Reflecting on the Blog

In looking back on this semester's work on this blog, I'm wondering if I got through all the ideas and questions that I had when I first came in. And I don't believe I did, but I'm not sure if it was necessarily detrimental to the blog as a whole - especially because I ended up discussing more of other ideas that came up as I explored the topic.

I had intended to talk a lot more about Adobe products and how they have infiltrated the art world and seemingly, changed the face of art today. Honestly, I feel as if I exhausted the topic at one point and decided to move on, because I didn't want to repeat myself anymore. However, in the process of doing my research, I realized I felt that since I was thrown into an intro to computer graphics class, as well as working on this blog, that I forgot about the importance of the fine arts. When I did the interview with one of my friends, I think she reminded me how, though graphics and fine arts are interconnected in some ways, they are still two different disciplines.

Moving away from graphics though, there are still so many other ways that technology is brought into the art world. Sometimes technology is the inspiration (or the changing of society as a result, like Andy Warhol's works). Sometimes it was the use of photography or videography, like Shirin Neshat's work as well as Juan Rojo's - the two artist spotlights I did. Sometimes it came into play in installations or other kinds of videos, such as the light installation in the National Gallery of Art, or the stop-motion videos.

I think what I ended up covering, in my opinion, was more interesting and more relevant to the topics, rather than stagnantly discussing Adobe and its effects on the graphic design world. I'm glad that I moved the discussion towards all kinds of art. It wasn't only meant to be educational for the readers - I learned a lot as well. As I mentioned before, it changed my view of what I believed was the predominance of graphics over traditional arts. Just because graphics has made "art" become prevalent around us (even subtly so), doesn't mean that traditional arts are now null and void. There is still a place for them.

And let's sure hope so because that's what I truly want to do for the rest of my life. On that note, I think that this blog has actually helped to alleviate my fears about not having a place for the kind of art that I do - instead of making me more nerve-wracked. I used to feel very pressured to learn graphics - and to make myself enjoy it. But the more I went through this blog and learned about how I can still synthesize technology some ways into the art that I truly enjoy, then I won't need to feel pressured anymore. I know I'm not a designer. My mind doesn't think that way, and I can't force myself to think in that light. However, I am open to learning different types of art. Specifically, I'm really curious to learn more about photography. And I think I was hindered by trying to depict my subject matter when we did a photography assignment for the blog - because I just didn't feel like I was able to express it well enough, or even abstractly. So we'll see where that next journey will take me.

With that, I want to discuss some of my favorite discussions on this here blog that I posted. Honestly, the spotlights were fun for me to do, as well as allowing me to learn more about certain artists and different kinds of techniques. Firstly, I really enjoyed watching all the stop-motion videos - and if you ever get a chance, go to YouTube and just search "stop motion" and you will get thousands of results. They really are phenomenal. And in discussing Shirin Neshat, I became an even bigger fan of her. Being Persian and a woman, her work really struck me from the beginning. Her strength to express herself, even in a society that tries to diminish freedom of expression for everyone, but even unimaginably so for the women, is truly inspiring. And what's amazing is that her work becomes a voice for others who are too scared or are unable to speak out. This is the true meaning of art. You are a voice for what you may not be able to put into words - and you can become a voice for others. No matter what media of art you look at, this is the common thread throughout it.

With that, I want to say thank you for reading! I hope you learned as much as I did in the process.

Also, if you are in the DC-area this Friday, there is a great opportunity to see Shirin Neshat's film "Women Without Men" AND hear her speak beforehand -

The Iranian-American Youth (IAY) is pleased to bring you the premiere of
Shirin Neshat's highly-anticipated film, "WOMEN WITHOUT MEN", to Washington, DC!

Please join the Iranian-American Youth on opening night, along with special guests:
- Shirin Neshat , Director
- Arita Shahrzad , Starring Actress

"WOMEN WITHOUT MEN"
Friday, April 30, 2010 - 7:00PM
Bethesda Row Cinemas
7235 Woodmont Avenue
Bethesda, Maryland

Discussion of Art in Education - Round 2

So this is just a quick post, while I'm in a computer lab, working on a FinalCut project. I think it's so important to have these labs around - because otherwise, a class like my computer graphics class, would not have the ability to continue. I'm working a project with a program called FinalCut, and for the project, we have to take still images or illustrations (from Photoshop or Illustrator) and create a three minute animation. Don't know if you anyone reading this has any idea how much time it takes to create a three minute movie from still images - but trust me on this one, it takes a long time, even after getting used to the very-fickle program.

Obviously the computers in my classroom for computer graphics, come equipped with all these Adobe programs and FinalCut (as well as others that we may need to use), but in order to work on all of our projects out of class, we either need to have the funds to shell out possibly thousands of dollars for a full Adobe Suite or we need access to labs like the one I'm sitting in now.

PostSecret

Have you ever had a secret that you wanted to scream from the rooftops, but you just didn’t want anyone to know it was your secret? I bet. I know I have. Especially when it’s a deep-seeded secret – something that’s been fermenting all your life. It’s something you’ve felt (or hadn’t felt), something you experienced (or hadn’t experienced).

Well, art can be that escape for some people.

And maybe this post is loose interpretation of what art is. But for me, I always describe my artwork as my escape. It’s the moment I disconnect from the world. And it’s weird to say that technology – something that keeps us so interconnected at every second of the day – can still help us escape from everything.

PostSecret is a blog on Blogger (that’s this site!), which allows people to send in anonymous postcards announcing their secrets. It was created by Frank Warren, and based in Germantown, MD. This explanation of the secrets, though from Wikipedia, is extremely accurate: “Entries range from admissions of sexual misconduct and criminal activity to confessions of secret desires, embarrassing habits, hopes and dreams.” The blog is updated every Sunday (with no archives, mind you), and posts about twenty postcards each week.

Some post cards are handwritten, some are collaged, some are typed. Each one is as unique as the person who created it – and yet, it remains anonymous. There is something about the freedom of this site that encourages acceptance. I love the message this site sends, even though some people have some very shameful secrets. I love that so many people become interested and vested in someone’s life that they have never met – and will never know if they meet them.

PostSecret was even the inspiration behind the All-American Rejects music video “Dirty Little Secret” in which it features people holding their secrets on written cards.

So though these are “amateur” artists – and mostly done by hand (not through graphics or that sort), it’s important to note that technology is what brings this community together and what allows an idea like this to flourish. It’s an anonymous community. And even though I’ve never sent in a secret myself, I find it so intriguing to learn about these people who I may never know. This, to me, is such an interesting combination of the ideals of art (as an escape) and of technology (as a way to connect people). Who would have thought that these two ideas could even be brought together?

You can follow PostSecret on Blogger, Twitter, and Facebook! Do check it out every Sunday – I promise you’ll be intrigued.

Artistic Gaming

So we were asked this week to think about how we would create a game that helped to educate about our topic. Well it might be easy to create a game about monsters or war or racing...but about art? Yeah. I thought the same thing.

Then I started thinking - this can't be like a normal game. You have to think creatively about this, especially when it comes to art. Well, I'm not a game developer, but essentially what I've thought of is a console that teaches you how to make your own game. You would have to go through the steps of creating a storyline, creating your characters, the design, etc. This way you will be able to apply graphics and art to gaming.

What do you think?? How would you create a game that taught about art?

Artist Spotlight: Juan Rojo

Hey everyone!

In our discussion and collection of multimedia technology and its uses in the arts, I've already brought to your attention the ideas of Stop-Motion, installations (specifically with the use of light), and how photography and video are used as well, as seen in Shirin Neshat's work.

While continuing this discussion, I'd like to bring your attention to an artist that I know and whose work I admire - Juan Rojo. In my freshman year here at the University of Maryland, Juan was my TA for both my Drawing I class, as well as my Introduction to 2-D Design class. I've seen his work up and around the art building on campus and in the graduate studios and he really has a point of view that is intriguing.

He describes his process in his own words:

My work blends painting, video and digital printing. My artistic production is now divided between film production and graphic-painting work. For my painting work I use video as my main source material from where I extract the images that I incorporate into the paintings by printing and transfer techniques. The videos depict simple processes or actions, such as eating, hugging, or applying make-up. These actions are deeply interiorized and they recreate “true” moments of intimacy by capturing the natural way in which the body communicates. The emphasis is on the actions per se, the importance of the time spent performing them, and the associations that the actions carry are mainly related to emotional and cultural identity.

This amalgamation of techniques, I believe, directly exemplifies how art has changed today. The fact that we, as artists, have the ability to use video, to use photography, to print in different ways, while still incorporating traditional media such as acrylic paints - and then to edit and perfect them to send out our message...that's an important thing to notice about today's art world. Note Rojo's paintings here - notice how they all have a feel of something antiqued, something altered and aged. While, at the same time, you can recognize that the portraits are stills out of video. Some paintings, such as this one, are significantly altered so that the underlying image is almost completely hidden. While others, like this one (which just happens to be of my Drawing I professor!), preserve the digitally printed still of Professor Lapinski.

Now, it's time to discuss some of his videos, which are found here.

I think the following video, named "Farewell" is a fantastic example of his work and aesthetic.

New editing of "Farewell" presented to Click&rec10, National Contest of Video-art PHotoEspaña from Juan Rojo on Vimeo.

It's a slow-motion two-minute long video of two women hugging several different times, at different angles. This exemplifies Rojo's personal description of his work - "the emphasis is on the action...and the time spent performing them." Notice how the fact that the video is slowed to almost a crawl - this captures your attention as the viewer. It makes you pay attention as if you were able to capture every individual frame - which you are, at this point. And the fact that he then takes the stills, and paints them, again emphasizes the importance of every movement - every action.

Rojo's work is a perfect example of the fusion and synthesis of traditional and modern media in the arts today.

Installations

Technology can be applied to many aspects of art - photography, film, printmaking, commentary on society, digital design, etc. We've talked about a lot of these. Printmaking is the closest we've gotten to actually talking about the technologies that allow us as artists to make the things we want to make - such as cameras for photography, saws for woodworking, and casting for sculptures. Many sculptures are installations, which are works of art that are temporal. They tend to be site-specific and change depending on where they are placed. You can find more information here.

Not too long ago, I visited the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. If you've never been there, definitely take the time to do so. It's an amazing museum, which houses brilliant permanent and non-permanent exhibitions and collections. But, if you have been there recently, you may know that to get from the East Building to the West Building (or vice-versa), you can either walk outside the buildings, or take an underground tunnel. But of course, being in a prestigious gallery, the art never ceases to exist around you. If you click here, you will see what the tunnel looks like. That's Multiverse, by Leo Villareal.

Interested in seeing how this installation works? No fear:

Photos, Tutorial, and Thoughts

Hey everyone!

So, as you can see I've put up a slideshow of some photos. Some things you should know - the first five are pictures that I've taken myself, that I believe represent and depict technology in art. The following two are old photos I've taken and edited in Picnik - which I talked about in a post, not too long ago. I just wanted to provide some examples of what the site is capable of doing. As you can see, it allows you to add text, as well as edit the photos to add effects. You can also add picture "stamps." Lastly, I've added two digital images of works I've done in Adobe Photoshop. They are unfinished pieces, but as background: the first is a rubiks cube, with an applied texture of a flip flop. While the second is my own drawing, edited in with pictures of nature - like twigs, leaves, and bushes.

This is the perfect segway into a tutorial I found on YouTube for Photoshop. Many people are self-taught in the Adobe products, and I wouldn't be surprised if these tutorials (and just plain messing around with the programs) are the ways that people become efficient with the programs. So here's the tutorial:

If you look up on YouTube "Photoshop CS3 tutorial" (or CS4), you will see that there are specified tutorials for almost anything you could want to do in Photoshop, as well as in any other Adobe program.

More multimedia info will be coming soon!

Photos of Technology in Art

So I browsed the internet for some photos of the general and semi-vague topic of "Technology in Art" and, well, my results were...interesting to say the least.

Let's start with this first one:

Umm...

Ok.

Well here's what IS good about this "photograph." Though, it's not really a photograph - it's a digitally-altered image. I would say that it liberally follows the Rule of Thirds (a rule that makes a photo interesting, based on the composition).

However, seriously, it looks like a 7-year old's playtime on a computer in which the kid went crazy with a stamp-tool. It could only vaguely be described as art, though it more reminds me of an art project.

So that wasn't exactly the best example. Let's move on to one's that I liked a whole lot better.

I love, love, LOVE that this photograph literally combines technology - some sort of circuitry - and an artistic statement. Though I can't really see the Rule of Thirds applied vertically, it is applied horizontally, and I believe it still is interesting because of its content and composition.

As you can see, these photos show a performance art piece. The colors, the composition, and the content are all dynamically interesting. I think that based solely on the fact that this is a photograph of art, it represents the topic at hand. How does technology affect art? Here, its capturing a performance piece that is supposed to be a fleeting moment - and creating something eternal and lasting.

Note: For those who are familiar with spotting photoshopped photographs, this last one has clearly photoshopped in people to create a crowd around the "art." The most obvious example? The woman in the gray dress who has stopped dead in her tracks immediately behind in a black top and light-blue patterned skirt.

My View of Technology in Art

So I took my own photos to represent Technology in Art. It turned out to be a bit more difficult that I thought it would be originally. But lucky for me, not only do I live in an Arts building, but I'm also an art student. So I got a friend to sit with her tablet and Mac, with her painting canvas just behind her. She's accepted to the design program, but she's also a fine fine artist. Another one of my friends is a photographer in his spare time, and posts most of his developed photos on his wall in his dorm - another way technology is used to create art. And I even took a trip to a WAM lab on campus to show off the rows of Macs that many students use to utilize their Adobe suites already installed. I hope you guys enjoy my (literal) perspective on where technology comes into the art world!

Stop Motion

Okay guys, this will be my third post of the day, but I've had a lot to say and share with you all, and I hope I haven't overloaded you!! This one is going to be super short. I want to bring your attention to the art of "Stop-Motion" animation. Have you ever used a flip book? This is extremely similar. Merriam-Webster defines stop motion as follows, "a filming technique in which successive positions of objects...are photographed to produce the appearance of movement."

I've got a few examples for you, which I really hope you will take a break from whatever you're doing to watch. These are TRULY amazing works, and will blow your mind with their creativity, artistic abilities, and story-lines.

Here we go!

This one is one of my particular favorites. I come back to it every once in a while and literally sit with my jaw-dropped because my mind can't even understand how someone can be so incredibly creative. It's long, but its a perfect example of both stop motion animation, and regular stop motion filming.

Here, we have one that is stop motion filming. It's from Japan, and the story line is very intriguing!

And last - but most definitely not least - check out this purely animated stop motion. This one will tug at your heartstrings...I assure you.

That's all for now! Hope you guys enjoyed all the posts today!!

Artist Spotlight: Shirin Neshat

Hopefully I will get to do a few more of these in between the meatier posts - I wanted to do a spotlight on an artist who I admire very much, and who fits the description of an artist utilizing technology in new and different ways.

Her name is Shirin Neshat. She is an Iranian-born artist, who does powerful photography feminist photography, as well as video-and-sound installations. Her most notable photography series is the Women of Allah, done between 1993 and 1997, after her first visit back to Iran after the Islamic Revolution. Her technique is black and white photography, depicting women (either herself, or others) in typical Muslim-dress in motions of prayer, or with weapons. After she develops the photograph, she uses pen and ink to inscribe Persian calligraphy from Persian poets.

She also recently put out her first feature film, called Women Without Men. Here is the trailer for the film:

Her work is extremely powerful, and her techniques and style emphasize the points she attempts to convey to her audiences. Though she isn't a graphic designer, she incorporates and utilizes technology in important ways in her artwork and as a director.

I hope you enjoyed her work!

A Personal Touch: Student Interview

Hey all! After a mini-hiatus (thank you, Spring Break), I'm back with more posts about technology in the art world. While I have more information on Adobe and their advertisements coming soon, I want to start off this week with something a bit more...fun!

I recently sat down with one of my closest friends, Erica. A bit you should know about her:

She's a sophomore Art major at UMCP (just like me!) and recently was accepted to the very-difficult-to-get-into design concentration. While she works in the fine arts, too (and I've seen her work - it's truly amazing), she tends to spend most of her spare time working in Photoshop. Though it's not common to use Photoshop as a painting tool (it's mostly used for pre-existing image manipulation), she does so. She's been interning at a PR firm that works to create brochures, pamphlets, invites, and etc. for big events and programs. You can find her DeviantArt page here.

On to the interview!

Note: Since I took quick notes from talking to her, I've turned them into (coherent) full sentences. It's still all of her thoughts, though!

Question

Do you think that art has become more prevalent because of graphic design?

Answer

I don't think it's become more prevalent, but we don’t notice anymore how much art perpetuates so much of society. Logos and marketing are now part of every day society, in comparison to seeing paintings and other fine art in museums.

Question

Do you think that art has become de-valued? Is it not as important?

Answer

It's not really one or the other. I think art now is being used in a broader spectrum, because now it's in addition with whole other field of graphic design, which is used to create wedding invitations, logos, magazine layouts, etc.

Question

Is there still room for fine artists?

Answer

Yes! They take advantage of technology in different way. They use websites to host their exhibits or show their past works - they've adapted to a new technological age.

Question

Are graphic designers equally as artistic?

Answer

I think they do a different kind of art. They're related but still very different – they need to be talented at different things. The “best painter in the world could really, really suck at design.” So one is not better, it's just different.

Question

Any general comments?

Answer

There are even more new products to use art in different aspects of society (both mainstream and not-so-mainstream). I think products such as Photoshop and Flash have revolutionized both the art and design worlds. I don't think the fine arts will “die” in a sense, though. Art will continue to change and grow with the times – but instead of replacing each other, “people will always be finding new ways to make beautiful things.”

Social Networking - Part Two: The Art Version

So now that we’ve fleshed out some information about the basics of social networking sites – and some of my own opinion about them – I think it’s high time we talked about where art fits into all this. The plan here is to give you some links to what I immediately think of when I think social networking for art. I’m sure there are PLENTY more places all over the web, but these are ones that should not be missed, for starters.

Photobucket –

Cool thing about this website is you can upload an image, and then you’re given ways to share it – either links, or embedding codes, etc. Two posts below this one, I posted two photos. How did I do that? I created an account. Uploaded my pictures. Copied the HTML codes and pasted them into my “New Post” – and voila, I have embedded photographs that I didn’t steal from anywhere! Yipee! Careful though, I’m not implying that just because it comes from your photobucket account means you didn’t potentially take it from somewhere you weren’t supposed to. But you catch my drift. Anyway, what’s new about this site is that you can share your albums with other people on the site and use their links. I’m not extremely familiar with how privacy settings work on the site, but it’s a really cool way to share photographs and possibly artwork.

LiveJournal (LJ) –

I don’t have one of these, nor do I know exactly how the site works. But one of my very best friends spends oodles of her time reading fashion and art LJs. So, I’m going to take it from her that it’s a fantastic place to spread the love – i.e. your creativity and your thoughts – all in one place! But nothing, in my opinion, compares to this next one…

DeviantART (dA) –

So essentially this place is one for art, art, ART! If you haven’t heard of this website, I’m genuinely surprised. Check it out. Seriously. Okay, after you finish reading this. DeviantART is a one-stop shop for up-and-coming artists, illustrators, graphic designers, and photographers, to create a profile and show off their stuff. I haven’t yet branched out to the site yet, myself (I’ve stuck with the lame-old photo album on Facebook), but I think it would be really cool and exciting to have people follow your stuff. Must be why the site is so popular!

And now, I’m fairly certain you all have had enough of me for a bit! Time for a breather!

Social Networking - Part One

Social Networking sites have flourished during my teenage years. I remember in 9^th grade I got a MySpace and a Xanga and I thought these were THE coolest things to do. I could talk to some of my friends, post notes about whatever was on my mind, and change my profile picture – on both sites. Little by little, it started to change. MySpace got a little weirder (sorry if this offends any users!), they started accommodating for a lot of music groups, and random people were friend requesting me. I just wasn’t convinced by the safety of it all. Xanga, plain and simple got the “uncool” stamp.

Then, the social networking gods answered my prayers – Facebook. Well, actually my best friend told me about it, because her brother was (is) a college student – and at that time Facebook was just beginning to expand to high school students. This was it. This was so much cooler, and so much more “in the know,” if you will. It felt exclusive. Maybe it was because not as many of my friends were on it, but soon they drank the Kool-Aid. Er…I mean, they signed up.

I can honestly say after four years, and the countless numbers of times Facebook has changed, I can’t even begin to explain what it looked like way back then. It was simpler, and maybe more boring. A whole lot less easy to “stalk” people, I’ll give you that. And when did “stalking” become a socially acceptable term, even, when it came to Facebooking? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I use it too – for lack of a better term. But I’m genuinely curious as to when it went viral. It must’ve been when the news feeds started…but I digress!

Anyway, like MySpace, Facebook was a place to share yourself and to connect with others. The security settings on Facebook, even this I can remember, far outweighed the options that MySpace offered. I’ve heard the MySpace has changed their game as of late, but I’ll be serious – no one is going to turn me off of Facebook. I spend more time connected to Facebook than I would care to share, and at this point, the only reason I don’t have a crack…sorry, Blackberry (or iPhone) is because I fear for the world if I were on Facebook even more so than I am now without one of those phones. But really, it may have made my life a little bit more distracting, but it gives us lazy people in the world a simple, easy way to keep an address book. Want to send your friend a message? No need to figure out their email or even their phone number. Just find them on Facebook.

Of course, I’m glorifying Facebook here (note of bias: I believe it’s rightfully so!), but I’m sure that these aspects apply on almost every social networking site that you find all over the Internet.

Anyway, what I really want to stress at the end of this post is: it’s all about connections! Whether it’s on a superficial level, or some sort of common interest. Maybe it’s something to do with music connections, or networking for your jobs. Maybe you meet a long-lost classmate, or become really close to a distant relative whom you didn’t have much contact with in the first place. Connections – it’s a pretty big world, and it’s nice to have something help make it feel a little bit more personal – a little bit more yours.

In case you’re wondering what this all has to do with art, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for installment numero dos!

Wait...is that an Adobe Ad??

So I was on the metro last weekend, going to the National Gallery of Art with a group of friends. All of a sudden, my eye caught the ad behind my friends' head. I was shocked - it was an Adobe ad.

You might imagine my shock, since I've already done a blog post about how I've never, ever seen an ad either print, or multimedia for the Adobe programs. Anyway, before I continue here's the two ads I found (I apologize for the sub-par quality - it's my phone's fault):

You may notice, this isn't an ad for Adobe products. So, I guess I was right in the first place. I'll be posting about what these ads are and what Adobe's doing in the future, so keep a look out. We can say now, that Adobe is at the very least, getting their name out!

Cell Phone Use in Public - Response

Alright, guys, we're going to detour just a bit and talk about a study I recently read for class. Hope you find it as interesting as I did!

Cellphones in Public: Social Interactions in a Wireless Era, by Lee Humphreys, explores the ideas of how “Singles” and “Withs” interact in public (813). Singles are those that are by themselves in public – often feeling vulnerable, leaving them to fidget in any way to occupy them. Withs are those that are in a couple-setting, having someone to talk to. Sometimes, a With can become a Single, if a With leaves for a moment (maybe to use the restroom), or if one person engages in another conversation – particularly, on a cell phone (814).

There were many parts of the study that I related to and with because they I’ve experienced them so many times before either first hand or in observation. When [the study] discusses how one reacts when one half the “With” ends up on the phone, leaving the second person to fidget in the meantime (816). In my experience, when I’m the one who gets the call, I feel really bad that I leave my friend with no one to talk to. So usually, in those situations, I cut the conversation as short as possible and most likely suggest that I will call that person back (and I do, as soon as I am by myself). The reason I feel bad is because I know how awkward it can be, if only for just five seconds, to be left with no one to occupy your attention. When I’m in that situation, I usually look to my phone. And even though I have no texts to respond to, or a missed call to return that that time, I still click around. I might even send a text to someone, even if unnecessary, just to occupy myself. The study also references how we listen in to conversations if in this situation, even though social norms dictate that we shouldn’t (818). I have experienced this more times than I could even begin to count – we don’t really mean to listen in. It’s just that we don’t have anything else to distract us, so we listen.

Usually after a friend gets off a call, after having listened in for most of it, I ask whom they were talking to. Sometimes we end up talking about their phone call – depending on how close of friends we are. Sometimes we also talk about it, because either me or the other (whoever was on the phone) just felt bad about being on the phone and wanted to explain why we made the other person walk, sit, or stand with no one or nothing to distract them.

The most interesting assertion of the study is of the “caller hegemony” (822). It’s preposterous – and yet, not completely unbelievable – that a person in a heated discussion would still pick up the phone if it rang in the middle of said discussion. Maybe it provides a much-needed breather from an argument, an idea that the study doesn’t really address. However, since Caller ID was still not as prevalent at the time of the study, it seems like they do not address some aspects also (823). Again, when one is in an argument, you might be more inclined to pick up the phone just to take a break. But, as the study suggests, most people look at their cell phone when it rings, then decide whether or not to answer (824). The study writes that if the Caller ID is unavailable, like it might be for a landline, people feel more inclined to answer it (824-825). However, in response to screening calls, I believe I would take a moment to decide whether or not to answer. When I’m by myself – and this is something the study does not address – and I’m not busy in another way, I’m always okay with answering the phone, regardless of who it is. I’d also rather answer a call at that moment, because I’d feel bad if I forgot to call them back. But I know that if the person calling had something important to talk to me about, they would either leave me a voicemail or text me afterwards to let me know.

More posts about the uses of technology in art are coming soon!

Andy Warhol and Technology

I promised you wonderful readers a post on Andy Warhol, the Pop artist who experienced the height of his fame in the 1960s. Warhol explored the ideas of Pop Culture and the ways it was changing in the time period that he was working. How was information being transferred? What was society like? It was an incredible period of change. But what's his connection to technology?

Warhol, as well as being a painter and sculptor, experimented with the form of printmaking called silkscreening. This is defined as "A method of reproducing colored artwork using a cut stencil attached to a stretched, fine-meshed silk screen."This was just one way, though, that Warhol incorporated new technology into his artwork - this would be the literal sense.

As a Pop Artist, Warhol's artwork became a social commentary. One site on Warhol put it as such:

"...that in a culture glutted with information, where most people experience most things at second or third hand through TV and print, through images that become banal and disassociated by repeated again and again and again, there is role for affectless art."

So, instead of a literal sense, Warhol shed light on the way our society was changing in reaction to technology. In his painting, Marilyn Diptych, Warhol quite literally prints Marilyn Monroe's iconic image over and over and over again, till the colors become dull and muddied. And in that way, Warhol was saying, with her image (or the Campbell's soup, or the Billow Boxes, etc) being fed to the public eye so much, is it even special anymore?

I wonder what Warhol would think of our society today?

Quotable

Art is what you can get away with.

-Andy Warhol

Coming soon! A brief discussion about how Andy Warhol utilized technology in his artwork, in a way you may not have realized.

All about you!

If you're reading this blog - thank you! And I'm happy that you've stumbled upon me and my thoughts.

Please feel free to give any advice, critiques, or general thoughts for where you might want to see my topic go! I'm curious to hear from YOU!

Gender, Gaming, and Generalizations

Who are the greats? The masters? The visionaries? Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Picasso, Warhol. All male. My favorites? Caravaggio, Monet, Hopper. All male.

All my art teachers from age 6 to 18? Female. (College is a whole different story, but I'll get there.)

Hmmm...something just doesn't add up here.

The most recognizable names - the most famous of the artists in history - they're all male. And yet, there is a thought - a generalization, a stereotype, an assumption - that has been instilled somewhere that art is for girls. At least, that's the way I've seen it. In all my years of taking art classes before coming to Maryland, girls have been the dominant gender. And yet, I still don't know of one current famous female artist. My ARTH201 (Art history from 1300 CE - Present) certainly didn't inform me of any influential female artists. Just a small handful from the Baroque and Mannerist periods. I would venture to say that even in my art classes in college - I'm taking my 5th class now - girls have been more prevalent. The only difference is that I have had three male professors out of the five total.

So how does this all relate to graphic design? Well, I'm glad you asked.

I'm going to focus here on gaming and animation. Gaming, as you might know after a previous post on some research on gender and gaming, is male-dominated. You don't need to read a study, really, to know that. You could simply walk down the hall of my dorm and find at least two rooms full of boys playing Super Smash Brothers Brawl or MarioKart. And conversely, walk down the other side of the hall, and see that the girls are simply not.

Maybe that's because video games are generally more geared toward boys. (Or maybe this is a "Who leads who?"-type of issue, in which you can't be sure if the gaming world is leading, or if regular boys are making it such.) So those graphic designers, those animators, are they predominantly male? It's possible. My Computer Graphics professor is male. The TA of the class is male. In fact, this class is probably the most evenly split art class I have seen yet in terms of gender ratios. Otherwise, I would still say the classes are about 60-40, girls vs. boys.

So how come the boys keep getting all the credit? Food for thought.

Screen Size and Productivity

So, today in our JOUR289I class, we had a speaker - Dr. Bederson of the University of Maryland's Computer Science department. You can get more information on Dr. Bederson here. In his presentation, he discussed mobile technology - the design challenges and the diversification of mobile devices.

One of the points he made that resonated with me the most was that productivity is directly linked to the size of one's computer screen. Once he said this, I immediately thought of my Intro to Computer Graphics class (what a handy class for this blog!). In that class, we use - I'm going to go ahead and guess the size here, based off the Apple site - 27" iMac desktop computers. While we're working with scanned images and Photoshop files, there's a lot going on all at once. Dr. Bederson stated that the screen size issue came down to window management. He also said that the larger the screen, the less of a demand you put on your short-term memory in order to compare and contrast images and information. Essentially, there's less of a back-and-forth.

That's exactly the advantage that these large desktop computers allow us in our class. When moving from one image to another - creating selections, moving them to another layer on a new document, and editing away - you want to minimize the clicking from one area to another area. You want to be able to be efficient with your time - and all that clicking really does take up your time.

Now what happens when I want to work on my images on my relatively puny 13" Macbook? Good question. Frustration usually ensues. It's not as easy to view everything all at once the way you can on the iMac. And in that sense, it slows you down - way, way down. Often if I've made a mistake in a selection, it takes a few times as long as it would have in my studio class to go back and do it right. Photoshop in itself takes up a lot of space on a screen - you have tons of panels on the right (which can be minimized, BUT, the most of important of which - the layers panel - is always there), the tool bar to the left, and another tool bar on the top that changes based on what tool you are using at that moment. Then, you have the space in the middle of all that jazz to work on your images. And if you're synthesizing multiple images into one, chances are, you are barely squeezing on past each one.

There is one thing that makes my itty-bitty little screen breathe a bit easier. A bit, mind you. The Photoshop in Adobe CS4 has a new feature that allows for docking your images. If you open multiple images they will open in one, and then give you tabs to move between them. That way, you don't have 20 separate images open - just one, with 20 tabs. You can undock and dock as you please. However, I do have a bone to pick. After using CS4 for a few weeks now (in comparison to CS3), I can say that while it does save space, it doesn't exactly let you work as fast. Maybe I haven't figured out yet how to effieciently move between tabs, and maybe that will come with time.

Maybe I need a gigantic iMac...Mom? Dad? Birthday present?

Response on Technology and Gender, and the Digital Divide

We're going to go a little off course today to talk about the following study - “Self-Concept, Self-Esteem, Gender, Race, and Information Technology Use”

Here are my thoughts!

It seems that technology had positive and adverse affects for both genders, but in very different ways. The research indicated that boys tended to use and play video games in much higher percentage than girls did (440). However, this signifies another aspect of the research, which states that video game playing had a negative affect on an individual’s self-concept (437). In addition, “children who play video games more have lower grade point averages and more problematic school behavior than children who play less” (438). The only positive that was noted by video game playing was an increase in visual-spatial skills, which could be helpful for math and sciences (438). However, the research indicates that Internet has a “positive influence on self-concept dimensions” (437). From all this, “girls had higher academic and behavioral self-concept, whereas boys had higher physical appearance and athletic self-concept” (439). This seems to be an effect from video game playing, because that usage has an adverse affect on academics, as noted before.

The digital divide, as explained in lecture (and in this study), expresses the divide between those who utilize the Internet, and those who do not. This may have to do with income, their environment, or – as the study indicates – it can be much more innate than that (without relying on outside factors). According to the research, males use the Internet more than females (438). Males tended to make use of the Internet for shopping of sorts, while females utilized the Internet for its abilities to connect and network with others (438). However, the study also notes that there is a divide between African Americans and Caucasian Americans in which “even within income levels, there are race differences in home Internet access favoring Caucasian Americans” (438). This evidence can support another statement made by this study, indicating that “Caucasian American youth score higher than do African American youth on social and academic self-concept whereas African American youth score higher on physical appearance self-concept” (438). Since Internet usage increases social and academic self-concepts, the logic follows that since there is a digital divide between Caucasian Americans and African Americans, then this self-concept divide would exist as well.

In terms of whether or not this information affects the use of technology in classrooms, I believe that this just does not relate. It seems to me that this study relates more to the private usage of technology for individuals, and less so for the usage in a classroom. Classroom usage is directed and instructional, while private usage implies freedom to explore the Internet and its uses.

Educating about Graphic Design

Does technology play a role in helping to educate individuals about graphic design? If so, how? If not, could it?

Well…have you ever seen a TV commercial ad for Adobe Photoshop? I haven’t. Not once. I’ve never seen it advertised anywhere. Seems odd, huh? How do people even know about this product? In fact, how do SO many people know the product by name?

Now that I’m thinking about it, this has gotten me really confused. I mean, graphic designers work almost 100% in the technological realm. They might sketch ideas out, and then scan them onto their respective computers and edit away. But I’m pretty sure that’s their extent of non­-technological work. So it’s just plain weird that Adobe isn’t advertising on TV, on radio, in newspapers, online. I’ve just never seen an ad. In fact, I just got really curious because I thought for a moment that Macbook Pros came with the Adobe suite already installed (I just have a regular Macbook). So I went to go check this out on the Apple site. Here’s what I found out – Mac likes to boast at how awesome it is – and man, are they awesome. But I’ve heard rumors that Adobe design programs were made for Macs originally, and maybe that’s why the Macbook Pro pages writes,

“The combination of the powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processor, advanced NVIDIA graphics, and the stunning LED-backlit display makes the new MacBook Pro the perfect notebook for creating with the iLife suite of applications or Adobe Creative Suite.” http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/graphics.html

Hey! Look at that! Some advertising in a technological setting for Adobe!

I knew it had to exist somewhere.

But, it’s important to note that Apple doesn’t really reference what the Adobe Creative Suite is or anything of the sort. It’s not exactly educating people on what the product does, what it’s used for, etc – it’s just a name-drop.

So how in the world does everyone just know what it is? I honestly don’t have an answer for this. I’m not even sure I know when I first heard what the programs were. I just know that all my life I’ve heard phrases like, “Oh, that was photoshopped” or “That’s so fake – it was definitely airbrushed.” Well, mainstream media photoshop and airbrush models and images to further “perfect” them – to intrigue us as consumers, make us want something and jump through all the hoops (AKA buy, buy, buy) to get there. So everyone just knows what it is. Maybe not everyone knows how its done, but they know it can be done. They know that some technology is working behind every image, every TV ad. (And yet, so many people still fall for it – admittedly, it happens to me, too.)

This brings me back to a point I believe I have reiterated in almost every post so far – graphic design is more pervasive in our world than we may even know. Sometimes we forget it exists and we fall prey to the fake images and fake people that are made – but hey, according to my computer graphics professor, everything we do in that class is to edit until we can make someone else believe it’s true. And because of that, we forget. We forget that graphic design is in every part of our lives. We might not know how it’s done, but there it is.

Research and Some Thoughts

To really begin my topic, we’ve got to figure out where all this graphic design came from. What prompted it? What spurred it along? Some of those answers can be found just by searching the web (oh, Internet…how I love thee) – and other answers might have more foundation in talking to those who use and utilize design products. But that will come later, I promise.

So, after painstakingly Google-ing any and every phrase I could think of to help me find any information on the beginnings of Adobe programming, I pretty much ended up with nothing. Well, obviously I found some important information, otherwise I wouldn’t have anything to go off of in this post, but I didn’t find as much as I thought I would. So more of my research will come later, but here’s what I’ve got for you so far. And before I get there, I’d like to direct you to the fantastic article that brought all of this information to my (and now yours as well) attention: http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2010/02/20-years-of-adobe-photoshop/.

Did you know that in just one week, it’ll be Adobe Photoshop’s 20^th anniversary?

Yeah, I was kind of surprised too. I guess maybe I thought that because the Internet was nowhere near as advanced 20 years ago, I assumed that computer programming was just as down-in-the-dumps. But there you have it – Photoshop 1.0 was copyrighted in the years of 1989-1990 for Macintosh computers. After using Photoshop CS4, and seeing a screencap of the interface of Photoshop 1.0, I wish CS4 looked just as simple…but still maintained all its capabilities. But we’ll get to CS4 in time. Anyway, back to those ancient times called the 90s…

1991 - Photoshop 2.0 was released.
1992 – Photoshop 2.5
The programming for these versions (and subsequent versions that followed them) required more RAM in order for stability.
1994 – Photoshop 3.0 and the introduction of the Layers feature.
1996 – Photoshop 4.0
1998 – Photoshop 5.0 and the introduction of editable type which allowed for “pretty mastheads and decent web menus” – a huge step for designers.
1999 – Photoshop 5.5
2000 – Photoshop 6.0
2001 – Photoshop Elements – this program was marketed to non-design users who “didn’t understand or need some of [Photoshop’s] more advanced tools.”
2002 – Photoshop 7.0
2003 – Photoshop CS
2005 – Photoshop CS2
2007 – Photoshop CS3
2008 – Photoshop CS4

Check out this video (also linked by the “20 Years of Adobe Photoshop” article):

Definitely no need to watch the entire thing – lucky for you I checked it out. The most important point John Knoll (one of the creators of Photoshop) makes is right around the 4:00 mark to about 4:50. When talking about the programming of Photoshop, Knoll says that Adobe works so “artists can spend more of their time doing art” and less time with technology in the way. I think that’s a really pointed comment about technology, especially in relation to graphic design. He says that technology can get in the way for these “artists” – but isn’t technology the very thing that is allowing them to make and edit their art? Something to think about there.

Now, we’ve discussed the tools for graphic design. So what exactly is it? According to AIGI, the professional association for design that is located in New York, “Graphic design is a creative process that combines art and technology to communicate ideas” (http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/guide-whatisgraphicdesign). I was going to say the same thing, obviously. They just beat me to it. Really, I can’t say it better than this association – “graphic design informs, persuades, organizes, stimulates, locates, identifies, attracts attention and provides pleasure.” This is a fantastic definition, in my opinion. Graphic design clearly infiltrates every part of our lives – in business, in consumerism, in our government. It’s everywhere. But here is where I get stuck – art does those same things. At least, good art does. It sends out some sort of message: an opinion, a stance, and a point of view. It can be emotional, it can be shocking, and it can be disturbing. And so many more things. But the thing is, art tends to be something more personal. While graphic design on the other hand, tends to represent companies in logos, in web design, and in brochure design.

When I worked at that advertising firm this summer, I was amazed at how much design goes into every little detail for every company they worked with. Down to the type of paper, the color ink – everything represented the company they designed for. What words would be bolded? What words would be in all-caps? What is the color palette? Where do you put the logo? How big should the logo be? Every aspect it seems has an ulterior motive. And with traditional art, the motive is simply to be seen – to be heard – to inspire.

So where does art end and pure design begin?

Contrasting Readings - Who leads who?

This post is in response to an article from 2005 called "Battle for the Soul of the Internet," about the state of the web at that time, and a chapter called "When Old Technologies Were New."

I think that when all these very brand-new technologies started out, they were leading society. Teaching them what to do until they could do some things on their own. According to the 2005 article, it took a decade or so (I’m estimating) for use of the Internet to become any where near “the norm.” But once it did, like the way electricity lead to communication, the Internet brought about all kinds of new avenues in the tech world.

In the chapter reading, the author explained that new technology alters and reforms group habits. It changed the way we exist in society, the way we relate to one another – the way we contact one another. The Internet did this in its own, unique and revolutionary way. And once it became more and more prevalent – more the norm, easier and more comfortable to use, it exploded. Now it seems, the tables have turned – and these experts are working towards society’s needs. Right now, it’s convenience, space-efficiency, and speed – the right-here-right-now kind of deal. And developers are bringing that to the table. Blackberry’s, iPhones, Kindles and iPad’s – these are all examples of developers working and catering towards the needs of today’s people.

Now, to bring this back to the art world. I feel it’s worked somewhat in the same way. Adobe did something revolutionary when they created Photoshop, and all their design programs. I’m not really sure whom they were marketing to when they first started out, but I doubt it was to fine artists. Most fine artists, at least from my experience, are not highly design-oriented. We think in terms of composition, this is for sure – otherwise we’d be making some horrible works of art. But we don’t think in design.

However, with Adobe out there (and I’m sure other design programs), it allowed for people to play with it, tamper with it, understand what its capabilities were and are. And thus, they carved an inlet in the art world. As more and more people became familiar with the programming, more and more people entered the design world. And with this world growing faster than I can imagine, I’m sure that Adobe and other programmers are working to create programs that fit the needs of today’s designers.

Introduction!

Welcome to Technology in Art!

As an art major, I'm really excited about this topic. I will be addressing my own fears as a budding artist in being pressured to delve into the world of graphic design. I held an internship during the Summer of 2009 at an advertising firm, because I was very interested in pursuing that area. But after realizing that I knew nothing about design programs - and the company did not have the resources to teach me these programs - I really didn't end up learning much about design. Although, I did learn some ins and outs of the advertising world. And while this was a fantastic (albeit, frustrating) experience, I still feel the apprehension in moving into the design world and away from where I feel most comfortable and where I feel I excel - drawing and painting (i.e. the fine arts). I plan on addressing my feelings - both of fear and of curiosity - more throughout the blogging period.

I also want to talk about how graphic design has affected the art world and field. For instance, with the advent of graphics and other technologies in the art industry, has art become more prevalent (but somehow, less noticeable) in our world? And with this prevalence, has art become de-valued? My art history professor last semester would often interject his woes about art today and how he believed that art is in a crisis - that there is no where art can go any more. Is this true? Or is the nature of art just changing? Is there any room for traditional fine artists in this day and age?

I plan on talking to some insightful professors at the University of Maryland, both of the graphic design concentration, and of fine arts classes. I want to know their take on where art is today with all new avenues to create "art." I'll talk to students, both of the art-variety and those with, dare I say it, less creative majors. How do they see art and artists today? Is it just as important as it once was? How has the nature of it changed, if they believe so at all? And, having just installed the Adobe Creative Suite on my computer last night (and in the midst of taking an Intro to Computer Graphics class), I plan on finding out some more information about Adobe, how it started, and its profound effects on artists and art.

Like any piece of art work, this will be a creative process. And like those art works, I may not know what I'll end up with, but hopefully in the end, you may want to look at it, ponder it, and talk about it. So...let's see!