The Artistic Experience and Technology: A Fusion for the Future

Technology has impacted my experience of making art by allowing me to capture moments of political protest and turn each into a poignant reflection on war, politics, and change in our society. This was the first real protest I have ever been to, and thus it was quite an interesting experience for me. I participating as an observer, watching how each group—protesters, police, counter protesters—interacted with one another. At the end of the protest, I felt as though what I had witnessed was far from my expectations.

However, after uploading the pictures to my computer, I began to feel the significance of what I had documented as I edited and put narrative to the pictures. Each picture that I selected contained a powerful message that I had not fully realized when I was taking them. Enhancing certain aspects of the pictures such as brightness and contrast led me to see new, powerful meanings in each of the pictures. Looking at my finished product, I realized the magnitude of technology’s impact on artistic expression.

Using the online blog and digital imaging, I was able to appreciate how technology allows for artists to pursue new techniques and means of expression. Technology allowed me to do things that I would not have been able to do otherwise. My project is online and can be accessed by anyone in the world with an internet connection. This ability to share artistic creations on such a wide scale allows for greater input and interaction among people, and for people everywhere to understand the significant of things such as political protest, be it in Washington, D.C., Beijing, Paris, Moscow, or Tehran. Technology allows people to access a wealth of ideas and knowledge, as well as new methods for revolutionary artistic expression.

With advancements in computer and internet technology continuing at an ever-increasing rate, we can only guess at the new artistic developments that lay in store for the future.

Source: http://www.nietylko.net/portfolio.html

The Computer as a Means of Artistic Expression

Ever since the early days of ENAIC, Memex, and Dynabook, computer technology has advanced in leaps and bounds. The average computer today is many times more powerful that its predecessors and can perform an ever-increasing list of tasks and functions. One such function is as a new means for artistic expression. The computer’s ability to combine the traditional artistic mediums of drawing, painting, film, sound, photography, and text allow for the creative synthesis of any of these artistic mediums to generate innovative new artworks. One such example of this synthesis is the use of drawing in combination with digital imaging and editing technology. An artist can sit down and draw a sketch or picture and then upload that picture to a computer using a scanner. The artist can then continue to work on the drawing by adding colors from an infinite selection, shadows, contrast, and many other artistic elements, having transformed the work from the physical to the digital realm. One place where artwork created through this process can be found is deviantART, an international online artist community where users can upload creative works to share on a global scale. This is just one of the many examples of how computers can be used to open up new and ever-expanding venues for artistic expression.

Situational Tour: Iraq War 5th Anniversary Protests

A long line of police cars sit motionless, waiting patiently in the rain. The lights create beautiful yet uneasy reflections on the empty, damp street.

Protesters gather in the intersection as police tape is put up. Bystanders watch the protest gingerly and take pictures; some build up enough courage and cross the sidewalk. Pedestrians and protesters intermingle on the fringes, making it impossible to tell which is which.

Several protesters hold a sign stating their position on torture. They pose dutifully for the camera, displaying their banner proudly as a statue in the background peers off into the distance.

A critical mass is achieved and a vanguard of protesters forms, reminiscent of so many others before them.

A glance back behind the protest reveals the development of a temporary MPD motor pool. Behind yellow police tape a neat line of motorcycles stand dutifully at the ready.

The protest stops in front of the Armed Forces Recruiting Center, barred from entry by a line of police and several counter-protesters. Someone in the crowd throws a paint-filled balloon at one of the officers, spattering him a brilliant red. The officer, looking more surprised than angry, stands his ground.

Some police sport riotsquad helmets should the crowd try to pelt them with anything. The officers look on impartially as a stern-faced commander issues orders over a radio in the background.

Banners and signs held high, tempers rise as the crowd begins chanting. A reporter and I catch one female protester yelling loudly at the police.

Counter-protesters behind the police hold American flags and signs high. The red paint thrown earlier begins to spread across the wet sidewalk, creating a scene eerily reminiscent of protests turned violent.

The protest moves to another intersection and temporarily blocks traffic. A tour bus lumbers by and a sense of uneasiness creeps up my spine as a mass of police officers surround the protesters. Will there be violence? The answer to this is, thankfully, no. Not a single baton is seen as the protesters are gently herded into the park by the officers.

Police line the sides of the park near the intersection to prevent further disruption of traffic. A lighthearted attitude prevails among the police, and I catch one chatting amiably with a protester.

With most of the action over, I think the day's excitement cannot be topped. However, I am proven wrong when Blade appeared among the line of officers.

No War No Warming

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