WE are often taught that fine art painting and sculpture are the highest forms of art. One image created by a master of their medium. This type of art is restricted to its state of being, it captures one moment, one composition, and stays that way forever. The viewer’s concept of the art may change over time, however the art itself remains the same.
Using digital technologies as a medium allows for change to occur within the art, allows for interaction between the viewer and the art. It also allows for the distortion of space. I feel this is the most impressive feature of the digital medium.
Virtual space has always intrigued me, from the holodeck in Star Treck Next Generation, to movies like Lawnmower Man, and The Matrix. The concept of being in two places at once defies the laws of physics, however the more accepting we become of virtual space and avatars as reality, the closer we come to living physically in our body’s, while at the same time, living out our actions, thoughts, and emotions within another special environment detached from our physical body.
On page 94, the author cites Edmond Couchot as saying that the digital does not represent the parameters of space as we know it in other media forms. Peter Anders argues that what we experience as space is actually the product of mental processes, and that cyber space is an extension of consciousness. I’m becoming very intrigued by these concepts of what differentiates reality from the virtual. Considering that we can make conscious choices and detailed observations within virtual reality, digital medium is blurring the lines between art and physical boundaries.
Well done. Full credit for ch2.
ReplyDelete