Thursday, May 21, 2009
Journal Entry
Today I decided which artworks that I have created this semester should be in my digital portfolio. I chose 8 of the ten that I believe were superior to the others, in relation the amount of effort I put into them, the techniques that were used, and the embedded meanings within the artworks and how they were portrayed. Although i have uploaded all 8 artworks to my portfolio, I am unsure as to whether they are sufficiently presented, and am heavily considering retouching most of them. Also, the layout of my website has many imperfections, which I need to fix before the portfolio is due. The music files which take up two of my artworks do not play on certain browsers, so I will have to find a way in which to allow the songs to play regardless of the browser used. Some of the artworks I am just generally unsatisfied with, for example I would like to apply further effects to some of them to further portray the message of each artwork. Overall I am satisfied with my digital portfolio as it is, but I know that I can make the website more satisfactory by editing a few things.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Essay
Digital Writing
The Impact of Technology on Art
In recent decades, the advancement of technology has heavily impacted on writing and artistic practice. Digital technologies have enabled entirely new possibilities to arise in relation to creating art. This essay aims to outline the ways in which digital technologies have influenced the practice of creating art, and provide a brief comparison between digital art and traditional non-digital artworks.
Many believe that technology should not have such a large role in creative practice. This statement is enforced by Candy and Edmonds, where they have declared that “computers have a poor reputation when it comes to creativity” (2002). However, they suggested that such attitude towards digital technology is to be denied, bringing to readers’ attentions that despite technology commonly being portrayed as incapable or inadequate of producing respectable art, a magazine released in 1963 titled ‘Computers and Automation’ held an annual competition on digital art, showcasing art pieces created via technology. They also wrote that in 1965, artist George Nees publicly exhibited computer graphics as art at the Studio Galerie, University of Stuttgart, displaying works produced with a graph plotter and generated via computer programs that Nees developed himself. Michael Noll and Bela Julesz in the same year then displayed computer graphics at the Howard Wise Gallery in New York, and shortly after, Frider Nake, a professor of computer graphics and the winner of the digital art competition created by ‘Computers and Automation’ in 1966, presented his computer-generated art at the Wendelin Niedlich Galerie. Nake stated that many were unimpressed with the digital images that claimed to be art, but Max Bense, the host of the expedition, quickly invented the term “artificial art” to distinguish the computer products from art created by humans, enabling viewers to have reason to accept the digital works as at least some form of ‘art’. Jenkins agreed with digital artworks being legitimate forms of art in stating, “The computer is simply a tool, one that offers artists new resources and opportunities for reaching the public; it is human creativity that makes art” (2002). Hence, began the era of digital art. (Nake, F. 2001)
Since the introduction of technology into the world of art creation, many new artforms have emerged. One type of art that has emerged that may not be considered as one of the traditional art forms but is nonetheless deemed as art is video games. Jenkins supports this statement when he declares that “Computer games are art—a popular art, an emerging art, a largely unrecognized art, but art nevertheless” (2002). It is immediately evident that without the introduction and advancement of digital technology, video games would not be available. Jenkins stresses the importance of video games and its recognition as art, arguing that it increasingly influences contemporary cinema (e.g. encouraging the fascination with the blurred line between digital illusion and reality in ‘The Matrix’, and providing the role-playing metaphor for ‘Being John Malkovich’). Before video games were cinema, which were originally similarly disapproved of as being a form of ‘art’. Many were distrustful of cinema’s commercial motivations and technological origins, were concerned with the incorporation of issues such as violence and eroticism within certain films, and adamant that cinema were unable to produce artworks of lasting value. In 1925, Seldes argued against these theories, urging others to take into consideration the popularity of cinema and reconsider its aesthetic value. He also emphasised that cinema and other popular arts were so deeply embedded in popular culture because they were arts which were embraced by the average person, and were capable of taking technology and using it to express individual visions, being open to experimentation and discovery. Seldes termed such art forms as ‘lively arts’. In addition to the mentioned controversial forms of artworks, forms of art that have arisen due to technological advancement include digital photography, digital paintings, electronic music, 3D computer animation, graphic design, etc. Thus it is apparent that technology has allowed the introduction of a large amount of art forms that are widely acknowledged and consumed in today’s society.
Another way in which digital technologies have impacted on art creation is the way in which art can be disseminated and viewed virtually to a larger audience. Digital art is able to be displayed to viewers online via ‘virtual galleries’. Moreno published a journal describing a virtual gallery as an “interactive virtual space that provides information and exhibits cultural objects in digital format” (2007). The concept of a virtual museum was created in the 1990’s with the arrival of the World Wide Web, resulting in hundreds of virtual museums showcasing many different topics, such as art, science, history and archaeology. In relation to virtual museums displaying art, different areas of focus include famous artists (e.g. Picasso, Dali, Rivera), art movements (e.g. Impressionism, Modernism, Surrealism), national or regional art, social identities (e.g. women artists), art forms (e.g. net art, photography, folk art) and contemporary artists. Some virtual museums display digital replications of non-digital artworks that exist in the physical world, while others showcase artworks that were created via technology or exist only in cyberspace. The establishment of virtual museums have many advantages, such as making it possible to view collections of artworks that belong to numerous galleries and museums all around the world, including national collections that would not be able to be displayed in a physical museum or gallery due to legal and economic restrictions. For instance, there are virtual museums that exhibit national collections that would be impossible to display in a real museum or gallery due to legal and economic factors. (Moreno, M. 2007)
One form of art that could be discussed in detail in relation to being affected by technology is music, and the introduction of electronic music regarding its authenticity as an art form. The argument of the authenticity of music technology dates back to the discovery of sound recording. Katz argued that although the introduction of recording technology was objected to by many regarding it’s ability to produce authentic music, recording was not an alteration of the sound, just a ‘copy’ of the performances, capturing the sounds and preserving them on physical media, which became transportable, collectable and manipulable to the artist’s advantage (2004). Although the same cannot be said for more recent advancements in music technology, where the sound can be manipulated, and in some cases created entirely via music technology (i.e. not recorded), Katz belief of music technology being an advantage to the artists is still applicable. He stated that the advancement of music technology in today’s society have “encouraged new ways of listening to music … and allowed entirely new genres to come into existence”. Similarly, Pecquet argued that, “New technologies provide a diverse range of tools which cover the principal stages of musical creation, from conception to performance…Certain production techniques… can also benefit composers of contemporary music”. Not only is music technology advantageous to existing musicians, but it also allows new artists and genres to emerge.
Australian artists of the duo ‘Pnau’ are commercial experts in the field of music technology, and are a great example of talented musicians that employ technology in their musical work. A biography available from their official website acknowledges and praises the group’s success in the industry, by commending their knowledge and skill in the area of music and technology. The fact that music technology exists and is constantly evolving allows artists like Pnau to exist, and just because their music-making environment is substantially digitalised, it should not be said that their creations are not ‘art’. Nick Littlemore from the band states, “Art is everything to me, my parents instilled that in us from a very early age”. The band also won an Aria in 1999 for their work, further verifying their talent in creating music. Another production in the music industry that has proven commercial success within the electronic genre is the ‘Ministry Of Sound’ label. The label produces over 20 compilation albums (most of which recur annually), won the Mobile Entertainment award for ‘Best Music Label of 2007’, and had produced the #1 hit “Let Me Think About It” which remained in the top 100 Billboard charts for 52 weeks.
In comparison to electronic music, traditional music generally does not incorporate the use of technology. Originally, most traditional or folk music was vocal solely, denying the use of any form of instrument other than voice. Forms of traditional music include nursery rhymes, Gregorian chant, Christmas carols, and other hymns and religious music (Vardy, A. 2007). Immediately, variations between electronic music and folk music are evident. Firstly, electronic music is generally mainstream and commercial, recognised by large organisations and eligible for awards, whereas the purpose of folk music is personal to a musician, such as having a relation to a musician’s religious or cultural beliefs. And secondly, electronic music incorporates heavy use of technology, including sound recording, digital modification and enhancement, storage on to digital media, and dissemination via digital media or the internet. Traditional music does not, in general, incorporate any type of instrument other than the human voice, nor does it integrate the use of any other technology. (Bohlman, P. 1988).
Another form of traditional, non-digital art that can be discussed is literature. According to ‘The Concise Oxford Dictionary’, literature is “writings whose value lies in the beauty of form or emotional effect”. Literature is a form of human expression and the purest of literary form is the lyric poem, generally defined as a short poem that expresses personal feelings (Rexroth, K. 1974). According the to the Academy of American Poets website, Alfred Edward Housman, born in 1859, published a volume of poems titled ‘A Shropshire Lad’ in 1896, reflecting his emotions after the death of a close friend, Adalbert Jackson. The poetry circled issues of unrequited love, grief, youth, beauty, and death. Housman also published other poems whilst the man he was in love with, Moses Jackson, was dying, titled ‘Last Poem’s, which incorporated a greater level of talent and emotion than ‘A Shropshire Lad’ appealing to a larger audience and becoming an immediate success (Academy of American Poets, 2009).
In contrast to forms of traditional poetry, digital literature incorporates digital techniques to either publicize pre-written literature or create new and original literature. An example of digital literature is Shelley Jackson’s ‘Patchwork Girl’ published in 1995 – a hypertext novel that combines original fiction and artwork to tell the story of a female Frankenstein monster (Eastgate, 2008). Housman’s poetry was available (at the time of publishment) only via gaining access to his book, although today, some of his poetry can be found online. ‘Patchwork Girl’ is promoted on various websites and can be downloaded or obtained from a purchasable CD. In relation to content, it may be assumed that due to the fictitious state of ‘Patchwork Girl, Housman’s poetry had more personal attributes and emotion incorporated, however Maudslien argues that hidden messages and personal meanings are embedded within the story via imagery and metaphors (1996). It is therefore safe to say that both Jackson and Housman invested personal emotion into their artworks. However, Jackson’s artwork provides an extended visual aspect of the literature, displaying imagery and interactivity between the reader and the story, providing opportunities for readers to gain a greater understanding or connection with the story.
Other forms of art that can be compared are traditional photography and digital photography. One image that has been photographed and digitally manipulated is titled ‘Sandwich Bedroom’ and was created by Claudio Allia. The image shows a girl sleeping on a bed of what appears to be bread, covered by a couple of slices of ham acting as a blanket, and different types of cheese surrounding her and the bed. It was edited via Adobe Photoshop, and showcases an image that is realistic, yet not possible via use of traditional photography (Digital Art, 2009). A traditional photograph by Birgitt Lyon in 2005 titled ‘Sunset at Low Tide at Heceta Beach’ demonstrates the potential to capture an image using traditional techniques. The image is of much less quality than the digital image by Allia, most likely a result of manually scanning the developed photograph into the computer. Also, the image is of nature and is expected, whereas the digital image incorporates a fictitious theme, allowing elements foreign to the original photograph, such as images of food surrounding the photographed girl, to be present. Diaz points out the advantages of traditional photography as being its ability to be true to viewers, as the images taken can never be manipulated or altered. Also, the longevity of traditional photographs is higher than that of digital photographs. She then outlines the ways in which digital photography can be advantageous, stating that it allows more room for creativity, is more efficient and economical than traditional photography, and that image modification and alteration can be of great convenience and benefit to a photographer. Finally, she states that although the two have both advantages and disadvantages, they are both forms of making art, and are not to be considered any less than the other (1997). Suess supports this supposition, stating that the two [digital photography and conventional photography] are interchangeable allowing similar tasks to be done in different ways, and have their own advantages and disadvantages (2008). Thus it is evident that digital and traditional photography differ in their uses and outcomes, but are both considered as art forms and are to be valued equally.
Therefore, it can be seen that the advancement of technology has made a large impact on art creation. Numerous possibilities and art forms have emerged due to technology and digitization. Although traditional art may be considered as more authentic or genuine than digital art, it has been proven in this essay that neither should be deemed more authentic than the other, as both have their advantages and disadvantages.
References
Academy of American Poets (2009). A.E. Housman. Available online: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/631
Allia, C. (2009) Sandwich Bedroom. Available online: http://digitalart.org/art/62686/photo-manipulations/sandwich-bedroom/
Billboard Charts, (2008) Billboard Charts. Available online: www.billboard.com
Bohlman, P. (1988) The study of folk music in the modern world, Indiana University Press
Candy, L. & Edmonds, E. (2002). Explorations in Art and Technology. Springer
Diaz, C. (1997) Digital vs. Traditional Photography. Available online: http://desktoppub.about.com/od/scanninggraphics/a/dig_trad_photos.htm
Dowler, K. (1999) Any Sound You Can Imagine: Making Music/Consuming Technology, Vol 24, No 3. Available online: www.cjc-online.ca
Eastgate Systems (2008). Patchwork Girl. Available online: http://www.eastgate.com/catalog/PatchworkGirl.html
Jenkins, H. (2002). Art forms for the digital age. Available online:
http://www.stanford.edu/class/sts145/Library/jenkins_artform.pdf
Katz, M. (2004) Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music, University of California Press
Lyon, Birgett (2005). Sunset at Low Tide at Heceta Beach. Available online: http://www.florenceartists.com/lyon_birgitt/sunsetatlowtide.html
Longavesne, J. (2001) The Aesthetics and Rhetoric of the Technological Arts Interface Machines. Journal of Art and Composition, Vol 1, Issue 2
Maudslien, Kelly. (1996). Motherhood. Available online: http://www.cyberartsweb.org/cpace/ht/pg/maudslien.html
MSN Encarta, (2008) Music Technology. Available online: http://au.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_1481611755_2/Music_Technology.html
Pecquet, F. (2003). Interactive Composition: An Interdisciplinary Musical Approach. Journal of Art and Composition, Vol 3, Issue 1
Rexroth, K. (1974) The Art of Literature. Available online: http://www.bopsecrets.org/rexroth/essays/literature.htm
Schiffer, M. (2001). Anthropological perspectives on technology. UNM Press
Suess, B. (2008) Digital vs. Traditional Photography. Available online: http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Arts/photography/equiptechniq/digitalphoto/digitaltradit/digitaltradit.htm
The Blurb, (2008) Here and Pnau, Available online: http://www.theblurb.com.au/Issue85/PNAU.htm
The Official Pnau Website, (2008) Biography. Available online: http://www.pnau.net/bio/pnaubio.pdf
Vardy, Alison. (2007). About Traditional Music. Available online: http://www.celticharpsheetmusic.com/about/traditional-music.htm
The Impact of Technology on Art
In recent decades, the advancement of technology has heavily impacted on writing and artistic practice. Digital technologies have enabled entirely new possibilities to arise in relation to creating art. This essay aims to outline the ways in which digital technologies have influenced the practice of creating art, and provide a brief comparison between digital art and traditional non-digital artworks.
Many believe that technology should not have such a large role in creative practice. This statement is enforced by Candy and Edmonds, where they have declared that “computers have a poor reputation when it comes to creativity” (2002). However, they suggested that such attitude towards digital technology is to be denied, bringing to readers’ attentions that despite technology commonly being portrayed as incapable or inadequate of producing respectable art, a magazine released in 1963 titled ‘Computers and Automation’ held an annual competition on digital art, showcasing art pieces created via technology. They also wrote that in 1965, artist George Nees publicly exhibited computer graphics as art at the Studio Galerie, University of Stuttgart, displaying works produced with a graph plotter and generated via computer programs that Nees developed himself. Michael Noll and Bela Julesz in the same year then displayed computer graphics at the Howard Wise Gallery in New York, and shortly after, Frider Nake, a professor of computer graphics and the winner of the digital art competition created by ‘Computers and Automation’ in 1966, presented his computer-generated art at the Wendelin Niedlich Galerie. Nake stated that many were unimpressed with the digital images that claimed to be art, but Max Bense, the host of the expedition, quickly invented the term “artificial art” to distinguish the computer products from art created by humans, enabling viewers to have reason to accept the digital works as at least some form of ‘art’. Jenkins agreed with digital artworks being legitimate forms of art in stating, “The computer is simply a tool, one that offers artists new resources and opportunities for reaching the public; it is human creativity that makes art” (2002). Hence, began the era of digital art. (Nake, F. 2001)
Since the introduction of technology into the world of art creation, many new artforms have emerged. One type of art that has emerged that may not be considered as one of the traditional art forms but is nonetheless deemed as art is video games. Jenkins supports this statement when he declares that “Computer games are art—a popular art, an emerging art, a largely unrecognized art, but art nevertheless” (2002). It is immediately evident that without the introduction and advancement of digital technology, video games would not be available. Jenkins stresses the importance of video games and its recognition as art, arguing that it increasingly influences contemporary cinema (e.g. encouraging the fascination with the blurred line between digital illusion and reality in ‘The Matrix’, and providing the role-playing metaphor for ‘Being John Malkovich’). Before video games were cinema, which were originally similarly disapproved of as being a form of ‘art’. Many were distrustful of cinema’s commercial motivations and technological origins, were concerned with the incorporation of issues such as violence and eroticism within certain films, and adamant that cinema were unable to produce artworks of lasting value. In 1925, Seldes argued against these theories, urging others to take into consideration the popularity of cinema and reconsider its aesthetic value. He also emphasised that cinema and other popular arts were so deeply embedded in popular culture because they were arts which were embraced by the average person, and were capable of taking technology and using it to express individual visions, being open to experimentation and discovery. Seldes termed such art forms as ‘lively arts’. In addition to the mentioned controversial forms of artworks, forms of art that have arisen due to technological advancement include digital photography, digital paintings, electronic music, 3D computer animation, graphic design, etc. Thus it is apparent that technology has allowed the introduction of a large amount of art forms that are widely acknowledged and consumed in today’s society.
Another way in which digital technologies have impacted on art creation is the way in which art can be disseminated and viewed virtually to a larger audience. Digital art is able to be displayed to viewers online via ‘virtual galleries’. Moreno published a journal describing a virtual gallery as an “interactive virtual space that provides information and exhibits cultural objects in digital format” (2007). The concept of a virtual museum was created in the 1990’s with the arrival of the World Wide Web, resulting in hundreds of virtual museums showcasing many different topics, such as art, science, history and archaeology. In relation to virtual museums displaying art, different areas of focus include famous artists (e.g. Picasso, Dali, Rivera), art movements (e.g. Impressionism, Modernism, Surrealism), national or regional art, social identities (e.g. women artists), art forms (e.g. net art, photography, folk art) and contemporary artists. Some virtual museums display digital replications of non-digital artworks that exist in the physical world, while others showcase artworks that were created via technology or exist only in cyberspace. The establishment of virtual museums have many advantages, such as making it possible to view collections of artworks that belong to numerous galleries and museums all around the world, including national collections that would not be able to be displayed in a physical museum or gallery due to legal and economic restrictions. For instance, there are virtual museums that exhibit national collections that would be impossible to display in a real museum or gallery due to legal and economic factors. (Moreno, M. 2007)
One form of art that could be discussed in detail in relation to being affected by technology is music, and the introduction of electronic music regarding its authenticity as an art form. The argument of the authenticity of music technology dates back to the discovery of sound recording. Katz argued that although the introduction of recording technology was objected to by many regarding it’s ability to produce authentic music, recording was not an alteration of the sound, just a ‘copy’ of the performances, capturing the sounds and preserving them on physical media, which became transportable, collectable and manipulable to the artist’s advantage (2004). Although the same cannot be said for more recent advancements in music technology, where the sound can be manipulated, and in some cases created entirely via music technology (i.e. not recorded), Katz belief of music technology being an advantage to the artists is still applicable. He stated that the advancement of music technology in today’s society have “encouraged new ways of listening to music … and allowed entirely new genres to come into existence”. Similarly, Pecquet argued that, “New technologies provide a diverse range of tools which cover the principal stages of musical creation, from conception to performance…Certain production techniques… can also benefit composers of contemporary music”. Not only is music technology advantageous to existing musicians, but it also allows new artists and genres to emerge.
Australian artists of the duo ‘Pnau’ are commercial experts in the field of music technology, and are a great example of talented musicians that employ technology in their musical work. A biography available from their official website acknowledges and praises the group’s success in the industry, by commending their knowledge and skill in the area of music and technology. The fact that music technology exists and is constantly evolving allows artists like Pnau to exist, and just because their music-making environment is substantially digitalised, it should not be said that their creations are not ‘art’. Nick Littlemore from the band states, “Art is everything to me, my parents instilled that in us from a very early age”. The band also won an Aria in 1999 for their work, further verifying their talent in creating music. Another production in the music industry that has proven commercial success within the electronic genre is the ‘Ministry Of Sound’ label. The label produces over 20 compilation albums (most of which recur annually), won the Mobile Entertainment award for ‘Best Music Label of 2007’, and had produced the #1 hit “Let Me Think About It” which remained in the top 100 Billboard charts for 52 weeks.
In comparison to electronic music, traditional music generally does not incorporate the use of technology. Originally, most traditional or folk music was vocal solely, denying the use of any form of instrument other than voice. Forms of traditional music include nursery rhymes, Gregorian chant, Christmas carols, and other hymns and religious music (Vardy, A. 2007). Immediately, variations between electronic music and folk music are evident. Firstly, electronic music is generally mainstream and commercial, recognised by large organisations and eligible for awards, whereas the purpose of folk music is personal to a musician, such as having a relation to a musician’s religious or cultural beliefs. And secondly, electronic music incorporates heavy use of technology, including sound recording, digital modification and enhancement, storage on to digital media, and dissemination via digital media or the internet. Traditional music does not, in general, incorporate any type of instrument other than the human voice, nor does it integrate the use of any other technology. (Bohlman, P. 1988).
Another form of traditional, non-digital art that can be discussed is literature. According to ‘The Concise Oxford Dictionary’, literature is “writings whose value lies in the beauty of form or emotional effect”. Literature is a form of human expression and the purest of literary form is the lyric poem, generally defined as a short poem that expresses personal feelings (Rexroth, K. 1974). According the to the Academy of American Poets website, Alfred Edward Housman, born in 1859, published a volume of poems titled ‘A Shropshire Lad’ in 1896, reflecting his emotions after the death of a close friend, Adalbert Jackson. The poetry circled issues of unrequited love, grief, youth, beauty, and death. Housman also published other poems whilst the man he was in love with, Moses Jackson, was dying, titled ‘Last Poem’s, which incorporated a greater level of talent and emotion than ‘A Shropshire Lad’ appealing to a larger audience and becoming an immediate success (Academy of American Poets, 2009).
In contrast to forms of traditional poetry, digital literature incorporates digital techniques to either publicize pre-written literature or create new and original literature. An example of digital literature is Shelley Jackson’s ‘Patchwork Girl’ published in 1995 – a hypertext novel that combines original fiction and artwork to tell the story of a female Frankenstein monster (Eastgate, 2008). Housman’s poetry was available (at the time of publishment) only via gaining access to his book, although today, some of his poetry can be found online. ‘Patchwork Girl’ is promoted on various websites and can be downloaded or obtained from a purchasable CD. In relation to content, it may be assumed that due to the fictitious state of ‘Patchwork Girl, Housman’s poetry had more personal attributes and emotion incorporated, however Maudslien argues that hidden messages and personal meanings are embedded within the story via imagery and metaphors (1996). It is therefore safe to say that both Jackson and Housman invested personal emotion into their artworks. However, Jackson’s artwork provides an extended visual aspect of the literature, displaying imagery and interactivity between the reader and the story, providing opportunities for readers to gain a greater understanding or connection with the story.
Other forms of art that can be compared are traditional photography and digital photography. One image that has been photographed and digitally manipulated is titled ‘Sandwich Bedroom’ and was created by Claudio Allia. The image shows a girl sleeping on a bed of what appears to be bread, covered by a couple of slices of ham acting as a blanket, and different types of cheese surrounding her and the bed. It was edited via Adobe Photoshop, and showcases an image that is realistic, yet not possible via use of traditional photography (Digital Art, 2009). A traditional photograph by Birgitt Lyon in 2005 titled ‘Sunset at Low Tide at Heceta Beach’ demonstrates the potential to capture an image using traditional techniques. The image is of much less quality than the digital image by Allia, most likely a result of manually scanning the developed photograph into the computer. Also, the image is of nature and is expected, whereas the digital image incorporates a fictitious theme, allowing elements foreign to the original photograph, such as images of food surrounding the photographed girl, to be present. Diaz points out the advantages of traditional photography as being its ability to be true to viewers, as the images taken can never be manipulated or altered. Also, the longevity of traditional photographs is higher than that of digital photographs. She then outlines the ways in which digital photography can be advantageous, stating that it allows more room for creativity, is more efficient and economical than traditional photography, and that image modification and alteration can be of great convenience and benefit to a photographer. Finally, she states that although the two have both advantages and disadvantages, they are both forms of making art, and are not to be considered any less than the other (1997). Suess supports this supposition, stating that the two [digital photography and conventional photography] are interchangeable allowing similar tasks to be done in different ways, and have their own advantages and disadvantages (2008). Thus it is evident that digital and traditional photography differ in their uses and outcomes, but are both considered as art forms and are to be valued equally.
Therefore, it can be seen that the advancement of technology has made a large impact on art creation. Numerous possibilities and art forms have emerged due to technology and digitization. Although traditional art may be considered as more authentic or genuine than digital art, it has been proven in this essay that neither should be deemed more authentic than the other, as both have their advantages and disadvantages.
References
Academy of American Poets (2009). A.E. Housman. Available online: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/631
Allia, C. (2009) Sandwich Bedroom. Available online: http://digitalart.org/art/62686/photo-manipulations/sandwich-bedroom/
Billboard Charts, (2008) Billboard Charts. Available online: www.billboard.com
Bohlman, P. (1988) The study of folk music in the modern world, Indiana University Press
Candy, L. & Edmonds, E. (2002). Explorations in Art and Technology. Springer
Diaz, C. (1997) Digital vs. Traditional Photography. Available online: http://desktoppub.about.com/od/scanninggraphics/a/dig_trad_photos.htm
Dowler, K. (1999) Any Sound You Can Imagine: Making Music/Consuming Technology, Vol 24, No 3. Available online: www.cjc-online.ca
Eastgate Systems (2008). Patchwork Girl. Available online: http://www.eastgate.com/catalog/PatchworkGirl.html
Jenkins, H. (2002). Art forms for the digital age. Available online:
http://www.stanford.edu/class/sts145/Library/jenkins_artform.pdf
Katz, M. (2004) Capturing Sound: How Technology Has Changed Music, University of California Press
Lyon, Birgett (2005). Sunset at Low Tide at Heceta Beach. Available online: http://www.florenceartists.com/lyon_birgitt/sunsetatlowtide.html
Longavesne, J. (2001) The Aesthetics and Rhetoric of the Technological Arts Interface Machines. Journal of Art and Composition, Vol 1, Issue 2
Maudslien, Kelly. (1996). Motherhood. Available online: http://www.cyberartsweb.org/cpace/ht/pg/maudslien.html
MSN Encarta, (2008) Music Technology. Available online: http://au.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_1481611755_2/Music_Technology.html
Pecquet, F. (2003). Interactive Composition: An Interdisciplinary Musical Approach. Journal of Art and Composition, Vol 3, Issue 1
Rexroth, K. (1974) The Art of Literature. Available online: http://www.bopsecrets.org/rexroth/essays/literature.htm
Schiffer, M. (2001). Anthropological perspectives on technology. UNM Press
Suess, B. (2008) Digital vs. Traditional Photography. Available online: http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Arts/photography/equiptechniq/digitalphoto/digitaltradit/digitaltradit.htm
The Blurb, (2008) Here and Pnau, Available online: http://www.theblurb.com.au/Issue85/PNAU.htm
The Official Pnau Website, (2008) Biography. Available online: http://www.pnau.net/bio/pnaubio.pdf
Vardy, Alison. (2007). About Traditional Music. Available online: http://www.celticharpsheetmusic.com/about/traditional-music.htm
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Art Pieces
I decided to experiment by taking photos of water pouring out of a glass, trying to capture a still image of the water in mid air. I was inspired by the digital artwork produced by Claret, being close up shots of water where fire should be, for example in the shape of a flame at the tip of a match. I was unaware, however, of the message Claret was trying to get across, if he was trying to get any message at all. I wanted to create a piece of art that actually is symbolic, and with an intended meaning. So after taking 40 photos attempting to capture water in mid-air, I eventually found a shot I liked that I could embed meaning into via editing. The original picture is of a wine glass held by my hand, pouring water out of it, where drops of water can be seen in mid-air. The wine glass can be seen in the sky, and the camera focuses on the glass and the drops of water. In the background, there are houses on the water. A boat can also be seen, and also some bushes. I wanted the message of the image to be that of human destruction - the wine glass can be seen with a human hand holding it pouring water out of the sky, as a human making it rain. This is a metaphor for human interference with the natural order of the world, for example destroying forests and trees. I edited the photo using PhotoImpact. I decided to darken the sky and lighten the water using 'burn' and 'dodge' editing brushes, so that a greater distinction between the sky and the water was present. I then applied a thunder effect to the image, representing power. I cloned the few drops of water that were in the original image and made many more to create the effect of rain. I then distorted the images of the houses, the boat, and the bushes, representing the distortion of the world when humans try to take control of everything. I experimented with a lot of different effects, such as blur, sharpen, smudge, animations, etc. However, I felt that although many more effects were available, the image did not need any more, nor did it need animation. Overall I am really happy with the final product, and am planning to incorporate it into my digital portfolio.
This artwork is the result of experiment with photographing water. As I had already photographed water in mid-air, I wanted to try something different, so instead of pouring water out of the wine glass, I took several photos of the water in the wine glass. I chose to add oil to the water, to represent the idea of trying to make two things mix, but just not being able to. So I filled the glass with half water and half oil, and used a knife to stir it together. I chose to use a knife to stir the mixture to represent pain and hurt, as people often associate knives with pain. The overall concept of the artwork is to portray trying to force two people together, but only ending up hurt. For example, a couple may not be right for eachother, but they constantly force themselves to try and make it work, despite knowing its not right. As a result, they suffer a great amount of pain. The puzzle pieces represent the concept of trying to make a situation work; trying to solve a puzzle; trying to make the picture comprehensible. There are also some red spots at the base of the glass, simply to further portray pain and suffering, as people often associate red with blood, which also links back to the knife (i.e. stabbing, resulting in blood). Overall I am satisfied with the piece, but I'm not sure if I am happy enough to use in my portfolio. I'd like to apply an effect to the red spots, such as a blurred effect, to make them less artificial and blend in with the picture. However, once an animation is applied to an image, I have difficulty applying further effects without the image resorting back to a jpeg file and being incapable of showing the animations. If I decide to use this image in my portfolio, I will have to find a way in which to apply the effect and not lose the animation.
Clayton Bruster is an artist that produces digital artworks that he titles 'dancing fire'. The images show fire, manipulated via effects to create the illusion of dancing. I'm not entirely certain if Bruster intended a certain message via his artwork, or what the message is if there is one, however I like the way the images look and the idea of manipulation of fire, similar to the manipulation of water by Claret. I decided to take some photos of fire firstly. I turned the stove on and took images of the fire. I had to remove the flash, because I found that when I used the flash on fire, the fire would not show at all in the pictures. I'm not really sure why this is, I found it very interesting but could not really do anything with an image of just a stove top. I also got a thin piece of wood and lit it using the stove, and then took some close-up shots of that. The image of the stove top has been heavily altered by effects such as saturation, smudge, blur, distortion, burn, dodge, warp, etc. I think the message I was trying to get across in this artwork is that things aren't always as they seem - everyone assumes that fires are shades of red, yellow and orange in colour. But this image represents fire as consisting of many more colours than that. I darkened the background and lightened the fire, so that the artwork focuses on the fire. The second image shown is a manipulated image of the photo taken of the burning piece of wood. I used a warping tool to spread and manipulate the flame into the shape of a devil. The artwork has a similar meaning to the previous piece, in which things are not always how they seem. However, this piece is a little bit more specific. The image of the devil represents that anything can appear to be one thing, but can consist of hidden flaws. Viewers are meant to assume that people also may appear to be sincere, harmless, and have other positive qualities, but can morph unexpectedly into the 'devil', i.e. people can unexpectedly exhibit attitudes and ways that are 'evil', such as betrayal, selfishness, deceit, etc. The flame therefore is a metaphor, being manipulated into the devil, representing that people often are not as they appear to be. I am satisfied with these artworks, however I doubt that viewers will immediately understand the intended message, and may interpret the images differently, if at all. Therefore I am hesitant to place the images on my portfoilo, unless I create some way to further portray the intended message I'd like to get across to viewers.
This image is a manipulated photo of a girl's legs. There is a flag inbetween her legs, representing the 'finish line' or the 'goal', which is sex. There are five pathways shown which lead to sex. The first image of a heart with a line through the middle represents a broken heart. When a girl is vulnerable, or has just been left by their partner and is on the rebound, sex often results. Second, two beer glasses can be seen. Alcohol can heavily distort a person's judgment and morals, often leading people to have sex when they normally wouldn't. Thirdly, a ball can be seen. This represents games that people play with eachother, mind games, that if played correctly can lead to sex. The fourth image is a rose, representing romance. Buying things for a girl or being romantic and charming can often lead to sex. And finally, the two love hearts represent being in love with somebody. When a person loves another person, they often have sex. The text that is displayed across the screen states "He Broke my heart", indicating that all five pathways to sex lead in heartbreak. Vulnerable girls on the rebound may have sex with a guy, but he may have just been using her, acknowledging her vulnerability. Alcohol may distort a person's judgment about another, and a girl may have sex with somebody she has genuine feelings for, only for him to wake up and regret ever having sex with her. Mind games lead a person to believe that they are in love or have feelings for another person, when they actually do not. Romance such as flowers and gifts may appear to a girl that such a person has genuine feelings for her, but may in fact simply be a quick way to get inside a girl's pants. And finally, love. When a girl really loves somebody, they may be blinded to the fact that the person she is in love with is no good for her, is not a decent person, and is not in love with her back. Ultimately, all five pathways can lead to heartbreak. I am satisfied with this artpiece, as I think that the message should be able to be interpreted by viewers. I think its also quite interesting to look at, and therefore I am heavily considering incorporating this piece into my digital portfolio.
Journal Entry 7
I have been researching some ideas for my next few digital art pieces, as I have wanted to produce something a little bit less cliched than the topics I have been choosing, and also want to step outside the key issues that surround us in today's society, such as dancing, partying, clubbing, alcohol, etc. Even though these are issues that I can relate to and have formed my own opinions and interpretations of the issues, I think it is necessary to start creating art pieces that are a little bit more interesting.
I have found online some digital art work that has appealed or interested me. The first is images of 'dancing fire' by Clayton Bruster. He has produced artworks of fire where it looks as if it is dancing, but he does not explain the concept or theory behind it - why he creates the artwork, or what it means or represents. The artwork is really interesting to look at, but if there is no meaning behind it, it is just an image. However i find the manipulation of natural elements such as fire an interesting concept. Maybe I could attempt to take photos and manipulate other elements, such as water or rain, maybe even wind somehow, but actually have and define the concept behind the images; have an underlying message or meaning to it.
Another artist with art pieces somewhat similar to Bruster is L. Claret. He takes still images of water where there should be fire. For example, there will be an image of a lighter, but instead of fire there will be water in the shape of a flame. I like the weirdness and creativity of this concept. But I am unsure of the theory behind this concept also, and whether it even has a meaning, or is just purely images.
Another artist I liked is John Streider. He produced an image showing 5 kids with backpacks on, each backpack displaying symbols representing religions or belief systems. The image was titled 'the package they carry' and was conveying a strong message of the cultural burden that we as humans have to carry. I found it a really interesting and creative way of portraying a certain message.
Finally an artist named Marta Dahlig has produced digital artworks representing the seven deadly sins. Each artwork portrays a particular sin, for example, vanity, sloth, greed, etc. Each sin is represented via a girl, and whatever the girl is wearing, doing or surrounded by symbolizes the particular sin. For example, in the vanity piece, a girl is seen with a mirror with a background of a dead tree, the dead tree portraying the fact that vain people usually never see any beauty in the world, but only in themselves, ultimately resulting in everything around them being dead or dying. This artist i can really appreciate, because not only are the art pieces interesting to look at, but they also have a strong message and symbolism embedded within them, which is what I would like to do with my next art piece. Perhaps I could take this idea, and use it to create something of my own, such as portraying a certain concept, emotion, personality trait, or feeling and presenting an image in an interesting way that has symbolism to portray the concept that I am aiming for via imagery.
References:
http://digitalart.org/art/63202/politics-war/the-package-they-carry/
http://digitalart.org/art/40645/fantasy/seven-deadly-sins-vanity/
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/dancing-fire-i-clayton-bruster.html
http://fantasyartdesign.com/free-wallpapers/digital-art.php?i_i=61&u_i=23&best=true&srt=2&count=1
I have found online some digital art work that has appealed or interested me. The first is images of 'dancing fire' by Clayton Bruster. He has produced artworks of fire where it looks as if it is dancing, but he does not explain the concept or theory behind it - why he creates the artwork, or what it means or represents. The artwork is really interesting to look at, but if there is no meaning behind it, it is just an image. However i find the manipulation of natural elements such as fire an interesting concept. Maybe I could attempt to take photos and manipulate other elements, such as water or rain, maybe even wind somehow, but actually have and define the concept behind the images; have an underlying message or meaning to it.
Another artist with art pieces somewhat similar to Bruster is L. Claret. He takes still images of water where there should be fire. For example, there will be an image of a lighter, but instead of fire there will be water in the shape of a flame. I like the weirdness and creativity of this concept. But I am unsure of the theory behind this concept also, and whether it even has a meaning, or is just purely images.
Another artist I liked is John Streider. He produced an image showing 5 kids with backpacks on, each backpack displaying symbols representing religions or belief systems. The image was titled 'the package they carry' and was conveying a strong message of the cultural burden that we as humans have to carry. I found it a really interesting and creative way of portraying a certain message.
Finally an artist named Marta Dahlig has produced digital artworks representing the seven deadly sins. Each artwork portrays a particular sin, for example, vanity, sloth, greed, etc. Each sin is represented via a girl, and whatever the girl is wearing, doing or surrounded by symbolizes the particular sin. For example, in the vanity piece, a girl is seen with a mirror with a background of a dead tree, the dead tree portraying the fact that vain people usually never see any beauty in the world, but only in themselves, ultimately resulting in everything around them being dead or dying. This artist i can really appreciate, because not only are the art pieces interesting to look at, but they also have a strong message and symbolism embedded within them, which is what I would like to do with my next art piece. Perhaps I could take this idea, and use it to create something of my own, such as portraying a certain concept, emotion, personality trait, or feeling and presenting an image in an interesting way that has symbolism to portray the concept that I am aiming for via imagery.
References:
http://digitalart.org/art/63202/politics-war/the-package-they-carry/
http://digitalart.org/art/40645/fantasy/seven-deadly-sins-vanity/
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/dancing-fire-i-clayton-bruster.html
http://fantasyartdesign.com/free-wallpapers/digital-art.php?i_i=61&u_i=23&best=true&srt=2&count=1
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Journal Entry 6
This week I wanted to use a program I'd never used before, so I searched on www.download.com for windows programs that edited photos and managed to find and downloaded a program called PhotoImpact X3. This program exceeded my expectations of freeware software (although it is only a 30 day trial) as it had so many features and effects that could be applied to images, and even animations. I was suprised at how advanced the program was and worried that I would not be able to use it, but the inteface was so easy to follow and use and I managed to create a an image that I am really happy with, which I have posted on to my digital portfolio website.
The image I edited was one of my friend dancing. I wanted to emphasize the feeling of losing yourself in dance, of becoming one with yourself. I wanted to convey dancing as a special thing, a creative practice that allows someone to express and connect with themselves. I applied so many effects to the image, because they all were relevant in allowing me to get the message across that I was aiming for. I experimented with lots of effects including, noise, cartoonize, contour drawing, blur, distortion, comic strip, whirlpool effect, lighting effects, image insertion, animations, colour changer, paintbrush tool, cloning, etc. The effects I chose to incorporate in my art piece include cartoonize, contour drawing, comic strip, whirlpool, star animations, lighting effects, star images, painting and cloning. Overall, the image displays exactly what I was aiming for - a fantasy-like theme.
I also downloaded a program called "GIMP", a program often used instead of Adobe Photoshop, as it does not cost any money. I was so busy experimenting and so impressed with PhotoImpact that I did not get around to experimenting with Gimp, but at least now I have the program to use for my next piece of digital art, if I am satisfied with it. I want to use as many different programs as possible for my portfoilo to show my diversity, and also to learn and experiment with a variety of programs instead of just mastering one. After using a variety of programs, I can decide which program I am most comfortable using, and can perhaps use that program to complete the last couple of my digital art pieces for my portfoilo. So far, PhotoImpact is definitely my favourite, although I find the music programs very easy to use, I'm too familiar with them and its exciting to learn something different.
The image I edited was one of my friend dancing. I wanted to emphasize the feeling of losing yourself in dance, of becoming one with yourself. I wanted to convey dancing as a special thing, a creative practice that allows someone to express and connect with themselves. I applied so many effects to the image, because they all were relevant in allowing me to get the message across that I was aiming for. I experimented with lots of effects including, noise, cartoonize, contour drawing, blur, distortion, comic strip, whirlpool effect, lighting effects, image insertion, animations, colour changer, paintbrush tool, cloning, etc. The effects I chose to incorporate in my art piece include cartoonize, contour drawing, comic strip, whirlpool, star animations, lighting effects, star images, painting and cloning. Overall, the image displays exactly what I was aiming for - a fantasy-like theme.
I also downloaded a program called "GIMP", a program often used instead of Adobe Photoshop, as it does not cost any money. I was so busy experimenting and so impressed with PhotoImpact that I did not get around to experimenting with Gimp, but at least now I have the program to use for my next piece of digital art, if I am satisfied with it. I want to use as many different programs as possible for my portfoilo to show my diversity, and also to learn and experiment with a variety of programs instead of just mastering one. After using a variety of programs, I can decide which program I am most comfortable using, and can perhaps use that program to complete the last couple of my digital art pieces for my portfoilo. So far, PhotoImpact is definitely my favourite, although I find the music programs very easy to use, I'm too familiar with them and its exciting to learn something different.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Journal Entry 5
In class today, we began to learn how to use flash. I wanted to learn flash to use it for one or more of my digital art piece assessments, as I know there is a lot that can be done with the program. However, I know it is also quite complicated, and was sure that I had to either find some online tutorials to learn how to use the program or listen in class. Playing around with the program, I found myself getting really confused and behind, not knowing how to really do anything right or get the same result as everyone else. I'm not sure whether I'm still keen to use flash for my assessments, because it seems very complicated and I am having a lot of trouble understanding the basics of the program. I think that I will go home and watch some online tutorials, or perhaps come into class so I can use the program and have another attempt at learning the program, but I am glad there are other options to produce our assessment other than using flash.
Journal Entry 4
This week I decided to present another photo for my digital art piece, and edit it via an online image editor site, just for something different. The site I chose to use for this week was called www.pixer.com, and is basically a site that allows you to upload photos and apply a whole variety of effects to it, before saving it to your hard drive.
At the moment, I've been having a lot of issues with friendships surrounding my life, so I thought an appropriate topic to focus on would be 'friendship', and how underneath it all, despite all the conflict and drama, friends will always be there for you. To portray this through the image, I wanted to somehow distort the image so that it would be difficult to see the original, but the original would still be determinable, in order to convey the love and friendship in the original image being hard to see sometimes and clouded by obstacles, but there, nonetheless.
The original image I used was one of two girls laughing and holding hands, looking at eachother, clearly a display of solid friendship and adoration for eachother. I then applied effects over the top to distort it, such as blurring, cloudiness and an oil-painting effect. I played around with some other effects to further distort the image such as changing the colour to grayscale and altering the amount of pixels in the image but this resulted in the image being too indistinguishable, and I really wanted the original image of the two girls laughing and holding hands to be seen for the digital art piece to really have the effect I was aiming for.
The site I used was really easy to navigate and use, and the outcome was actually quite satisfying in relation to what I was hoping to achieve. I could have used Adobe Photoshop, but I've already done that before and wanted to try something a little bit different this week. I found the site so much easier to use than photoshop, and I was able to apply all the effects that I wanted to use for my project, so limitations were not really an issue. I'm aware that Photoshop is much more advanced with a lot more options, but I'm happy with the end result and it is basically what I was aiming to achieve.
At the moment, I've been having a lot of issues with friendships surrounding my life, so I thought an appropriate topic to focus on would be 'friendship', and how underneath it all, despite all the conflict and drama, friends will always be there for you. To portray this through the image, I wanted to somehow distort the image so that it would be difficult to see the original, but the original would still be determinable, in order to convey the love and friendship in the original image being hard to see sometimes and clouded by obstacles, but there, nonetheless.
The original image I used was one of two girls laughing and holding hands, looking at eachother, clearly a display of solid friendship and adoration for eachother. I then applied effects over the top to distort it, such as blurring, cloudiness and an oil-painting effect. I played around with some other effects to further distort the image such as changing the colour to grayscale and altering the amount of pixels in the image but this resulted in the image being too indistinguishable, and I really wanted the original image of the two girls laughing and holding hands to be seen for the digital art piece to really have the effect I was aiming for.
The site I used was really easy to navigate and use, and the outcome was actually quite satisfying in relation to what I was hoping to achieve. I could have used Adobe Photoshop, but I've already done that before and wanted to try something a little bit different this week. I found the site so much easier to use than photoshop, and I was able to apply all the effects that I wanted to use for my project, so limitations were not really an issue. I'm aware that Photoshop is much more advanced with a lot more options, but I'm happy with the end result and it is basically what I was aiming to achieve.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Journal Entry 3
For the third digital art piece, I decided to create another mp3 file, as I have the music program (Sony Acid Studio 7) at home on my computer and it was very convenient for me to work on the project. Also, I am fairly proficient in the program, and feel comfortable using it to create a piece of digital art.
I encountered some technical difficulties upon deciding what loops and sounds to use, as there were so many to choose from, and a lot of them did not mesh well together. Although part of my aim was to create a piece of music that had incorporated a lot of different sounds, and almost create the feel of 'too much going on', I still wanted the song to be coherent and mix well together to a certain extent. Also, there were certain sounds that I wanted to particularly convey a certain feeling or sensation, such as dizziness, head aches, fantasy, confusion, etc. In order to do this, I had to find loops and sounds that would represent these sensations, which I found difficult. I managed to find sounds that increased and decreased in volume with the pitch sliding up and down repeatedly in order to mimic dizziness. To represent head aches, I found a loop that played a low throbbing/thudding sound. For fantasy I found a loop that almost had a tinkling sound, and played an incoherent melody, also fitting in with the sensation of confusion. Confusion was also portrayed with all of the sounds playing at once towards the end of the song, where each sound is unable to be distinguished solely, and everything is meshed together.
Even though I posted a mp3 file for the last assessment, for some reason the file would not play on my webpage, nor would the last file that I posted. It took me a long time to finally get the file playing, but then when I tried it again later on, it had ceased from working again. The only way the file can be played is by directly going to the link http://2805art.com/carly_minjoy/art_03/alcohol.mp3 and downloading the file manually to the hard drive. This is an issue that I've yet to sort out, and will have to figure this out before next week's assessment. Overall, I am satisfied with the song I have created and it has effectively portrayed the feelings of being heavily under the influence of alcohol that I wanted to represent, and the overall sound is interesting to listen to.
I encountered some technical difficulties upon deciding what loops and sounds to use, as there were so many to choose from, and a lot of them did not mesh well together. Although part of my aim was to create a piece of music that had incorporated a lot of different sounds, and almost create the feel of 'too much going on', I still wanted the song to be coherent and mix well together to a certain extent. Also, there were certain sounds that I wanted to particularly convey a certain feeling or sensation, such as dizziness, head aches, fantasy, confusion, etc. In order to do this, I had to find loops and sounds that would represent these sensations, which I found difficult. I managed to find sounds that increased and decreased in volume with the pitch sliding up and down repeatedly in order to mimic dizziness. To represent head aches, I found a loop that played a low throbbing/thudding sound. For fantasy I found a loop that almost had a tinkling sound, and played an incoherent melody, also fitting in with the sensation of confusion. Confusion was also portrayed with all of the sounds playing at once towards the end of the song, where each sound is unable to be distinguished solely, and everything is meshed together.
Even though I posted a mp3 file for the last assessment, for some reason the file would not play on my webpage, nor would the last file that I posted. It took me a long time to finally get the file playing, but then when I tried it again later on, it had ceased from working again. The only way the file can be played is by directly going to the link http://2805art.com/carly_minjoy/art_03/alcohol.mp3 and downloading the file manually to the hard drive. This is an issue that I've yet to sort out, and will have to figure this out before next week's assessment. Overall, I am satisfied with the song I have created and it has effectively portrayed the feelings of being heavily under the influence of alcohol that I wanted to represent, and the overall sound is interesting to listen to.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Journal Entry 2
For the second piece of digital art, I decided to produce an Mp3 file in relation to the topic of 'Poverty' and post it to my website. I decided to create a piece of music for my assessment because one of majors is Popular Music, Media & Culture, and I feel comfortable and familiar producing music. I decided to create the music around the issue of 'Poverty', as it is a world-wide issue that is in desperate need for attention, yet it is greatly unacknowledged and neglected. It is also an issue that I am strongly concerned about, thus it was easy to create a piece of music representing my feelings and emotions towards it.
I decided to use a music sequencing program called "Garage Band", as I have used many times before and am quite familiar with it. I originally wanted to record myself playing an instrument instead of having to use the piano loop, but when attempted to do so, distortion was excessive, due to the lack of recording and audio equipment I had available. Therefore, I had to settle for using pre-made loops that came with the program, and manually inputting notes into the virtual instruments, such as synthesizers, drums, bass, etc.
I wanted the piece to start softly and in minor key, in order to signify and emphasise the sadness of the issue and the hushed nature of the issue in relation to the fact that the majority of the people are unconcerned and unthinking of the issue. Later, a loud snare begins to sound repetively throughout the entirety of the song. I wanted to somehow represent the fact that poverty is in great need for attention, so I brought the snare in, which is representative of the deaths of people in poverty, being consistent and sudden, hoping that the loudness and suddenness would somehow represent the severity of the issue.
I encountered a few technical difficulties whilst creating this project, such as trying to come up with ideas to portray the emotions and feelings that I wanted to project along with the piece of music. The only way to solve these issues was to list all the emotions and feelings that I associate with the issue, and think of ways in which I can musically represent them. An example of how I did this was the emotion of 'sadness', which I represented via creating the piece in a minor key, as songs in minor keys have a sadder sound to them and are generally associated with negative emotions. Other difficulties that I encountered included remembering how to operate the music program, as I had not used it for a few months. To resolve this issue, I simply referred to a friend in relation to how to use the program, and briefly re-read the manuals. A lot of trial and error, and guessing was involved.
Overall, I'm satisfied with the final project, and believe that it adequately met the course's and my own expectations of the task. I feel that the song successfully portrays the emotions that I attempted to incorporate musically, and incorporated a sufficient amount of technical difficulty and inventiveness.
I decided to use a music sequencing program called "Garage Band", as I have used many times before and am quite familiar with it. I originally wanted to record myself playing an instrument instead of having to use the piano loop, but when attempted to do so, distortion was excessive, due to the lack of recording and audio equipment I had available. Therefore, I had to settle for using pre-made loops that came with the program, and manually inputting notes into the virtual instruments, such as synthesizers, drums, bass, etc.
I wanted the piece to start softly and in minor key, in order to signify and emphasise the sadness of the issue and the hushed nature of the issue in relation to the fact that the majority of the people are unconcerned and unthinking of the issue. Later, a loud snare begins to sound repetively throughout the entirety of the song. I wanted to somehow represent the fact that poverty is in great need for attention, so I brought the snare in, which is representative of the deaths of people in poverty, being consistent and sudden, hoping that the loudness and suddenness would somehow represent the severity of the issue.
I encountered a few technical difficulties whilst creating this project, such as trying to come up with ideas to portray the emotions and feelings that I wanted to project along with the piece of music. The only way to solve these issues was to list all the emotions and feelings that I associate with the issue, and think of ways in which I can musically represent them. An example of how I did this was the emotion of 'sadness', which I represented via creating the piece in a minor key, as songs in minor keys have a sadder sound to them and are generally associated with negative emotions. Other difficulties that I encountered included remembering how to operate the music program, as I had not used it for a few months. To resolve this issue, I simply referred to a friend in relation to how to use the program, and briefly re-read the manuals. A lot of trial and error, and guessing was involved.
Overall, I'm satisfied with the final project, and believe that it adequately met the course's and my own expectations of the task. I feel that the song successfully portrays the emotions that I attempted to incorporate musically, and incorporated a sufficient amount of technical difficulty and inventiveness.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Journal Entry 1
For the digital folio this week, I decided to produce a photoshopped picture portraying the theme of drug-usage and the psychedelic era. At first I would have liked to have produced an audio file, as I am majoring in Popular Music in my degree and have experience producing music. However, I felt like I should try something different, and as I had never operated Adobe Photoshop before, and was interested in the program, I thought I would try using that to produce my assessment. I had difficulties operating the program as I had never used it before, but consulted with a friend who took graphic design who showed me some tools that I could use to alter the image in a way that would be suitable to the theme. I used Photoshop to alter the photo’s colours and used a brush tool to paint stars across the picture, as stars are commonly referred to and associated with drugs and being out of touch with reality. A background of swirly like images was also placed over the top of the image, representing variation of reality and the motion of spinning, as in when a person’s ‘head spins’ when taking drugs. An image of a white rabbit was placed in the left hand corner of the photo, intertextualising ‘Alice in Wonderland’, as the story heavily incorporates the use of drugs, for example, when Alice meets a snail which smokes, and she eats mushrooms causing her to change in size. The entire fantasy was also based on an acid trip.
I wanted to use intertextuality in my piece by incorporating the white rabbit from "Alice In Wonderland", so I google searched an image of a white rabbit to place in the image. I also wanted to provide reference to the band 'Jefferson Airplane' who wrote a song titled, 'White Rabbit', because I heard this song recently and found it very interesting. It inspired me to focus my assignment on the psychedelic era, drugs and acid trips, because back in the 1960's, drugs were cultural, and people had an entirely different perspective on them than people today. Back then, drugs were a way of exploring oneself, and many people had extensive (though under-researched) theories on taking drugs and the benefits it could have on one's life. My picture manipulates the common perception of drugs in a different way, conveying a less negative effect of drugs, as that is the way that people used to perceive them. I decided to choose colours that were therefore not depressing, but bright, and overall the picture has a fantasy feel. I'm satisfied with the final product, and believe that it meets the theme I was aiming for. Using Photoshop for the first time was challenging, but I did not use very advanced techniques; however, I believe that the picture did not need anything more to convey the message and theme I was trying to get across.
I wanted to use intertextuality in my piece by incorporating the white rabbit from "Alice In Wonderland", so I google searched an image of a white rabbit to place in the image. I also wanted to provide reference to the band 'Jefferson Airplane' who wrote a song titled, 'White Rabbit', because I heard this song recently and found it very interesting. It inspired me to focus my assignment on the psychedelic era, drugs and acid trips, because back in the 1960's, drugs were cultural, and people had an entirely different perspective on them than people today. Back then, drugs were a way of exploring oneself, and many people had extensive (though under-researched) theories on taking drugs and the benefits it could have on one's life. My picture manipulates the common perception of drugs in a different way, conveying a less negative effect of drugs, as that is the way that people used to perceive them. I decided to choose colours that were therefore not depressing, but bright, and overall the picture has a fantasy feel. I'm satisfied with the final product, and believe that it meets the theme I was aiming for. Using Photoshop for the first time was challenging, but I did not use very advanced techniques; however, I believe that the picture did not need anything more to convey the message and theme I was trying to get across.
Psychedelic
This piece of digital writing portrays the effects of drug use, particularly in relation to the use of acid. It represents the fantasy aspect of drug use, in which the perspective of situations and objects around the drug user varies whilst on drugs. It also symbolizes the distortion of reality when taking drugs, as the original photo is vaguely recognisable, signifying the imaginary and make-believe characteristic that is perceived through drug usage. The original photo taken was of three teenage girls from a birds-eye view. I believed that taking the photo at such an angle emphasised the abnormality of the situation, as most photos are taken face-on to see the faces of people. As the piece of digital writing is based on drug use and ‘acid trips’, I thought that the image should present a different way of looking at a situation, hence the abnormal camera angle, in order to convey the way in which drugs allow you to perceive things differently. I used Photoshop to alter the photo’s colours and used a brush tool to paint stars across the picture, as stars are commonly referred to and associated with drugs and being out of touch with reality. A background of swirly like images was also placed over the top of the image, representing variation of reality and the motion of spinning, as in when a person’s ‘head spins’ when taking drugs. An image of a white rabbit was placed in the left hand corner of the photo, intertextualising ‘Alice in Wonderland’, as the story heavily incorporates the use of drugs, for example, when Alice meets a snail which smokes, and she eats mushrooms causing her to change in size. The entire fantasy was also based on an acid trip. I was also inclined to incorporate a white rabbit into the picture, because Jefferson Airplane produced an track titled “White Rabbit” in the psychedelic era, which related to acid trips and their own personal experiences taking the drug. This inspired me to use the white rabbit, because the band had direct experience with the drug and expressed their experiences through music which I listen to, and lived through the psychedelic era, where drugs were a great part of culture. Unlike ‘Alice in Wonderland’, Jefferson Airplane are non-fictitious people that can be related to in relation to drugs and ‘acid trips’. I chose an image of a rabbit that was cartoon-like instead of realistic, to further portray the absence of reality when using drugs.
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