multimedianewhaven - Tumblr blog

[multimedianewhaven]

The New Aesthetic

2016:

http://new-aesthetic.tumblr.com/post/138602735145/best-use-of-drone-photographer-aydin-b%C3%BCy%C3%BCktas

This post caught my attention as soon as I saw it. Thinking it was real at first, I took a closer look and saw just how “warped” the photographs had become. The shots were taken with a drone and are in various areas of Istanbul, Turkey. They are manipulated to look as if they are folding over one another and are visually quite intriguing.

2017:

http://new-aesthetic.tumblr.com/post/166842501995/regisole-sun-king-david-spriggs

This design was fascinating to look at. The colors really stood out to me, as did the way the image changed depending on a viewer’s position. My favorite picture is the second one which shows the image as being part of multiple layers and almost coming out at you in a 3 dimensional fashion.

2018:

http://new-aesthetic.tumblr.com/post/174815598960/via-michael-margolis-on-twitter

This image was a bit different than the artwork I posted prior. This post made me laugh, it was interesting because it incorporated technology, humor, and the New Aesthetic. It used technology to display a picture of a newborn with a reminder message to “defeat the baby.” I thought it was cute and it appealed to emotion.

The Mechanical Reproduction essay by Walter Benjamin focuses on how technology can render art as unoriginal or ‘lacking’. I believe Benjamin would find The New Aesthetic as just that. Walter Benjamin had a clear appreciation for drawn or painted art that has not been reproduced. While he showed appreciation for photography, I do not believe The New Aesthetic would fit into his theory. In his writings, Benjamin remained clear regarding his passion for tradition and authenticity in art. He stressed the value lost when a piece of art becomes mass or mechanically produced. In the case of The New Aesthetic-- which contains things like screenshots, memes, texts, etc. It seems pretty clear that this would not fit Benjamin’s ideology. In my own examples, the picture of an Alexa reminder, a manipulated drone shot, etc. are all far from authentic because they are mechanically created works with copies existing, well, everywhere. The drone shot lacks the aura that comes with original photography because the image you are seeing has been manipulated. I believe Benjamin was drawn more to personal and creative works-- a brush stroke, a pencil sketch, an original photograph, etc. As for my 2017 example of the man on a horse, I believe Benjamin would find this as somewhat authentic because unlike the others, this one is almost like a sculpture which cannot be reproduced. However, since it incorporates lighting to see the 3 dimensional image, I believe Benjamin may find this as involving too much “mechanically” designed work, and therefore lack the “aura” that comes with traditional works. The Alexa reminder and the drone shot of Istanbul are both mechanically produced works and lack authenticity or traditionalism. In these cases, I feel Benjamin would not believe the aura has been lost, but rather never existed in the first place. 

[multimedianewhaven]

Walter Benjamin

Throughout the piece, Benjamin asserts his belief that mass production has rendered art ingenuine, unoriginal, and “lacking”. To replicate a piece of art brings into question its worth as a copy, rather than an original piece. In this historical time period, the meaning (or aura) of art can be unmatched as we take in to account the existence of time and space which can never be perfectly duplicated. Furthermore, mass production and its failure to maintain value in its manipulation of art, likewise plays into the idea of capitalism which is a theme throughout his writings. He wants to prevent profit from overpowering the true identity a piece of art holds, and he sees how technology is changing this concept for the worse.

Benjamin expresses his feelings on photography a bit differently than paintings or drawings. He uses the same idea of time and space again but this time, he values the ability of photography to  capture a moment while it is happening. The human eye is then able to look over a photograph and find things that we may have missed otherwise. In one way or another, this makes photography unique, or authentic in comparison to say a painting on a canvas, where it is many times done from memory. While a photograph certainly can bring about emotion and historical meaning, the tradition is lost as it is produced in to the actual photograph, a form of mass production.

Benjamin’s use of the term “aura” refers to the atmosphere or quality that surrounds a work of art--the way each brush stroke is unique, and the way the meaning of a piece of art can vary from person to person based on how it was created. Aura is very important to Benjamin, as it is the most original a piece can get. To me, it is like he is describing a certain “vibe” that elicits passion. He reiterates his opinion that a painting has an aura, while a photograph does not. His belief is that a photograph lacks originality and authenticity. The aura one receives from a drawn work of art can be unparalleled.

Cult value and exhibition value are the ways of which art is received and valued by the spectator. Cult value is all about overall ‘existence’. It is there, it happened, it exists, but we don’t have to actually see it. To me, this could be like a cave drawing that exists somewhere and depicts life for those who lived in that time period. Exhibition value is for show-- the actual painting. Benjamin’s writings describe this as: “The work of art becoming a creation with entirely new functions, among which the one we are conscious of, the artistic function…”, etc. This, to me, is like an actual painting seen by everyone and well-known (The Mona Lisa).

A specific passage from the text which resonates with me would be when Benjamin stated: “The uniqueness of a work of art is inseparable from its being embedded in the fabric of tradition.” I liked this particular line because it restates the idea that tradition in a piece of artwork will always hail greater passion from both the artist and the spectator. Often, a traditional piece of work that has not been replicated will produce a more genuine feel, or in this case, aura.

[multimedianewhaven]

The Evolution of Digital Technology

PDigital technology has changed the way humans do anything. From the way we work, to the way we learn. How we interact among one another socially, how our children play...anti-socially. It has all become a prettier version of what is essentially expressed as series of the digits 0 and 1. 

As a child, I remember finishing my homework and then begging my parents to let me play outside. I’d go out and explore with the neighborhood kids. Just a few minutes longer, I’d beg. Nope. The street lights are on, it’s time to come inside. Eat dinner with the family, watch a little TV, and off to bed. Today, it is likely you will see children begging to stay inside. Just a few more minutes on the iPad or iPhone, they beg. YouTube videos, social media accounts, various game apps. Children today know digital technology the way I knew building forts, and playing hopscotch. The sad part is questioning weather or not it is it all they know.

Young adults like myself have seen the wave of technology hit schools, work, and our everyday lives. Digital technology has altered the way I do almost everything. Meeting up with someone no longer begins with a knock at their door or a corded landline phone, but instead a text, a Facebook message, heck, for some, maybe even a Tinder account if that’s what you’re into. Daily routines are kept organized through a virtual check list of reminders. News is brought to our attention through a strangers Twitter post, a video gone viral on Facebook, the Fox or CNN news app. Makes you wonder if Millennials have ever even read a newspaper.

I believe in a healthy amount of digital technology. Daily routines, tasks, and habits should include a dose of the real world. (If anyone even knows what that is) Taking a walk, appreciating nature, reading a book, chatting with a complete stranger. Or my favorite, taking time out of your day to put the laptop down, the phone down, and have dinner with your family. 

While advancements in digital media are remarkable-- and I can’t imagine a world without my cell phone-- it is important not to forget how simple and do-able life was before all of this. Personally, I see digital technology advancements as both good and bad. At the end of the day, it is what our word is, and what it is becoming. I am both thankful and worried.