“A new media object is not something fixed once for all, but something that can exist in different, potentially infinite versions. This is another consequence of numerical coding of media (principle one) and the modular structure of a media object (principle two).”

For someone like me, who isn’t the greatest at math, this reading was horrifying to me. I never had really imagined the role numeric data and the quantifiability of art, particularly new media. As I am leaning more about new media, this reading helped me to understand that all of the “data” that is numeric in New Media can help create something beautiful. As Manovich states in this section, numeric representation and modularity are fundamental parts of new media that allows for increased variability in art.

In new media, digital art can be manipulated because it is quantifiable. Manovich argues that this is what makes this work new media. He wrote that new media “is characterized by variability.” Variability,  he says, is the ability of new media to put out multiple, different, varying copies of a piece. This is only possible through the digital means of art, such as layers in photoshop, etc. This unique aspect of new media has helped it to be completely unique and allows for even more freedom by the artist. The artist can now manipulate the image in an infinite amount of ways and is practically limitless in what he or she can do.

I particularly enjoyed the way the chapter explored different types of digital forms and their role in art today. Though many people may be resistant to these new mediums and art forms, digital forms of art work seem to be gaining more clout and recognition. Though these forms may lack “human touch” through bristle marks, the artist’s tics, or minute errors, they may offer something new to art, and do not necessarily lack the artist’s signature.  One great example of this is Joseph Scheer’s work. 

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Scheer is an artist most famous for his work with moths. Using digital mediums and manipulations, Scheer takes scans of moths and enhances the image. His work offers greater detail and beauty than any camera could offer. These large prints have been shown in galleries all over the world from Brooklyn to Beijing and have been featured in The New York Times and National Geographic. He calls his works “Imaging Biodiversity,” and shows that intensifying the images and scans of living creatures creates a beautiful image that is haunting, and though it is altered, extremely natural. The hyper realism and enhancement in his work doesn’t seemed forced. Scheer shows that digital manipulation can be extremely beautiful, and ironically enhance natural beauty. His work also influences the science world and its relation to digital art.

Digital art can offer a new perspective and can challenge the eye in ways traditionally created art cannot. Though many may argue the artist plays a small role in the actual creation of art through digital mediums, the artists use and manipulation of digital forms can create a beautiful pieces of art. Scheer offers a new lens to look at nature, and enhances the experience in ways traditional art could not.

This art installation was a great interactive and hands on program that really forced me to re-evaluate how petrochemical plastic plays a huge role in my life. It was amazing to see how many ways plastic is used in our lives, so many that we often overlook it. Also, I was very interested in learning just how much natural gas is used to make plastic products. It seems like such a waste that a highly limited natural resource is used so freely and heavily on a product with an extremely short life span and detrimental effect on the health of the planet and its inhabitants. Yet our reliance on plastic is so heavy that we don’t even begin to see this as a problem.

I also really liked the idea of “adoption” of the plastic products we use. It was a very interesting way to phrase our use of plastic products. It paints an idea of ownership and responsibility- that we ought to be responsible for the plastic products we use, their effect on us and the environment, and where they go after we’re done with them. The act of labeling the items we brought in, added a sense of true ownership and responsibility for these items. We were then even asked to really “get to know” these items, further familiarizing ourselves with them, we begin to see their impact on the environment and our bodies. I particularly struggled with identifying my item, and then had to scroll through the many types of petrochemicals, each with their own set of problems.

It is an uphill battle trying to raise awareness about the dangers of being so reliant on petrochemicals when you can probably grab at least ten things made of plastic within arms reach right now. I felt awful when Marina Zurkow was talking about the impact and environmental cost of plastic while we all chomped away on our food with plastic forks, on plastic plates, sipping from plastic cups. I really appreciate all of her work and her desire to raise awareness about this issue. Since grade school we were all taught to recycle, but this was probably the first time I really got information on why we recycle, and how bad plastic really is for everyone. This art exhibit was great and I really loved working with the artists.

Sadly, my phone is an extension of myself.

Looking at writing ad visual communication through a different lens was very interesting. I loved the author’s questioning of the relationship and interchangeable nature between visuality and rationality. Often, questioning long established traditions (such as written language in this case,) can lead the reader far down into a rabbit hole. However I feel that the author clearly stated his beliefs and shared his ideas well. The author also leaves room for the reader to make a decision. When describing the world before writing, he paints a beautiful image that is also strikingly neutral:

“Until writing was invented, men lived in acoustic space: boundless, directionless, horizonless, in the dark of the mind, in the world of emotion, by primordial intuition, by terror. “

Another part that really resonated with me, was visuals and other forms of communication as an extension of oneself and seeing the “human environment as a work of art.” Also, the visuals were great and really helped get the point across.