WEEK 3: ROBOTICS + ART
Prior to this week's unit, I was not aware of
unique back and forth relationship between art and technology. I had always
assumed that technology reflected art, as seen through digital art, but not the
other way around.
In retrospect, literary and film pieces I have
seen, such as George Orwell's 1984 and the film The Wizard of Oz, demonstrate how art can precede and
conceive future technological advancements. The novel 1984, published in
1949, introduces a dystopian future society that uses technology such as
the Telescreen, described as something similar to today’s flat screen, to
survey and communicate with its people (Smith).
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| 1984 is a dystopian novel written by George Orwell that portrays various pieces of fictitious technology that have later been invented. |
Although The Wizard
of Oz is not the first technicolor film, it is one of the first films
to effectively use the process of technicolor to bring to life a piece of art,
which would become common in future film (Lintelman). In addition, I feel
that the humanization of the Tin Man, who is perceived as robot-like
product of the development of industrialization, is somewhat of a precursor to
the development of humanoids as mentioned in both Professor Vesna’s lectures
and guest speaker Machiko Kusahara’s lecture on Japanese robotics.
 |
| The Wizard of Oz was one of the first films to effectively use technicolor production to bring to life the imagery of the story. |
Walter Benjamin's "The Work of Art in the
Age of Mechanical Reproduction" and Douglas Davis’s “The Work of Art in
the Age of Digital Reproduction” discussed the effect of technology on the
development of art, specifically how different styles of reproduction influence art.
I was most intrigued by Walter Benjamin’s argument that mechanical
reproduction reduces the “aura” or authenticity of artwork (Benjamin). He
cites how advancements such as the photograph and film have changed the “reaction
of the masses to art”, emphasizing film’s ability to act as a distraction
rather than concentration (Benjamin). Although I find some of his ideas true, I
specifically disagree on the idea that film is a distraction. I feel that film
can sometimes be a distraction in the sense that it allows people to escape
their everyday worries. However, at the same time, film can be thought-provoking
in the sense that it may have some sort of complex message that allows for
perception and intellectual conversation.
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| Walter Benjamin was a German Jewish philosopher, cultural critic, and essayist who argued that mechanical reproduction of art reduced the authenticity, or "aura" of art. |
I also found it interesting how the
perspectives of these writers reflected the Professor Kusahara’s discussion of
how differently Western and Eastern cultures embrace technology (Uconlineprogram). Given that both writers were from the West, they demonstrated the West's tendency to be hesitant towards embracing technology.
Works Cited
1984. Digital image. New York Daily News, 6 June 2016. Web. 20
Apr. 2017. <http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ways-george-orwell-1984-true-article-1.2662813>.
Benjamin in Paris, 1939. Digital image. Wikipedia,
n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Benjamin>
Benjamin, Walter. “The Work of Art in Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” Marxists. N.p.. Web. 18 Oct 2012. <http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm>.
Davis,
Douglas. “The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction.” The MIT Press,
1995. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.
Lintelman, Ryan. "The
Technicolor world of Oz." National Museum of American History.
Smithsonian, 07 June 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2017. <http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2010/06/the-technicolor-world-of-oz.html>
Nastasi, Alison. Image of cast of The Wizard of Oz.
Digital image. Flavorwire, 25 Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2017. <http://flavorwire.com/411724/50-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-wizard-of-oz>
Smith, Simon. "Telescreen." Technovelgy.
N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2017. <http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=629>
Uconlineprogram. "Robotics Machiko Kusahara
1." 21 Apr. 2017. Web. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded>
I really liked the way that you connected the materials to both 1984 and The Wizard of Oz! I had never thought of these through the lens of technology, only as classic works of art. I also think that both of these examples play well into Walter Benjamin's ideas on mass reproduction of art by technology as both are some of the most well read/viewed works in our society. A big part of their lasting power is that they have been mass reproduced and because of this, it has allowed for multiple generations to discuss the lessons and messages in each.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how your examples relate to the foreshadowing of intersection of art and technology. I myself did not even realize how much how many forms of art has changed as technology advanced through time. There are so many fields of study where this connection is made like graphic design and architecture, for example. It is incredible to see how far technology and art have come from the Telescreen to technicolor to robots and now we see seemingly impossible things happening things like cars that drive themselves. I think that you also did a great job in the second half of your blog in analyzing this week's readings and making connections.