Research – The Studies of Art, Media and I Have Never Discovered

Research Critique: Jon Cates and BOLD3RRR

“???” was my initial impression when I first watched BOLD3RRR as I did not understand the concept that Jon Cates was trying to portray. After reading Randall Packer’s interview with him, I finally realized this glitch artist and had a new aspect of “dirty new media”.

BOLD3RRR consisted of a frontal view of him in full screen but slightly fuzzy and blurry, a text overlaying programs on screen and a glitchy scape with the strong buzzing. The content seems to be cluttered and all over the place, but there was still some sort of flow. There seems to be a narrative but it is very much non-linear. This narrative way lets me recall “Montage”. These sources seem fragmented, repeated and discordant, but they are connected to one another as assemblages or generated a new meaning. Like Jon Cates mentioned that, glitches are functional or functioning in one way or another systematically, Bold3RRR is a performance art with it as the main focus.

They might be glitched, and they might be imperfect and noisy, and that might be what attracts us or me to those systems. But still they are functional or functioning in one way or another systematically.

When I reviewed this piece again, I especially enjoyed the moment at 6:15-6:20. The screen showed that Jon Cates was using the software normally, but screen suddenly fasted forward with the flashing text in the following 5 seconds. The scene brought me a strong sense of disgusting that seems like someone hacks into your computer and you cannot able to control by your own. Glitch was happened when we have imperfections in the program and it produced results that were unexpected by programmer. While there are many people who would prevent glitch as much as possible, Jon Cates embraced the parts that these imperfections occurs and explored into these glitches which generated unpredictable artwork.

Besides, I found an interview with Jon Cates regarding glitch art and dirty new media. It questioned that glitch aesthetics of thinking could be applied to another aspect in real life that:

It should be extended to considerations about other aspects of our society beyond art, in which we ignore those who don’t fit into our social ideals of perfection and worthiness.

Personally, I think he provided a new reflection for people to encounter those glitches that we always wanted to get rid. Instead, we should enjoy these imperfections, errors and the aberrations. The more you destroy it, the more beautiful it gets. The one way to deal with this problem is embracing them, just like how Jon Cates took advantage of this opportunity to make art.

Actually, glitching can be easily found in variety of forms in real life, including the computer desktop which we use everyday. In Windows XP. As the lag screen render fail causes with the loads of error dialogs, user can drag the window around and it would duplicate itself over and over. Then, you will get a new glitch create space, like the below image.

The Glitch gives you a creative space when window crashed.

Research Critique: Telematic Dreaming (Paul Sermon, 1992)

Telematic Dreaming was created by Paul Sermon in 1992. The performance has two double beds located within both locations, and the above projector turns a bed into the support of high-resolution images that show a partner, intimately alive although being thousand kilometers away. Just like two people lie in the same bed via virtual display.

In my opinion, the work demonstrated how people interact and communicate with each other in the absence of physical contact, like Paul Sermon indicated in his essay wrote in 2000:

Telematic Dreaming, with its connotations of intimacy and dream states, extends telepresence beyond the screen to spatialize the site of interaction. The work explores presence, absence and the psychology of human interaction within technologically mediated communications.

In most and normal conditions, people unconsciously keep a certain distance with stranger. The interaction also remains polite and passive. However, such as the below image showed, most of participant closely interacted with each other like a couple. In the book, Welcome to Electronic Café International, Galloway and Rabinowitz also mentioned that:

Virtual space diminishes our fears of interaction. The absence of the threat of physical harm makes people braver.

The absence of face-to-face contact made a new possibility of interaction for participant and art performance. Moreover, Paul Sermon gave it an interesting metaphor, silent movie. As soon users can communicate by speech, they will resort to that means of communication alone – as speech is a dominant form of communication between complete strangers. Without speech the two users have to discover new ways in which they can interact.

Participant closely interact with each other.

Additionally, I think this artwork also pointed out a related issue, long-distance interaction. In the essay, Galloway and Rabinowitz also mentioned that their idea is to create an electronic, multimedia composite-image space which people separated by distance, language, values and culture could come together to collaborate. The concept of Telecmatic Dreaming, from long distance to zero distance, may potentially influence the further interaction design. It lets me recall that few months ago, Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau hosted an event titled “New York Times Square & Taipei – Join Hearts”. In this campaign, New Yorkers and Taiwanese nationals interacted with each other by simultaneously creating heart-shaped hand gestures, which were broadcast through live stream on billboards in Times Square and Taipei. Similarity, stranger can interact with each other without no geographic boundaries.

New Yorkers and Taiwanese nationals interacted with each other by simultaneously creating heart-shaped hand gestures

Research Critique: Ant Farm and Cadillac Ranch (1974)

Ant Farm

The collective was founded in San Francisco in 1968 by Chip Lord and Doug Michels. The group’s initial goal was to reform education, but eventually expended their projects to a deeper level of reflection and criticism of popular culture. Refer to they self-described:

“art agency that promotes ideas that have no commercial potential, but which we think are important vehicles of cultural introspection.”

Ant Farm was also always utopian, ironic and tongue-in-cheek. Their projects revealed the relationships between environmental degradation and mass industry, questioned the role of mass media and consumerism and demonstrated the use of advanced technologies with playful projects. A cultural historian, Rebecca Solnit mentioned that “The group is both part of the subculture and part of the mainstream.”. Moreover, Michael Sorkin, in his essay, “Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll, Cars, Dolphins, and Architecture,” also described Ant Farm’s architectural contribution in a cultural context that includes the French Surrealists and American car culture, such as the below case which remains an icon of American culture – Cadillac Ranch.

Cadillac Ranch

This project was created in 1974 in Texas. They buried 10 Cadillacs, vintage 1948 to 1963, in a field off Route 66 in Amarillo. In the heyday of pop-art and counterculture, this “Stonehenge for America” was trying to create a group that could express their non-orthodox views on architecture, design and media. Exactly, This project brought a marked influence, as Michels said in 1994 in Los Angeles Times, “It took from being an obscure, avant-garde artwork to being an American icon”. Before this artwork, no one considered that American automobile could be a symbol – a ironic celebration of the “grotesque and wonderful” tail-fin as the ultimate expression of wasteful design in American culture.*

*quoted from: here

The Cadillacs were buried in sequence from the oldest, 1949, to the newest, 1964. There are 10, each car representing the latest version of the famous Cadillac tail fin.

When Cadillac Ranch was widely covered on mass communication to draw visitors from around the world, Lewallen observed that, it is not surprising, since the audience for the actual event was largely limited to the press, this phenomenon perfectly exemplified Ant Farm’s

“remarkable ability to exploit the very medium they opposed.”
–M. Lewallen and Steve Seid, Ant Farm 1968-1978, University of California Press, 2004, p. 2

In a letter to Stanley Marsh 3, one of funders of Cadillac Ranch, signed “Rip-Off Artists” in their typically jocular manner, they request money to produce “trash souvenirs”. Ant Farm just were and are among the preeminent comedians of architectural culture.

This work were painted several times in a variety of colors and shades of grey. The pink period was one of the most popular, taken in 1990.

Additionally, I very like the one of discussion of Cadillac Ranch by Melissa E. Feldman in his essay, Unearthing Ant Farm:

This work stands as a symbolic annihilation of America’s two most precious and insidious commodities, the TV and the car, and by extension, an attack on corporate control of wealth and mass-media control of information.

Through this “Stonehenge for America”, in the first level, Ant Farm tried to deliver American automobile can also be a symbol of local. Afterwards, viewers may commence to reflect the conflict between consumerism and environmentalism. The final level, while the artwork was widely covered by press, it should be reviewed the issue of mass-media control simultaneously.

Research Critique: Immersion and Sensorama

The Sensorama is known as the earliest concept of immersive technology. It was invented by Morton Heilig who was touted as the father of virtual reality device in 1957 and patented in 1962 . It was a head-mounted display that played 3D film accompanied by sound, moving air, and aromas to create a virtual sensory environment. The user would sit on a rotating chair which enabled them to face this screen, and be shown the stereoscopic images which gave the illusion of depth and the ability to view something from different angles.

Morton Heilig using his Sensorama machine in 1984.

The Concept of Immersion

Simply, immersion can refer to “a perception of being physically in a non-physical environment”. While Morton Heilig was inspired by short-lived curiosities like 3D movies and Cinerama , he believed that:

“by expanding cinema to involve not only sight and sound, but also taste, touch, and smell, the traditional fourth wall of film and theater would dissolve, transporting the audience into a habitable, virtual world.”

In this “experience theater”, user is able to feel of being inside and interact with his environment in meaningful ways. And the combination of a sense of immersion and interactivity can be also called “telepresence“.

The First Virtual Reality Device (?)

Sensorama widely was considered the pioneer of VR technology. However, when I deeply studied, there are other critiques indicated that The Sword of Damocles should be the priority. They claimed that The Sword of Democles is more in-line with what we would consider modern VR, and importantly unlike the Sensorama, it is computerized. VR usually was defined as:

“A computer-generated scenario that simulates a realistic experience.”

But, from the patent publication of Sensorama, We can clearly find that the main structure was supported by non-computerized components.

“A visual image projection is supported by the housing, and an optical means is included to direct images from the projection means to the hood. In addition to the above, means is provided to direct a breeze toward this hood, and at least one odor-sense stimulating substance is positioned to be releasable into the breeze in response to a signal from a suitable coordinating means.” – Patent Claim

“Sensorama is the first VR device” still need to be considered and discussed further. From the modern perspective, The Sword of Damocles is closer to the prototype of VR whether the concept or structure. In my opinion, Sensorama may be defined the first idea of immersion experience, and the first VR device should be The Sword of Damocles. After all, immersion can be non-computerized.

Which one is the first virtual reality device? Sensorama or The Sword 0f Damocles

Selling The Future

Last but not least, This example is more unique than the previous works which discussing on the class. Heilig found commercial potential from this concept. In his patent publication, he was mentioned that in 50’s:

“There are increasing demands today for ways and means to teach and train individuals without actually subjecting the individuals to possible hazards of particular situations.”

Apparently, he successfully predicted the future, scores of companies use VR as a way to showcase their products and experiences nowadays. But in his generation, corporations weren’t ready, and this work failed to secure sufficient investment and sales. From the contemporary viewpoint, Sensorama exactly has a huge benefit and the direction of development is as he expected either. This failure story just like narrates that true genius is seldom recognized until it’s too late.

like Alex Lambert, Creative Director of a immersive experiences company, frequently references the case of Sensorama device. “It’s amazing that someone did this with the rudimentary technology of the 1960s. That’s some serious ambition!”

Research Critique: Hypermedia and Aspen Movie Map

Aspen Movie Map was created by Michael Naimark together with Peter Clay and Bob Mohlin the late 1970’s. It was a groundbreaking interactive virtual tour of the real world city of Aspen, Colorado. In this simulated environment, users can navigate the streets, go inside selected buildings, or even change the seasons between fall and winter. After researching, I think that this art work is notable for the two following reasons:

1. an early and classic example of hypermedia system.
2. could be seen as the origin of Google Street View.

Today, when people are wandering through Google Map’s street view, they may never know this idea has existed more than 40 years.

What is hypermedia?

According to “As we may think“, wrote by Vannevar Bush in 1945:

A memex is a device in which an individual stores all his books, records, and communications, and which is mechanized so that it may be consulted with exceeding speed and flexibility. It is an enlarged intimate supplement to his memory.

However, when I deeply found more articles, the term “non-linear” is often used when defining hypertext and hypermedia. I think this term should be done more comparisons and clarification for me and readers.

Traditional linear media vs Non-linear hypermedia.

Simply, novel and encyclopedia can clearly explain what the difference between “linear media” and “non-linear hypermedia” is:

Linear media: the information is written to or read from the medium in a given order, such as novel is intended to be read from beginning to end, and is therefore a linear medium. It may be written in the same way, but would not necessarily need to be, to be considered a linear medium.

Non-linear hypermedia: Non-linear medium is not necessary for the articles to be accessed (or written) in any particular order, like encyclopedia. Linear medium has a set path of how to get from a point to another point, whereas non-linear mediums do not.

Moreover, I also did a diagram to compare the difference between multimedia and hypermedia. Hypermedia usually refers to “link media” or “interactive media” and could be a software that connects elements(video, plain text or hyperlink) of a computer system, like the following example, Aspen Movie Map.

The first hypermedia system: Aspen Movie Map

A landmark hypermedia installation which allowed visitors to interactively explore and navigate the roads in a small town in Colorado. It was made through the world’s first laserdisc player which had been intended for the storage and playback of large movies. The below photos showing the automobile rigs used to create panoramas of the streets, then and now. (Aspen Movie Map & Google Street View)

Aspen Movie Map and Google Street View — It can find the main idea doesn’t change a lot after 40 years

This research what I learned is that, indeed, I never thought Google Street View can represent hypermedia. Users can wander visually the streets through the non-linear but linked medium of information. This is a familiar and classic example for modern people. Additionally, like the first concept of Dyanbook was designed for children, Naimark may never know that his art work can be developed a kind of navigation system for modern people.

Research Critique: Cybernetics, Nam June Paik and Magnet TV

Cybernetics

In 1948, Norbert Wiener derived this word from a Greek word, cybernēticḗ (meaning governance), and defined as “the scientific study of control and communication in the animal and the machine” in his essay. Nam June Paik described the impact of it as “the exploration of boundary regions between and across various existing sciences”¹. Yet, Ascott suggested that the spirit of cybernetics “offers the most effective means for achieving a two-way exchange between the artwork and its audience”². In the 21st century, the term is often used in a rather loose way to imply “control of any system using technology.”

As my aspect, it might be defined as a scientific approach of how humans, animals and machines communicate with each other through a practical action or interaction.

Nam June Paik

Together the historical concepts of cybernetics, and art works by him, have influenced how electronic art is conceptualized today. His artworks usually combined music aesthetic with technical and performative concern of new electronic media, such as a series of manipulated television sets and the Robot K-456. Personally, there are two crucial elements which indicate the contribution of cybernetics:

1. His use of cybernetics has left an important legacy for contemporary media art
2. Giving a new way to think about the machine in art

Just Paik said “Cybernated art is very important, but art for cybernated life is more important, and the latter need not be cybernated”³, I think he wants to convey if the artwork critiques society through a new technology and medium, society can learn and then grow from it.

Magnet TV

Magnet TV is an early example of Nam June Paik’s “prepared televisions,” in which he altered the television image or its physical casing. Physicist Norman Bauman describes the experience of holding a magnet to a television, and the thrill of seeing magnetic fields in motion. “When you learn to play a Paik TV, you are forced to see these patterns of technology in terms that are different from those you learned in physics”⁴.

Actually, after I searched the relevant studies of cybernetics, there are numerous results and quotes , but it is quite difficult to get a consensus or conclusion to describe what is cybernetics simply. However, I am still fascinated to Magnet TV, and convinced that a good artwork is always beyond the times. This is a quite interesting art of how human, human’s action and machine interact.

Reference

1. NJ, Paik (2004). Paik in Global Groove 2004, p.107.
2. Ascott, R. (1966). Behaviourist art and cybernetic vision. Cybernetica, 9(4), p.247.
3. Wikiquote, NA. from https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Nam_June_Paik.
4. S, Ballard (2013), Reichardt, [9] p.43.

What Is My Aspect of Multimedia

Forward

In my perspective, multimedia is defined as a culture and aesthetics communication based on the technological medium. It could be also regarded as a collaboration between artists and scientists. In the overture of this book, the author introduced the evolution of multimedia from World War II (the first computer produced) to twentieth century artists’ efforts (visual arts, performance and so on). In the previous generation, multimedia, this platform, provided a new opportunity to artists to develop their creations.

Additionally, the most impressive thing I got in this essay is when Wagner was seeking a idealized union of all arts, his idea was rapidly implemented after about 100 years. During 19th century, opera and cinema were the minor way to show what is so-called multimedia for these artists, but there is more possibility to create more art works for everyone after computer launched. This evolution not only illustrates the platform is always changing first(perhaps multimedia was not only integrated with computer in the future), but also presents that multimedia is not for artists anymore. Everyone all have a chance to produce their own effort with an image, a paragraph of text or sound track.

Multimedia and Meme
Before reading the overture, I assumed that the definition of multimedia must be combined with two or multiple media elements which should deliver aesthetics and make interaction only. The introduction of this book refreshes my understanding of this realm. Even an image or a paragraph of text, as long as it can spread the creator’s ideology or thought through technological way, they are all seem a kind of multimedia communication. For instance, in this era, there is a fad word call “Meme“. It is a virally-transmitted cultural symbol or social idea. The majority of memes are captioned photos or animation with a brief text that are intended to be funny, often as a way to publicly ridicule a culture or social issue.

Ridicule people always didn’t accomplish the goal they promised every year

Meme is a good example to represent what the perspective of modern people to think about multimedia. Unlike the 20th century which only a few artists had a chance to surf on the multimedia because of a high machine operation threshold. Due to the popularity and convenience of personal computers, contemporary people enable to learn this area, or even do their own creation easily. In my opinion, multimedia not only display aesthetics or personal work. Information delivery and social issue discussion play a more important role in this generation of multimedia.

My history of Multimedia

The history of multimedia begins with the Chinese opera in Song Dynasty. it is a popular form of drama and musical theater in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is a composite performance art that is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more than a thousand years, reaching its mature form in the 13th century.