introductiontomultimediaus-blog

[introductiontomultimediaus-blog]

The New Aesthetic

1. Pick one post from 2016, one from 2017, and one from 2018 that interests you. Put links to them in your blog posting.

2016 Link

http://new-aesthetic.tumblr.com/post/153598958882/rivals-la-l%C3%ADnea-roja-is-conceived-as-a-journey

2017 Link

http://new-aesthetic.tumblr.com/post/162117695475/with-the-rise-of-self-driving-vehicles-eventually

2018 Link

http://new-aesthetic.tumblr.com/post/169273932525/how-an-ai-cat-and-mouse-game-generates

2. Why are these three interesting to you in particular, either individually or as a group?

I was fascinated by the diversity of each post within this blog. Each above link I chose for different reasons. I will begin with the 2016 link. The post from 2016 I chose depicted “la line roja,” a journey through spain thats purpose is to unite man and nature. Each of the four images in this post illustrate a glowing geometric physical installations in nature, in the evening. The first image there is a partial rectangle that illuminates the foreground. The second image there is an upside-down triangle submerged into a body of water that illuminates rock formations on either side. The third image illustrates a scalene triangle, with each point attached to a different tree. This triangle illuminates the ground beneath it as well as the trees surrounding. Finally, the fourth image illustrates a rock formation on a starry night in what appears to be a canyon or some kind of mountain range. There is specifically a large boulder, that appears to encompass the hypotenuse of an illuminated isosceles triangle, that is lighting up the rock above and below it. I admired how each geometric shape was different along with the scenery in each image.

The 2017 link I chose depicted something that I personally found to be pretty funny. It is a text that reads, “with the rise of self driving vehicles, eventually there WILL be a country song about how your truck left you too.” I noticed on the New Aesthetic the phenomenon of self-driving cars was pretty prevalent. I didn’t like many of the other images that referenced this phenomenon. I am also apt to choose things with a humorous value, and I thought overall, this text kind of predicted how self-driving cars may affect humanity in the future. While there have been models of cars that are capable of driving themselves, they are not mass produced or even remotely affordable for ordinary people. So for this reason, I believe this text offers a little something different from all other related posts. It is projecting it’s gathered sense of reality and creatively intertwining a music genre with a future prediction.

The 2018 link I chose depicted 16 small square portraits of what appears to be the same woman, just altered differently in each one. The caption reads, “With so much attention on fake media these days, we could soon face an even wider range of fabricated images than we do today.…The concern is that these techniques will rise to the point where it becomes very difficult to discern truth from falsity,” said Tim Hwang, who previously oversaw A.I. policy at Google and is now director of the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Fund, an effort to fund ethical A.I. research. “You might believe that accelerates problems we already have.” I think the first part of the caption is rather ironic. I do agree, in time we could “face” an even wider range of fabricated images, especially because digitally advanced individuals are becoming more accomplished in creating seemingly flawless edits. I think another part of this relates to the fact that unless you spend an extensive period of time educating yourself on images that have been digitally altered, ordinary people are unaware of spotting certain traces of alteration and instead accept what’s in front of them as reality. The majority of people do not question or challenge what they see, especially if it is expertly generated.

3. How does this concept of the New Aesthetic relate to Benjamin’s essay and his thoughts on mechanical reproduction? Can these new objects and items of the New Aesthetic be considered to be “authentic”, or to have an “aura”, in the sense that Benjamin suggests? 

 The focus of Walter Benjamin’s published writing, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, was to communicate with the world that technological advancements have existed in a multitude of forms for a considerable period of time, and each has impacted humanity in a different way. The New Aesthetic relates to this writing in the sense that it also centralizes it’s content around new technologies affecting our world, just in a different way, through mostly images. Each image in the New Aesthetic comes from an already published post elsewhere on Tumblr and typically lacks an in-depth description of the ways in which each personally affects humanity, unlike Benjamin’s writing. I think one of the beautiful aspects of the New Aesthetic is actually that the significance is left open-ended for the viewer to decide. With anything left open for interpretation, there is potential for the viewer to create an even more perplexed beauty than originally intended. In reference to Benjamin’s use and description of “authentic” and “aura,” objects and items from the New Aesthetic I believe do hold similar meanings overall, but focus on different aspects. Benjamin centralizes the issue of mass production in his writing, stating that when works of art are mass produced, there is no special aura anymore, and it completely lacks authenticity. In the case of the New Aesthetic, each post is seemingly different and original. This creates a distinctive aura, and I believe truthfully holds a value of authenticity for this reason.

[introductiontomultimediaus-blog]

Digital Media

Have digital advances altered the way in which you spend time and interact with other people, see the world? Have daily routines, tasks, or habits been rendered obsolete? Do you view the advancements in digital media as good, bad, or somewhere in between? Please give thorough and specific answers.

Digital technological advancements in recent decades have tremendously altered my personal daily life as well as society as a whole in both positive and negative aspects. We are capable of so much more with technology at our finger tips in the form of cellular devices and computers. With these devices, we are able to rapidly communicate with no limitations, research information, and be in tune with current events, to name a few positive examples. I personally own a cell phone, a laptop, and there isn’t a single day that passes where I am not continually checking my phone for notifications, or during school months, using my laptop to complete assigned school work. On the contrary, digital technological advancements in recent decades have also unfairly consumed human attention and physical interaction. Society utilizes technology such as cellular devices or laptops to avoid physically communicating with one another because it seems intimidating when these devices allow you to communicate entirely digitally. With younger generations especially, it seems that talking with one another in person is becoming a lost art form. 

In the case of company marketing and advertising, photo alteration in my opinion has had a monumental negative impact on society as a whole. Models that are debuted on magazine covers for example, are typically photoshopped to portray an unachievable body image and as a result, perceptions and standards of attractiveness are unrealistic and unachievable. This all correlates with the development of mental ailments such as depression, eating disorders, etc. I can personally attribute to this phenomenon. When I was a young girl in middle school, I had a very poor perception of my own body image due to the prevalence of altered photos of “beautiful” and “perfect” models I encountered on magazines, the internet, and on billboards. It is a damaging reality, that companies and even individuals on social media feel the need to alter photos to unrealistic standards. There has been extensive research done and published on the subject matter and society is at least in more recent years, able to realize the potential negative impact it can have, but companies and individuals are still continuing to do it. Perhaps for business means, or for personal satisfaction. Authenticity is priceless these days. 

[introductiontomultimediaus-blog]

Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

According to Benjamin, what is the historical trajectory of advancements in the mechanical reproduction of visual media?

Walter Benjamin discusses in depth, the historical trajectory of advancements in the mechanical reproduction of visual media in his published work, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, 1936. He describes the mechanical reproduction of art as an entirely new concept, occurring at what he reasons to be, an “accelerated intensity.” He first introduces ancient Greek methodology of founding and stamping as the first recorded means of replicating art. He emphasizes that the only art capable of being replicated during that era were bronzes, terra cottas, and coins. He continues on to discuss the origins of mechanically reproducible graphic art. Inventions such as the woodcut enabled graphic art to be mechanically reproduced for the first time. During the Middle Ages, engraving and etching were made possible through use of the woodcut. The commencement of the nineteenth century brought about lithography, which Benjamin considered to be a “new stage” in mechanical reproduction of visual media. He believed this because lithography enabled replicas to be sold for profits and it was capable of depicting everyday life. Surprisingly, only a few decades later, lithography was outperformed by photography. Photography was considered revolutionary and in a sense foreshadowed sound film.

Describe the way in which photography transforms notions of originality and authenticity in works of art according to Benjamin.

According to Benjamin, notions of originality and authenticity are compromised by photography in the way that a photograph is a realistic captured image, capable of surfacing aspects unseen by the naked eye. The possibility of enlarging images and creating snippets of slow motion in film, has contributed to the compromising of originality and authenticity.

When Benjamin uses the term 'aura,' what does he mean? Furthermore, what happens to the 'aura' of an art object, as these objects are increasingly mass-reproduced?

Benjamin coins the term, ‘aura’ to explain the distinctive atmosphere generated by a work of art. He believes that there is an evident lack of ‘aura’ in experiencing replicated works of art. Benjamin describes how originality and authenticity are depreciated in replicated works of art, especially in mass production. He states his ideology that mass production leads “to a tremendous shattering of tradition,” essentially suggesting tradition entails uniqueness.

According to Benjamin, what is the difference between 'cult value' and 'exhibition value'?

The concepts of ‘cult value’ and ‘exhibition value’  were introduced further into the reading. Cult value relates to “ceremonial objects destined to serve in a cult,” as Benjamin describes. Their existence solely serves a purpose rather than being on public display.  This relates to artwork such as statues, are generally large and immovable. On the contrary, exhibition value concerns less meaningful and movable artwork such as paintings and photos.

Finally, find a specific passage from the text that resonates with you and explain why?

A passage that specifically resonated with me was; “The distracted person, too, can form habits. More, the ability to master certain tasks in a state of distraction proves that their solution has become a matter of habit. Distraction as provided by art presents a covert control of the extent to which new tasks have become soluble by apperception.” It’s just funny because this literally describes me as a person. I decide to clean my room before I can even begin to think about doing my homework. It’s just something I developed a habit of doing because I guess the more I thought about procrastinating the more I decided I subconsciously needed to perform a different kind of productive distraction task.

See reading here: https://blackboard.newhaven.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-1197763-dt-content-rid-4485513_1/courses/DGAD-1101-04-S17/The%20Work%20of%20Art%20in%20the%20Age%20of%20Mechanical%20Reproduction.pdf