Objectives:
1) Examine the role of technology as a force for cultural maintenance and change
2) Discuss the validity of art created with the aid of machines
Original Post:
Primary thesis of the article “Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins” is well presented in Jone’s quote in the article, “new forms of art and technology are frequently cast in the mode of old forms, just as other aspects of material and symbolic culture have been…” (p21,1990). Simply put, the past influences the present. The past continues to have influence on the modern technological advances and contemporary art by intertwining, and they influence the cultural aspect of change in computer graphics.
Jones used a historical example to illustrate her thesis. In early years, the primary form of imagery was two dimensional graphic. Romans artists had problems with illustrating three dimensions with two dimensions perspectives. Today, “with the development of ray-tracing techniques, particle systems, and other techniques depicting three dimensional world and dynamic systems within it,” we can simulate and illustrate three dimensions on two dimension surface (p24, 1990). It was possible because of the team work between physicist and artists, using physicists’ ability of using optical effects and transparency techniques which developed in recent years and artists’ ability of presenting it visually. According to Jones, computer scientists and technicians worked on technical limits of computer graphics, while artists worked on characteristics of computer-graphic imagery.
Donna J.Cox wrote an article in 2008, which was about artists’ contributions to scientific high dimensional visualization by using the supercomputer. The article explained how the collaborations between specialists in science and art could work towards “visualization of the invisible”. Donna stated, “such interaction serves as a prototype of the renaissance team where specialists provide a broad spectrum of skills in the quest for discovery” (Cox). It discusses the importance of artists’ ability and help to complete scientists’ researches (or artists’) such as visualization of the high dimensions on digital graphics. It ties back to how Jones explained, “.. old culture patterns do not die” (p21, 1990). This cultural change is crucial for artists and scientists, and they must collaborate to express in mathematically and to present it visually.
Jones’s primary thesis was that the past affects today’s art and computer graphics. And it affects changes in cultural aspect of computer graphics by combining and showing a team work of both art and computer graphics. An article by Donna Cox supported Jones’ thesis that a collaboration of artists and physicists resulted in digital graphics that shaped a new art form and computer graphics with newly discovered mathematical theorems.
Reflection:
This assignment was something that I could think about more afterwards. I study in the science library at UO a lot, and one day I saw Makerobot for the first time , I was in a shock. This was the moment I actually witnessed an evidence of the most recent rapid rise in the quality of graphics. While I was researching for this object, I learned a new aspect of how technology forces cultural change. Technology reaches across all kinds of fields of expertise. Medicine, military, recreation, business, art all of these fields use graphics and the advancing computer technology to further their work. In the reading, it said, “new forms of art and technology are frequently cast in the mode of old forms, just as other aspects of material and symbolic culture have been…”(1990). As we keep thriving for a more advanced technology, it was an amazing privilege I had to see how the Makerobot worked. Now it prints out objects in 3D with plastic material, there is a hope that it could “print out” an organ using bio-material instead of plastic. I can see it shall be done with more of beautiful collaborations of artists and scientists.
Future Intention:
I would love to learn how to use the creative tools on my personal computer better as a future goal. I have never been a tech-person so I would love to explore and learn creative tools my computer can offer. The first step would be to find ‘Paint’ program and maybe take it from there. Hopefully one day I will be able to take a photo-shop class or even a computer graphic class.
