New Media in Art Ch. 2

Video art seems very complex. From what I gather it is basically using the television for art to be represented.  Using the television to portray art and then the audience interprets it. Original videos that were not edited and received well. Famous images being distorted and eventually a human element was added. It is almost like a canvas to me. Whatever could be portrayed on the television was something to be considered art. A strange canvas for that time and era but a canvas nonetheless. An artist can adapt to any kind of canvas and the television is no exception. Ultimately, what they did was impressive. The messages trying to be portrayed and the influenced it had. What they did was in a sense different but also unique. Although, physically using your body to the point of harm and pain seems a bit too much. It’s odd but if the message got across then at least something came out of it.

A plastic car?

This article says that a plastic car has been made. I guess it’s like they printed different plastics layers for it and put it all together. It is not for sale but for now it can be called a mobile experiment. I can see problems with this car. Granted it is a new way into making cars if it can be applied correctly, but safety is a major concern. How durable is it and how are the brakes? How will it handle in different kinds of weather? If it snows then can it even handle it or what if it gets too hot? Will the plastic become damaged or something? While it is a nice idea there needs to be some sort of reinforcement on it. If it gets in a wreck will the car still stay in one piece? I doubt it’ll ever be a mass produced thing because how much gas could it actually hold?

The Photograph of the Contemporary Art Ch. 6-8

I do like the fact that historical content being photographed as an aftermath. Usually the most interesting parts are of the conflict itself but to see the aftermath is interesting. Sometimes the general public may lose interest in it and they won’t even care about the aftermath. The photographs that really stood out to me were Valley and Destroyed Radio Installations, Kabul. The perfect images for an aftermath of a war/destruction and clearly depict that something happened there. All of it is just abandoned. Either the photographer was the only one there in a long time or it was intentionally left like that for people to see. Even the old Artillery Shells make some sort of impact. Although they are just metal those shells still represent something long forgotten and the sense of not looking back. Maybe if the battle went in favor of the British then possibly the shells could have been picked up but it seems like things like those aren't really meant to be thought of after the fighting is over. 

MMO Money Trades

Apparently, the value of the dollar dropped when World of Warcraft introduced real money to be exchanged for its currency titled “gold.” Personally, I don’t have any experience with that game but I can see what they are trying to do. While I don’t know much about World of Warcraft, I do know about Star Wars The Old Republic. The same type of market applies ot this game as well. A third party will advertise, “Spend $3.00 and get $1 Million credits” or something similar to that.  However, The Old Republic offers another fomr of currency called “Cartel Coins” that can actually be bought like a gift card. The only things worth the in game currency, known as credits, are the rare items that are no longer sold anymore. Those usually sell at the highest price possible. Some will buy them and other will try their luck and hope it’ll get released again. Also the rare modifications that can be added to armor. Those would have to be the most popular. So, whether it is “WoW” or “SWTOR” if people have the cash, and most likely trust or desperation, then that will be one of the fastest ways to make a character stronger all for the sake of money.

Art of the Digital Age Ch. 7-9

I have to say at the very last chapter I am surprised that they even mention gaming and virtual reality. While this concept seems like a dream I guess it does have the possibility to exist somewhere in the future. However, like I keep saying I think by the time it comes around the people who really wanted it when they were young might think differently about it when they grow up/mature. What was once enjoyable at one stage of their life might be replaced or totally forgotten. That’s the thing that scares me the most. Regardless, I really hope to see it one day. Technology will keep advancing and sooner or later  breakthrough will occur. Whether that is in my lifetime or not remains to be seen. Although it is like a pipe dream at the moment, it is something to look forward too. If nothing else, it is really popular with the current generation.

Contact lens

I would have never expected something like this before. It almost sounds like something out of a spy movie. The contact lens is like a telescope allowing the wearer to zoom in on things. Apparently this can help with people who are near sighted and/or diseased. If you can wink then, depending on the right or left eye it will either zoom in for you or it will go back to normal. I can't blink my left eye so this can be problematic for people who can not wink at all. I do think this is a sound idea though. People who are near sighted or are starting to lose vision could greatly benefit from this. However, there is a chance it could suddenly fail as well. If someone relied on it so much and all of the sudden it stopped working then that would be a major drawback to it.

Art of the Digital Age: Ch. 5-6

The way music is portrayed in this chapter is very interesting. Personally, i'm more of a country fan so learning that people can play music to that sort of extent is pretty astonishing. Matching the music in order so that it can react to something is impressive. Not only that but to somehow turn it into a work of art is skillful. What the computer can do with music back then and even to this day will keep on evolving and changing. The way people have their own personal labs set up is amazing, trying to obtain the right sounds. The amount of work it must have taken shows their passion for it. As for animation, I really liked the Particle Dream one. Not only does it show that art is an evolving thing but what the piece itself is about a human ,who is quite possibly a dreamer, is thinking about ideas that are coming to him or relaxing under a waterfall type thing.