. I got the money back, but my questions have not been answered.
Espen Aarseth--who is this guy? I bet he made up that name, anyone who studies video games and their profundity as "just games, meant to be played" needs a name like that. I don't understand why he went off on this cyber lit theory tangent though.
CAE--Words like "cyberhippies" are so funny to me! I think this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. "Cyber sit-ins?" are you kidding? Maybe I'm still stuck in a print mentality.
WWW--I've heard my grandpa talk about how flawed the internet was for years; he's probably the only person over 60 I've ever known who's better at figuring out technology than my 10-year-old cousins. I remember when it first became public and there were all these ads on the radio encouraging people to "get connected" and "join the information superhighway." Now we can't do anything without it.
Monday, November 27, 2006
never-ending timeline
1991-Pelle Ehn (Swedish professor of design) and Morten Kyng (Danish professor of "pervasive computing") led the Scandinavian "Utopia" project which worked with the user to design new interfaces for computer software. Their work, chronicled in the essay "Cardboard Computers" influenced the design of all software which followed.
1991-Chip Morningstar (developer of software and large-scale interactive gaming communities) and Randall Farmer (also a pionneer in the field of computer gaming communities) developed Habitat, the precursor to modern "Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games." This project is described in detail in "The Lessons of Lucasfilm's Habitat."
1991-J. David Bolter (1951-present). American professor of communication and culture. He, along with John B. Smith and Michael Joyce created the "Storyspace" system for writing and editing hypertext fiction. His essay "Seeing and Writing" discusses the effects of technology on the writing process.
1991-Stuart Moulthrop. American author and innovator of electronic literature and hypertext fiction. His essay "You Say You Want a Revolution?" describes the role of hypertext in relation to other media.
1991-Robert Coover (1932-present). American professor and author of "fabulation and metafiction." His article "The End of Books" advocates hypertext writing and fiction.
1993-Scott McCloud (1960-present). American cartoonist. His book "Understanding Comics" is a comic which explains the "neglected art" of comics. This was basically the first study of the medium, it started the shift toward a more serious regard for comics as an art form.
Reaction:
Phew, 1991 was a big year.
We all know how I hate gaming communities like Ultima Online. I don't understand why these things need to exist. But the work of Chip Morningstar and Randall Farmer took me back a bit, mainly because they mentioned Palace, a really early virtual world I was into for a minute in junior high. It was basically like instant messaging with avatars, where instead of chat rooms as a link and a new screen, you moved your character into a virtual room. I got bored with it really quickly though, I prefer the real world (you couldn't make your character do very much either).
I don't think hypertext as we know it could ever replace television, it's just not user-friendly enough. The book as we know it might someday cease to exist, however, the linear novel will never die.
I can't believe I haven't heard of Scott McCloud! I live for graphic novels, and I think Dan Clowes is possibly the greatest storyteller of all time. McClouds comic in the book was so witty, explaining comics with a comic--genius! His representation of himself also reminded me of that tutorial that early macs always came with, you know, the guy sitting at the desk teaching you how to use the mouse and create folders and documents and other basic computer activities.
1991-Chip Morningstar (developer of software and large-scale interactive gaming communities) and Randall Farmer (also a pionneer in the field of computer gaming communities) developed Habitat, the precursor to modern "Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games." This project is described in detail in "The Lessons of Lucasfilm's Habitat."
1991-J. David Bolter (1951-present). American professor of communication and culture. He, along with John B. Smith and Michael Joyce created the "Storyspace" system for writing and editing hypertext fiction. His essay "Seeing and Writing" discusses the effects of technology on the writing process.
1991-Stuart Moulthrop. American author and innovator of electronic literature and hypertext fiction. His essay "You Say You Want a Revolution?" describes the role of hypertext in relation to other media.
1991-Robert Coover (1932-present). American professor and author of "fabulation and metafiction." His article "The End of Books" advocates hypertext writing and fiction.
1993-Scott McCloud (1960-present). American cartoonist. His book "Understanding Comics" is a comic which explains the "neglected art" of comics. This was basically the first study of the medium, it started the shift toward a more serious regard for comics as an art form.
Reaction:
Phew, 1991 was a big year.
We all know how I hate gaming communities like Ultima Online. I don't understand why these things need to exist. But the work of Chip Morningstar and Randall Farmer took me back a bit, mainly because they mentioned Palace, a really early virtual world I was into for a minute in junior high. It was basically like instant messaging with avatars, where instead of chat rooms as a link and a new screen, you moved your character into a virtual room. I got bored with it really quickly though, I prefer the real world (you couldn't make your character do very much either).
I don't think hypertext as we know it could ever replace television, it's just not user-friendly enough. The book as we know it might someday cease to exist, however, the linear novel will never die.
I can't believe I haven't heard of Scott McCloud! I live for graphic novels, and I think Dan Clowes is possibly the greatest storyteller of all time. McClouds comic in the book was so witty, explaining comics with a comic--genius! His representation of himself also reminded me of that tutorial that early macs always came with, you know, the guy sitting at the desk teaching you how to use the mouse and create folders and documents and other basic computer activities.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
