Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines "art" as the conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of aesthetic objects. Not limited to pencil, paint or paper- today's artists can now express themselves in new ways with the use of new modern-day technology.
Besides the obvious photo modifying programs (IPhoto, Photoshop) the computer offers a way in which to publish an artist's work at no cost; rapidly and effectively. Today's generation of youth is extremely dependent on the internet; sites like YouTube and online blog’s creating a global network of ideas and emotions.
As students participating in Professor Packer’s Multimedia Art lecture, we were invited to participate in an online blog; containing a situational tour of an act of civil disobedience. Living in the heart of our country’s political system, there were plenty of excited protestors on March 19th to photograph for the project. Emotions flew and with tool in hand (my camera)- I was able to collect what I felt best portrayed the protest in its moment.
As we uploaded our photos into the computer, I contemplated what the essence of the project was. What was this inspiring within us? Reflecting back to how I felt leaving the Wednesday morning protests, I was sure of one thing. Whether we as national population can unite together, making changes necessary to move forward or not- that moment I truly felt like these people had the power to inflict their voices upon the mighty.
It was this epitome that encouraged me to emphasize the color in my pictures. Here, technology (IPhoto) allowed me to alter the contrast, color, sharpness, and crop accordingly where I wanted my audience to focus. With these tools I could change the way I portrayed my work.
However, drawing and painting should not be dismissed as uncreative. With drawing and standard-conventional art we are allowed to express feeling and emotions as well- yet with computer technology we are able to add an extra sense of creativity. Maybe this creativity evolves from taking the original piece and adding our own personal spin (Macintosh commercial versus Obama Ad), or possibly the ability to change facial features with a click and paste. In a blog for example, visional pieces can be emphasized with meaningful quotes, poems or narrative/prose.
As I previously mentioned in my first post, “Living in a constantly modernizing world, the computer has helped the individual with promoting their work easily and rapidly. The facility and accessibility one has to the computer has allowed artists to share their work at international and low-cost level. Laurie Anderson stated, "As these two life forms – human and machine – begin to merge a little bit, we're talking about technology really as a kind of new nature, something to measure ourselves against, to make rules from, to investigate." Agreed- the computer as a multimedia medium has no doubt allowed artists to express themselves indefinitely, and will continue to do so in the near and far future.”
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