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

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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