NMA 2050: Nansi Matua

My work explores the idea of perception versus reality and how outside influences can shape our perception of reality at any given moment. We all see the world in a way that is shaped by our own experiences, so some thoughts and feelings that may seem real to us are not necessarily thought or felt by others. Perception often clouds our reality and causes us to feel as though our problems are insurmountable. We must find a way to understand that situations can be interpreted in a variety of ways and accepting a different lens can help us build empathy.

I would like to use my artwork as a way to represent the specific feelings that get in the way of perceiving reality as it is happening. I would also like it to be a way for others to better understand and relate to emotions that sometimes seem inexplicable. Using Photoshop as a medium, I digitally altered the photo.I used repetition to alter the “reality” of a central image by changing the opacity of many objects in the photo. I critically chose which effects would best convey the ideas and feelings I wished to evoke. I hope the viewer allows themselves the ability to perceive my artwork as they wish without letting outside influences affect them.

“The internet can be thought of as one huge distributed media database, also crystallized the basic condition of the new information society : overabundance of information of all kinds. One response was the popular idea of software “agents” designed to automate searching for relevant information.”

I never realized how important the automation of information was in my everyday life, especially when it comes to information access. Over the years, the amount of information on the internet has expanded exponentially. Without a systematic way of accessing this information, it would be lost in cyberspace and useless to internet users. What used to take hours of research to acquire is now at our fingertips because of automation. All kinds of media including images, audio and video files are capable of being retrieved at a moments notice.It has been debated that since we have all of this information at our disposal, we have less of a need to have knowledge on a variety of topics on hand.
The evolution of automation is very interesting especially when it comes to computer generated images. “Simple algorithms” are responsible for the creation of computer generated content.The fact that a computer can create images that are used in many forms of media is impressive and confusing. It has blurred the line between what is real and what is computer generated. The creation of video games has always interested me because of their complexity. The coding behind their creation can be simplified and the generation of images can be expedited because of automation.

I was drawn to Andreas Muller-Pohle’s ‘Blind Genes’ because the familiarity of the Braille caught my eye. The relationship between the gene sequences and Braille really impressed me. The idea of using the genetic code for blindness to create a piece of art that was represented in a way in which the people who were afflicted with the disability could understand was interesting to me.  After reading the passage, the line “Through a process of data translation, the genetic, organic ‘code’ for blindness manifests itself as Braille, the code and sign system that establishes an ‘interface’ with the seeing world.” was helpful in understanding the artist’s motivation and unique view point. The stacking of the symbols for cytosine, guanine, adenine and thymine was a clever way to create the digital image.  This piece ties together the idea of binary code through the use of Braille as well as through the use of a computer’s binary code  to create the artwork. As explained in Chapter 1 of “Digital Technologies as Tools”, it is argued that the digital image is not necessarily representational because it does not record physical reality, but is made up of pixels that consist of mathematical algorithms. The pixels themselves are part of a physical reality. The diligence it takes to use bits in order to create an image is admirable and leads to endless possibilities when creating artwork.

Upon arriving home after the new media arts presentation, I noticed that the textbook I ordered had arrived. When I opened the package I realized that an excessive amount of plastic was used to protect a very thin book that needed little support. I started noticing a lot of plastic waste throughout the day. I appreciate all of the facts we learned about the composition and degradation process of plastic because it made me more mindful of the plastic I use and encouraged me to recycle any chance I got. I also got a lot of helpful information from the New York Times article about BPA and women’s health. I had always heard about the dangers of BPA to women’s reproductive health but this article gave alarming facts. I stopped using water bottles without “BPA free” labels a while ago but that does not mean that harmful chemicals are not present in everyday household items. Today’s presentation made it clear that the amount of plastic waste is affecting our planet in  a serious and startling way.

When looking at and attempting to analyze the artwork in the new media space I realized the relationship between art and science in this piece was really interesting. I liked that the reaction of the rock to the propelling drill was portrayed in a way that was in conformity with the way rocks break apart in real life. I think this art installation made me realize the endless amount of ways artists can bring about social awareness. The unconventional questions we were asked to answer about our piece of plastic were a good way to realize that the waste we produce has an impact and needs to be controlled. I admired the way the artists were compelled to produce this artwork because of their focus on the issue of environmental waste.

The McLuhan reading reiterated a lot of my thoughts on the effects of media. I agree with McLuhan when he says “The public, in the sense of a great consensus of separate and distinctive viewpoints, is finished.” The media presents news in a form that is meant merely to grab our attention and not in a way that presents the facts in an unbiased manner. We are fed what the government wants us to know in the way in which they want to convey that information. While news presented by the media has become less trustworthy I have noticed that certain types of media have increasingly become a vehicle for social change (e.g. twitter and the Arab Spring), reiterating McLuhan’s thought that there is no longer inevitability and we are responsible for each other.

The phone is an extension of the ear.

This is test text. This is the beach.