I’ve been thinking a lot about our technology class lately. Especially in terms of the things I’m making. I’m very exciting to be learning how to use different programs as hard as they are, (iMovie, I’m looking at you), but I’m just wondering if it is enough. What I mean by that is do these programs have the capacity for me to make art with them? I know I can answer that abstractly, saying yes but I’m not sure I could actually put that into practice with the particular art I want to make in my life. Can a how-to video be art? Am I mixing up art and craft? Learning a program feels like craft and that doesn’t bother me, but am I able to go on and make something actually personal and meaningful with this technology? I know it can be done, but I’m not sure if I’m going to be someone that’s able to do it. I think maybe my own mind needs to be expanded in terms of what art can and should be or is.
Now that I think about it, maybe my ambivalence with some of this interactive art is that I feel like I have no control. I’m a controlling person by nature, and I might have a hard time making art that is interactive.
With that said, I love the idea of the technology happening in these articles. My favorite is the Central Park Soundtrack. We need to have more companies hiring people to make such wonderful interactive works! This artwork reminds me of one of my favorite things to do. This activity simply involves going on a bikeride or walking around and listening to my music on shuffle or random. Sometimes the most wonderful combinations between environment and music happen, and I’m put into a euphoric state. Even if that euphoria doesn’t happen, interesting thoughts come up more for me when I’m listening to music and walking as opposed to just doing one of the activities.
I have mixed feelings about the apps for museums. While I think they can really be an incredible resource, I also wonder that maybe they can hinder some inspired feelings or thoughts that one might have from just experiencing the art there. Once you are told something, it changes your viewpoint of what you are seeing. This isn’t bad per se, but it is something to think about. I just worry about free thought processes and the element of discovery that is hard to come by with technology combined with art.
The article about the Arduino is a little bit confusing for me because I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these in real life or knew it was there. What I do know is that 30 dollars seems incredibly inexpensive for something that (appears to be) powerful! But, I also have some feelings about some of the uses in the article. For example, using the Arduino as something built-in to every artwork to see the museum-goers view the art seems almost a little invasive. I’m not sure if I want curators to know that much about me or curtail the exhibit to such a detailed degree. This is really something to consider and goes along with my previous sentiment about free thought processes and coming to a place of thought by yourself without technology involved.
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