Reading response #3 is due Sunday, May 3, 5PM, as a comment to this post. Your response should consist of a three-paragraph statement that answers the following three questions (one paragraph per question):
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
Pick one of the following readings: Delehanty, Miller, Oliveros, Russolo, Spirn, Toop, Trachtenberg, Ximm; and post as a comment to this post by Sunday, May 3, 5 PM.
43 comments:
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it. I selected the article “The Art of Instant Gratification” by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. The reason why I chose this article is because since in film 116 we’ve mostly been exploring sound this article would focus more on the art aspect. I also thought this article applies to the last sound walk in which we used a digital camera to capture the environment.
2. What are the main points of the essay? In the article “The Art of Instant Gratification,” Stephen Joel Trachtenberg discusses photography. He makes a point about how photography is used to capture memories, which over time becomes a history of ones’ life. He mainly discusses the history of photography and technological development of a camera. The first type of camera he Trachtenberg talks about is the “Small hand-held brownie camera,” made by Kodak. He then goes on to further explain the process a person would go through in order to develop a picture using a Kodak camera. In the beginning a person would need to send their entire camera to the company, and would receive it back with the printed pictures along with a roll of film. Later on, “Rolls of film could easily be taken out of the camera.” Trachtenberg then introduces the Polaroid camera, which allowed a person to see a developed photograph within seconds. Lastly, he discusses the invention of digital cameras and how a person is able to see the photo within seconds and is also able to store photos on a memory card. The development of the camera now allows us to upload our photos and share them on the web.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist? In the article “The Art of Instant Gratification,” Stephen Joel Trachtenberg explains the development of a camera and the development of photography. He shows how easily a photo can be taken today and how we are able to delete it with a click of a button. This relates to me as a media artist, because the technological development of the camera has given me great advantages. I am able to take several photos with a click of a button and with another click of a button I can delete them. When I was on my sound walk I was able to take several photos and look at them to see if I wanted to keep them. Later, I took those saved photos and uploaded them to my computer so that I could use them for my rough-cut sketches. Lastly, I was able to upload my video to the web to share with other people. With out the development of the digital camera I would not have been able to do any of these things and as a media artist I would have been limited to what I could have done with my project.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose "The Art of Instant Gratification" By Joel Trachtenberg because I appreciated the brevity of this article along with the way Mr. Tachtenberg employed the English language. His choice of words was an almost poetic appreciation of the history and assets of the camera.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
He follows the history of photography and the general perceptions people had of it. He starts with the invention of the camera and goes on to explain when Kodak made photography more accessible to ordinary people. He then follows up by describing it's intangible capabilities and how it is not only the "mirror with a memory" but also a tool to capture a person's soul or essence forever.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
The concept of capturing something forever is part of what led me from theatre to film in the first place. Although theatre is an amazing art form it is ultimately finite. With the technology of photography, I can make my work last for longer than an hour to two hours, perhaps.
Joel Augustine
Reading Response Three
THE ART OF INSTANT GRATIFICATION
I chose to write on the article The Art of Instant Gratification by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. I chose to write about this article because it has to deal with the same topic that we are discussing in many of my other classes. The topic of debate will digital take over the film realm. This change from an intimate hand process from a press of a button has show that photography has changed immensely. This change will keep on happening with new technologies and the change with culture.
In this article Trachtenberg goes through and discusses the history of photography and in stages how it got to be an instant form of art. He also talks about how the photograph serves as a scared memento the family because it holds a piece of that person’s personality, making a memory of that time. Trachtenberg talks about how photography came to the public in the 1940’s with the invention of a fairly inexpensive point and shoot camera that the public could buy. But with this camera the family would have to send it in to Kodak and get the pictures process and to get a new roll of film put into their camera. This all changed in the late 1940’s, when the invention of the Polaroid came to life. The Polaroid was the first form of photography that made it almost instantly. You just press the button and wait a couple seconds for the image to appear. After this movement, Trachtenberg talks about how the new digital cameras allow the public to capture that memory instantly and in the same amount of time are able to post in online for anyone to see. This is an extraordinary new revolution that allows anyone to capture an image that they want.
This idea of the instant gratification is not something as an artist I am opposed to, but I just see it as an extra tool. For me as a photographer, the only time I use digital is to compose a shot, or to test an exposure with flashes. Having the image appear instantly allows me to set up my shot faster, but when it comes to talking the picture with film I make sure everything is correct so I get the best image as possible. I feel that the instant process of photography is only helpful to me when I use it for these two things. The other handy part of digital photography is being able to change your ISO whenever you need to. But as an artist I feel I get more of a reward when working with film. Doing the hand process of developing and enlarging makes me feel that I made the image completely and have a much deeper connection to the image.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I read "Material Memories: Time And The Cinematic Image" By Paul D. Miller (DJ Spooky). To be honest, I just randomly chose from the reading options this time, so not special reason why I read this one instead of the others
.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
This article, in a very abstract way, talked about the ritual reflection of reality, different concepts of "time", Surrealism, the logic of selection in our perceptions, human transaction and consciousness - particularly in film, but also in every artistic expression of every day life.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
Overall, that "...it's all how you play with the variables that create the art piece."
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
-I chose the article Material Memories: Time And The Cinematic Image by Paul Miller because I found the reading to be enjoyable and it provoked a few thoughts.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
-The article highlights and indicates the times and methods in the history of the cinema that have deeply impacted the way we create and view films today. The article states how some of the many accidents in early cinema, such as Melias' invention of the 'cut' technique, are responsible for how long film has lived on so far.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
-Miller's section about Surrealism and how much of it is created by the outcome of random events felt to deeply relate to my work. I would start at a singe, small point of ideas and branch out at whichever direction was available, picking and choosing what I felt fit. An arrangement of random ideas would slowly be manipulated and morphed into something tangible and with form.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose Deep Listening: Bridge To Collaboration by Pauline Oiveros. I decided to choose Deep Listening: Bridge to Collaboration because I have a history in music.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
Collaboration is the only way we can get things done efficiently and effectively. We have come a long way in the past 100 years in recording audio and this is thanks to collaboration. Without collaboration we might not have things such as the tape recorder that gives musicians instant feedback when rehearsing.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
As a filmmaker collaborating is the only effective and efficient way I will ever be able to get a movie made, it takes actors, producers, directors, writers, grips, and many other people to make a film.
For this response, I have chosen to write about Joel Trachtenberg‘s “The Art of Instant Gratification.” I chose it because it was one of the articles that had me still thinking about it days after reading - more so in the ways in which I disagreed with him. I became stuck on his belief in the correlation between tangibility and memory or, in some respects, the importance of an image.
Trachtenberg gives a brief layout of the history of image capturing; speaking more so about the more affordable, average consumer products ranging from “Brownies” to digital cameras. The article mentions the progresses made in giving more control over image capturing and retrieval - from sending in the entire unit for development to the immediacy of Polaroids. He talks about how an image is a “vessel for memory, holding a precious sliver of life’s history within its frame.” Towards the end of the article, he begins to speak of the loss of the tangibility of photos and the move away from the old forms of image capturing.
I found it odd how he believed that “instant” forms of photography like Polariods are important “keepsake[s],” but the “faster than instant” digital pictures are somehow less memorable, “fleeting,” or having just a “glimmer” of importance. For myself, as a media artist, I have and always will wholeheartedly support the digital medium. Digital, at least on a professional level, has far surpassed the quality of 35mm film and will likely surpass 8x10 film and beyond in the near future. For me, the availability to leave the guesswork, time, worry, and most importantly the cost out of the process of image capturing can only leave me with more time and energy to devote to realizing my creative vision. Perhaps it is just a generational gap, but I feel that the ability to easily capture and share images with friends, family, and the world far exceeds the importance of the tangibility of the medium. He calls photo albums “sacred collections,” and I know that many people loved to share those collections of memories with friends and family. Now, with social networking, we can forever share those memories at any time without having to force anyone to do so. Tangible mediums are the old, and I say in with the new!
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose "Deep Listening: Bridge to Collaboration" by Pauline Oliveros. I chose this article because I found it really interesting how Oliveros learned to "Listen Deeply" on her own when she was a young child. Because of that point in her essay, I believe that she is a very bright person with unusual intuitions.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
One of the main points of the essay is to collaborate with other artists to develop your art more strongly. Oliveros collaborates with countless artists across the world in her work, to bring in other views and to simply listen to others. Listening is probably her most strongly emphasized point in this essay. She talks about how she believes that listening is probably the most important skill that could be taught in schools, because the skill of listening is pertinent to every job across the world.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
I believe that her ideas are extremely pertinent to my own practice not only as a media artist, but as a professional as well. Collaboration with others is a key tool in all professions. It is one of the best ways to improve your work and catch mistakes. Also, listening is another imperative skill. Listening carefully can prevent most mistakes in one's work and a careful listener will be more responsible with their time.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
For our final reading response, I chose the article, "Material Memories: Time and the Cinematic Image." by, Paul D. Miller (DJ Spooky). I chose this article mainly because I am a fan of Miller's music. HIs albums, "That Subliminal Kid", "Optometry", and "Dubtometry" are on constant rotation for me. His ability to flawlessly span diverse genres of music while incorporating unique "found-object" samples into the mix utterly amazes me. As I DJ, he has inspired me to be open minded, flexible and experimental with my sets, never settling for 4/4 beat after 4/4 beat. I figured if his writing was anything like his DJ sets, it would be a direct hit for me.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
Although the article's title would lead you to believe that Miller will be sharing a few choice thoughts on "Time and the Cinematic Image", he manages to delve deep into the human-psyche, time-space, art, science and technology - and this is merely scratching the surface. The article is largely about interconnectivity and non-linearity in our modern age. Part prose, part scholarly essay and part software tutorial (or so it seems) Miler cross-references the work of countless artists, filmmakers, scientist and philosopher's in an attempt to codify our fragmented collective past, present and future. Miller establishes a a literal web of human interconnectivity based on his experiences as a DJ, scholar, philosopher but most importantly as a human being trying to make sense of it all. "Trains, planes, automobiles, people, transnational corporations, monitor screens... large and small, human and non-human... all of these represent a seamless convergence of time and space in a world consisting of compartmentalized moments and discrete invisible transactions." Miller provides us with a brief glimpse into his life and experiences, challenging us to check out the set list of this scholarly remix.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
As I previously stated, I feel like Miller's work as DJ Spooky has profoundly inspired me as an artist. I must admit that I was surprised by the depth and breadth of his writing. I am interested in further exploring the individuals and movements that he discusses, such as Maya Deren, Andre Breton (Surrealism) and Georges Melies. I agree with his thoughts on the controlled chaos in which we exist and feel like his work will help me to branch out and make further connections in my own life-remix.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose The Art of Instant Gratification by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg because the title seemed interesting out of all of them.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
The main point of this article is showing how fast technology is changing in the photography world. To where it started out with having to have the correct lighting and the correct lenses and chemicals to create an image; but even before that the photograph was considered a religious mystery making some believe that each picture had a piece of their soul in it. Now a day’s all that has changed because within seconds we can click the camera button and have an instant picture to view right away and within a few more seconds we can have that image posted on the internet for the world to see.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
This article is relevant to me because I use the internet and technology to post and edit my photographs. I post my video’s and pictures and anything else I wish to share online so my friends and family and even people in my career path can see what I have done.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
Like about 20 or so other students, I chose “The Art of Instant Gratification” by Joel Trachtenberg. Why? Because it was short and easy to read. On a more serious note, the issues that Trachtenberg talks about have bothered me for quite some time. While I LOVE digital, and am convinced that it’s the way to go, there’s something about working with real, actual film. For another class, I’ve been working with film (both still and motion) and it is a much, much more involved process. I don’t know, it somehow seems more real, more tangible when it’s in print instead of on a computer screen. I found myself far more attached to the 50 or so pictures I took with the film camera than to the 100’s of images on my digital camera and computer. I can certainly identify with Trachtenberg in this article, although I think he gets a bit woo-woo at times.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
Essentially, he launches into a bit of nostalgia about old technology—how film was more tangible and, in a way, more valuable because it was often so difficult to obtain. Of course, people were working on ways to deliver photographs faster and better, and in the 1940’s, someone came up with the Polaroid—hit the button, a picture comes out. Fast forward 60 years and now we have digital cameras, easily accessed, easily shared, and easily deleted. What this means for the future of photography, no one really knows.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
As I’ve said, I love digital; I really think it is a far better investment than film. But I have developed some affinity for film as well. On the Drift 2 page, there was a link to a series of comments about the issue that Trachtenberg writes about. Some people speculated that digital made people lazy; others pointed out that it’s still easier to get good pictures right off the bat. I can personally attest to this; even though I used digital for this class, most of my mistakes could not be remedied well via video or photo editing software. In fact, the other film class I took provided an excellent challenge by forcing me to manually adjust my focus and exposure, and to think about the composition of my shots.
1. I chose Trachtenberg's "The Art of Instant Gratification." I chose this because the title attracted me. I guessed that it would be about sacrifice of materiality in photographs over the ease of convenience an how that has changed the art entirely. (The history of photography, especially instant photography has always interested me) In a way, I was right. (Also, the article is short ;) )
2. The essayist begins by going over a quick history of photography, touching on the way it was perceived when it was a very new technology, then heading into the commercial availability of cameras, the phenomenon of the Polaroid instant print and then on the the digital switch and global distribution of photos through the internet. I found the article to be rather uninspired in that it didn't explore the ideas that it presented very deeply, never took a side, and never talked about how seeking "instant gratification" has changed the quality of the art itself. It seemed to just present an interesting scenario and then not explore the "why" and the "now what." Although I did like his analogy of how global photo sharing sites are akin to a "collective memory."
3. The ideas presented are extremely relevant to my practice as a media artist because I am both an advocate of film and a lover of digital. For me, nothing will ever replace film in my heart. There's just something about a picture that you can hold in your hand. I'm also a big fan of Polaroid prints and I buy the overpriced boxes of discontinued film just so that I can have this art. It's not just that it's instant, but it's that it's the only one. There will be no copy and paste, no prints from negatives. There's only one Polaroid instant print and only one person will get to keep it. You have to be so much more careful with film. You can't edit the image in the same way that you can with digital. It HAS to be good. It fores you to challenge yourself as a photographer and wait for the moment. Film, for me, will never die, and I will keep taking photos and getting them printed for the rest of my life. BUT, on the other hand, digital images can be equally awe-inspiring. They certainly can't be beat when it comes to share-ability. But I don't think that their digital nature makes them any less "biblical" than film. It's still the magic art of capturing light through a lens.
1. I read the article called "The Art of Instant Gratification" by Trachtenberg. I decided to choose this out of all the articles because I think that having an understanding of photography is important and can aid you in a film career.
2. The main points talk about evolution of photography and how technology has changed. He also briefly touches on how those changes have impacted the photography industry and the way people approached their technological technique.
3. Going back to the first question, I think this is very prevalent and beneficial to me. It's important to have an understanding of that relationship of still image to film. All film is, is a series of still images. So in terms of personal technique, things I use in photography can translate into techniques I'd use in film.
For this reading response posting, I have chosen the article The Language of Landscape by Anne Whiston Spirn because it is so convoluted that this article begs for a response. This article is broken down into three parts: Landscape is Language, Landscape is Meaningful and Expressive, and Landscape has Consequences. But the three parts could have been condensed into one idea that landscape is dynamic and influential. Landscape, as with any other observable element in human experience, goes through recognizable patterns that leave behind evidence of existence. Celestial bodies move in poetic ways, volcanoes bring death and renewal of life, seasons changing from winter to spring bring about juvenile remarks of rabbit mating habits. All of these things can be understood has having language, meaning, expression, and consequences. Spirn does not reveal to us any unique concepts, rather Spirn romanticizes landscape to warn her fellow human beings to respect the landscape or the landscape will disrespect humans straight into extinction. Spirn metaphorical essay could be enlightening to high school student pot smoker who has just seen Disney’s The Lion King and is beginning to understand how interconnected the world really is, but it has all been said before. Why say it again? As for relevance to artist practice, this article is just another exercise in applying meaning to a subject within an artistic context. Everything has the potential for meaning and meaning can be found in anything.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I read the article "The Art of Instant Gratification" by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. I chose it because it sounded interesting to me. I also wondered how we recieve instant gratification when there are so many steps or processes to go through while making a film project.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
Trachtenberg writes about the history of cameras and how they capture a little piece of the subject of the photograph, and how the camera has progressed ober time. He also talks about how it is so easy to put pictures online now that he feels they lose some of the value they one had. He says "While printed pictures still can be made, doing so is rare; the intimacy of the touch is gone. What was once a keepsake is now but a glimmer...Snap your fingers once and the digital camera captures the image. Snap twice and the image is on your screen. With three snaps, the picture is off into cyberspace, perhaps to be shared, perhaps gone forever."
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
This relates to me as an artist because I have taken many photos, but printed out hardly any, making this article extremely true for me. Not to mention most of my pictures DO end up on the internet. Whether it is for a project I am working on such as the ones for this FILM 116 class, or just to share with my friends on Facebook. And as Trachtenberg was saying, people dont cherish their photographs and hold them like keepsakes anymore, I completely agree. Even grandmothers who used to whip out their "bragbooks" full of page after page of their grandchildren and families, not have electronic photoframes whith a memory card to hold their photos.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose the article "The Art of Instant Gratification" by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. I believe the reason that I decided to read this article is because it talks about saving and deleting memories that were captured on our cameras.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
The main point of the essay is that since the beginning of time people have always wanted a way of instantly getting the picture that they took, but then when they do get it, they tend to just delete it. The author goes on to talk about how this has been happening since photography was developed back in the late 1800s, and how it now happens more and more with the advent of digital imagery. Trachtenberg points out that most of our population wastes their time taking pictures, when they end up deleting them or sending them off to some hidden corner of the internet to never be seen again.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
The ideas are relevant in a sense that we, the students of film 116, are doing this very same thing. Yes, we keep all of the footage, pictures, and sounds that we record, but then we chop and mutilate them to try to attain the perfect collection of audio and imagery. Yet, once we attain this, the left over material is deleted, or kept on a hard drive never to be seen again. In a way we are all like the person that Trachtenberg describes in his article; one that now can pollute digitally.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose the article "The Art of Instant Gratification" by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. I chose this article because it related to how we used digital photography and video recording on our Drift 2 walks.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
In this article he discusses the concept of photography and how it is used to capture memories of single moments in time, these captured memories become a history of one's life. He goes into detail about the history of photography. He talks about the "small hand-held brownie," made by Kodak. He then discusses how someone would develop a picture using a Kodak camera. He than goes on to talk about the Polaroid camera, which allowed a person to see a developed photograph within seconds.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
This article relates to me as a media artist because as a media artist we are forced to reckon with all the technology that is offered to us today including these cameras that allow photographs to be taken in instances and to be deleted in an instance. It relates to how we used our cameras on our Drift 2 walks and how we captured those single moments on our walks.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I picked the article "Art of Instant Gratification" because I saw it was about using the camera as an art form. I thought this would link to the drift assignment because we used more camera work than before.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
i found that the main points of the article was to discuss the art form and techniques of cameras. He uses the first dispensable Kodak to sow examples of how cameras have come a far way into creating art and why it considered an art form. Also he explains about how newer cameras making it possible to instantly see your art work/photos. And how this instant way of seeing your pictures has changed the way the camera is used.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
This is relevant to the practices of a media artist because it gos into how cameras have progressed and how they are still progressing into more instantaneous pictures. We have to keep up with new technologies and techniques to stay with new groundbreaking artists. This form of art is always changing and we have to keep up and still make creative art work through the camera.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
-"The Art of Instant Gratification" by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg was the article I chose. In today's society it is not only convenient but also an expected necessity that everything be available almost instantly. We're in far too much of a hurry to wait for anything that would take a process of over 20 minutes to complete.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
-This article discusses the evolution of photography and how it's significance has changed with it in society. What once was cherished mementos that required a careful hand's touch has now become an easily discarded digital copy that can be re-attempted in a matter of seconds. We've come to take the art of photography for granted and care more about on-the-spot satisfaction.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
-I too often found myself quietly nagging the recording equipment for these drifts in some way to make them process information faster. When an editing program has to take a couple seconds to render out a scene it feels as if time has come to a screeching halt. We've simple become too accustomed to "instant gratification". Fast food, high speed internet, highways; it's not just limited to art medias that we expect fast results.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I selected the article, "Deep Listening" by Paul Olivero's. I chose this article not only because it was the first one I saw, but I knew it would directly relate to what we have discussed in class. I also hoped this article would help me receive new ideas/strategies when I want to just relax and listen to what's going on around me.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
In this article, Paul discusses how collaboration has influenced his work. He briefly mentions a few works that he has done that have involved over 100 artists. One of his works took place over 10 years, and created an art piece that was shared world wide. Mainly, in this article he focuses on what it means to work on a collaboration art piece. He defines it as joining or combining forces with another/others in interactions to produce work. It's a community effort; preferably one that demonstrates equality. Paul also discusses an activity he has learned by listening to his recordings from early on. He describes it as sonic meditation. A form of deep listening while sustained focused on the noises heard from your surroundings. The last thing I learned from this article is Paul's definition of listing. He believes that listening is a process of what we hear; for meaning, understanding, and direction or action. For some reason I really like this definition, and I hope it sticks with me during my next listening exercise.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
I think the ideas I have learned while reading this article are relevant to my practice, because it helps me focus on what I'm doing. I like the idea of sonic meditation; because I think its a great way to relax while learning more about your surroundings. Practicing this exercise will help me generate new ideas/theories which I believe will directly help my work as a media artist.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I’m choosing to respond to Stephen Joel Trachtenberg’s “The Art of Instant Gratification.” Photography interests me a lot and I’m especially intrigued by the debate between digital and film. I enjoy both film and digital photography so naturally I was drawn to this essay. Our society is built around the idea of instant gratification, whether it’s our fascination with the lottery, the newest trend diet, or plastic surgery to name a few examples.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
This article gives a brief history of photography with emphasis on the pursuit, and eventual realization, of instant photography. Trachtenberg fears that the magic and mystery that was once synonymous with photography is now gone in an age where anyone can snap a picture with their phone, and where film is being made less and less. I almost get the sense that Trachtenberg is wondering where this medium of art is heading next. In the past decade alone we saw an explosion of technology in the field of digital photography. The technology came about quickly and is now even more effective than its celluloid counterpart. One wonders what will be the next technology to come about and change how we think about photography.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
The digital vs. film debate going on in photography circles is the same one that continues to go on in the filmmaking world. After having the opportunity to dip my feet in both processes of making films, I have to admit, I am torn as well. Like Trachtenberg, I find something special about the physical act of touching my work. The hands-on approach makes for a more rewarding final project. However, the availability and ease of the digital wave makes it hard to resort to the more primitive way of making films. This debate will rage for a long time to come and I will be presented with the choice between film and digital many more times in my life. However, I feel that there will always be something to be said about using film whether in photography or in filmmaking.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.I chose the article “The Art of Instant Gratification” by Joel Trachtenberg. Enjoying photography myself, I found his analysis of the progression of imagery of interest. Not only was it a history of how cameras have obviously changed over the past 150 years, but how human consumption of images has had an effect on the meaning and importance of images.
2. What are the main points of the essay?The essay mainly spoke to the progression of photography and it’s role in society. Images began as a rarity; something so uncommon that a few believed those pictures had the ability to capture a piece of your soul. Photography progressed to a rather common occurrence, where ordinary people had the ability to become “visual chroniclers of all aspects of daily life”. As technology progressed the importance of each picture decreased as immediacy increased. Photographs became more immediate, starting with Polaroid pictures and eventually progressing to digital images. Now pictures are commonly viewed on screens, saved to computers and hard drives: rarely are they tangible physical assets.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?The idea of this article speaks to my desire to continue the craft photography as it was originally created. Continue the process that makes each picture unique and important; the light, the lens the paper and chemicals and of course me, the photographer. I think that a lot of times our digital world has neglected tangible art. The need for immediate recognition that can be had through social networking sites like picassa, mysapce, facebook has trumped the true craft and uniqueness that can be shared in smaller groups. I think it’s important for any artist no matter their medium to take a step back and reflect upon the progression and intimacy that their craft once had.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose David Toop’s article, The Art of Noise. My reason for choosing it was its origin site, the Tate Online. I’m a little familiar with the Tate, as it was popular topic of conversation while at school in New York. Also this article was very interesting to me since it deals with the creating art with everyday noises.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
The main point was the about noise as art. It described a little on the history of noise as art when the Italian Futurist Luigi Russolo had an idea that noises could be used to create music. The article described differences between art and sound and sound art. It also introduced many influential artists in this specific medium. It also touched an idea that I wish would have been covered more in the article, that being the abstractness of sound. Sound is not concrete like other forms of art, which is all together very intriguing.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
I have always been interested in music but not being able to play any instrument very well left me with limited option when it came to trying to make music. With my recent introduction to noises being manipulated to create music, and the programs that I can use to create sound art I have become manipulating noises from my drift walks into music has been keeping me very busy and entertained. This form of art, creating noises into art has expanded my constricted thoughts on noise.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose the article "Deep Listening: Bridge to Collaboration" by Pauline Oliveros. I don’t have a specific reason why I chose it besides that I like the article. I am interested by the idea of deeper listening; it is something I have not really thought about. Also, I liked the article because the author is an extremely accomplished and experienced female composer and performer who has been working on her career for nearly 45 years at the time she gave this speech. It is a bit inspirational, I must admit.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
Oliveros starts the article discussing the idea of collaboration. I completely agreed with her description, “A collaboration is a community of effort - preferably an equality of effort.” Personally, I think collaborating artists bring forth great ideas, and sometimes can help make changes in modern society. She has collaborated with “hundreds of artists from many parts of the world” and has experienced 45 years of continual change in technology that has shaped the world of music making and computing. Oliveros then talks about her life as a music ‘listener’ since her mother gave her a tape recorder in 1953, up to projects that she planned for 2001 (the article was from 1998). In 1970, for instance, she began working on her project of Sonic Meditation, which has since been practiced throughout the modern world. Also, in 1981 she founded her own non-profit arts organization, the Pauline Oliveros Foundation: Anchor for the Arts where she could continue teaching about her long-standing work of Deep Listening. As of 1998, she was planning on leading the Eighth Annual Deep Listening Retreat at Rose Mountain in New Mexico.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
I am always open to new ideas and down for learning them as well. The article is inspiring, for any type of Media artist, but especially for me as a female. As a media artist myself, I look forward to expanding my knowledge, which will help with my future ideas. I am interested in what Oliveros worked on as far as Deep Listening and Sonic Meditation, and I hope to explore those ideas. I can relate to her way of attempting to understand the world of sound in unconventional ways. I can look at the author’s history and her career and all she has done and have hope that I too could have a life like that if I am inspired to.
1. I chose this article because lately I've been getting into music that uses more "noise" than traditional instruments.
2. Some of the main points were about how "noise" had never existed until man invented the machine. Otherwise, if had just been quiet, natural noises (With the exceptions of earthquakes, waterfalls, etc.)
3. Well, it's hard to capture sounds in the city without "noise" of machinery. However, a lot of noise can be beautiful.
For this, the last reading response, I read “The Art of Instant Gratification” by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. The reason why I chose this article is because since in film 116 we’ve mostly been exploring sound this article would focus more on the art aspect. I also thought this article applies to the last sound walk in which we used a digital camera to capture the environment.
Trachtenberg gives a brief layout of the history of image capturing; speaking more so about the more affordable, average consumer products ranging from “Brownies” to digital cameras. The article mentions the progresses made in giving more control over image capturing and retrieval - from sending in the entire unit for development to the immediacy of Polaroids. He talks about how an image is a “vessel for memory, holding a precious sliver of life’s history within its frame.” Towards the end of the article, he begins to speak of the loss of the tangibility of photos and the move away from the old forms of image capturing.
Like Trachtenberg, I find something special about the physical act of touching my work. The hands-on approach makes for a more rewarding final project. However, the availability and ease of the digital wave makes it hard to resort to the more primitive way of making films. This debate will rage for a long time to come and I will be presented with the choice between film and digital many more times in my life. However, I feel that there will always be something to be said about using film whether in photography or in film making.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
For my article analysis, I chose “The Art of Instant Gratification” by Stephen Trachtenberg. I chose this article because he touched on the shift from film to digital without being too biased. As someone who prefers film to digital means, I am still open to new technological advances and agreed with the article in that with new advances in technology, the connection and intimacy with the film is lost.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
This article mentions the history of image capturing and the progresses that have been made with the camera. Everything from sending the entire camera in for film processing to instant, digital snapshots have all been advances viewed as either beneficial or as steps away from the more intimate, tangible process.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
The ideas and arguments in this article were relevant to my practice as a media artist because I find myself struggling between which medium I enjoy more—film or digital. I find film to be more exciting and aesthetically pleasing, but I also enjoy the effects that can be achieved through digital means. And according to the reading, I’m definitely not the only one who finds these advances in technology to be somewhat disruptive to the magical feel of film.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose the article ”Soundings” by Suzanne Delahanty, it had a lot of information on the history of sound and how it was accepted by the art world and audiences in general. It gave me great interest learning the different techniques in sound, and the evolution of what is still an abstract topic as far as what is listenable and not.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
In the article “Soundings” it essentially starts with the Greeks and how they viewed music as the most powerful of mediums of the art world. The article then goes on to discuss the Renassance period and specifically Leonardo and how sound/ music influenced his work, but he quickly dismissed it as a lasting art. “Soundings takes a jump into the Industrial Revolution period and it talks about how the advent of machines affected sound. Artist used machines as a vassal for new works, and mimicking those sounds became a whole new spectrum. For example it was used in music scores: typewriters, morse-code, etc. etc. It goes on to detail how technology has allowed sound to intergreate with the plastic arts. The dawn of recording and such has allowed documentation and representation at any point.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
One thing that “Soundings” talked about was the allowance of documentation of sound, and making it available for masses. When I went out to record on my mini-disk player I documented a concrete thing that can be shared over and over again, and shared with unlimited amount of masses. The other idea that “Sounding” talks about that is related to my practice is the plastic arts being able to adapt with sound. When I went out on my drift walk I took various pictures, and these plastic arts that are concrete and available can now be paired with my sound that I recorded to create a combined experience that the article was talking about.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it. The article that I have chosen was "The Art of Instant Gratification" by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. I choose this because it related so much to the final Drift that we did and how it dealt with sound and imagery.
2. What are the main points of the essay? Trachtenberg went through the history of photography. He also covered how wide a range there is in camera's. The range goes from 'hand-held browines' all the way to the digital camera. Trachtenberg also managed to add how a camera is not just taking a glimpse at a moment in life but how it captures the memory of that moment in life.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist? Trachtenberg brought up how a photo is forever, and I really liked that. While I was out on my sound walk, I thought about all the pictures I was taking, as just that, pictures. But know when I look back at it, they were more then just pictures. They are my memories of not just that drift walk, but also of this semester.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I read "Deep Listening: Bridge to collaboration" by Pauline Overos. I chose this article because the title of the article really sums up what i have taken from this class. The author is making a connection between sounds and meaning. She also discusses how deep listening is a skill often underutilized.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
The first part of the article emphasizes the importance of collaboration of ideas, and good experiences the author has had. She also talks about how technology has mad collaborating easier, as well as networking and meeting people with similar interests. She goes on to talk about how listening has changed her composing process, and how so much information goes in one ear and out the other when people hear but don't listen.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
The ideas in this article reflect what i have been learning in the field in a couple of ways. The first point in the article about collaboration is relevant because peers create a net of constructive criticism and support. The way Pauline Oliveros and Lester Ingber combined martial arts and deep listening piqued my interest as well. My personal experience with martial arts and the discipline that it teaches definitely can be utilized with all aspects of life.
1.Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose the article, “The Art of Noises”, by Luigi Russolo, because it seems that this article makes an accurate summary of what “noise” is presented to be in this class. Noise is presented as not just sound, but art in itself and sound being something different than noise. In this class, we have learned that urban sound is comprised of many different noises, some that cannot be avoided in the urban landscape by any means.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
The essay points out the difference between sound and noise. It brings attention to the tiresome music that has been composed by the same tones and noises for many centuries and calls for the need of new “noise-sound” to emerge. Russolo says that noises can be put together rhythmically and “in tune” without taking away their irregularity in temporal variables or intensity.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
The definition of noise as an art in this article directly encourages me as a media artist to take all noise that I encounter as valuable. This class states an importance that there is a need, while recording sound, to take special care to capture many aspects of the landscape that we are focusing on in order to gather a more accurate account of such place.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose the first reading on the schedule, for no particular reason.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
The essay is stressing our “instant” need as a culture. How photography used to be a rare and expensive experience but is now an instant, intangible experience that anyone can do. He stressed that photos don’t mean the same as they used to.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
The article definitely brings strong convicts to itself. They relate in the way that, for this project we prolly have much more information and material than needed and that over half of it will never be used. And yet that doesn’t faze us in what we do.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I choose to write about the article titles “The Art of Instant Gratification” by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. I found this article interesting for I did not realize the history of the camera and how far we’ve gone since then.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
The article discusses the evolution of the camera. In the beginning, the process included mailing the whole camera to Kodak to develop the photos. Eventually technology advanced so that film could be replaced at home and you could still use your camera while the photos were being developed. With time, Polaroid provided instant, tangible gratification that could be viewed just a few short minutes after the photo was taken. Now, with the help of digital cameras and cell phones, photos can not only be viewed instantaneously, but they can also be sent to friend and family just as fast.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
I find myself taking multiple photos of the same object to make sure that the shot is just right. With a digital camera it is easy to determine the perfect shot and cheap to reshoot. Once I’m at home, I have no need to part with my camera nor do I have to pay for photos I took that I do not want. Not to mention that I can immediately download the photos to my computer and send to my friends and family without ever printing them.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
The article I read was Paul D. Miller’s “Material Memories: Time and the Cinematic Image”. Miller, also known as DJ Spooky, is a favorite DJ of mine. I really admire the work he did for the soundtrack to the movie SLAM (featuring slam poet Saul Williams). I was curious, because it is so rare in this day and age for a ‘mainstream’ dj/MC/director/actor/etc. to be stepping outside of their medium. That is, it is strange to find them writing, as Mr. Miller has.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
Miller’s piece muses, in a very lyrical form, on the way we experience time. He contends that our experience with time is very chronologically specific, that we are immersed in a culture that experiences the flow of time in a unique way – different from the Ancient Greeks, from any other civilization or society. This concept of a ‘temporal experience’ can be applied, he argues, to the moving image; to film. Referencing Duchamp, Miller notes how this relation to a fourth-dimensional concept ultimately and utterly changes the way we participate in the ‘creative act’. When it comes to filmmaking, the ‘cut’ is merely a distortion of the space and/or time being presented on the screen.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
This article shows, once again, the immense importance one must place on editing when working with film. As is often said, “you make a film three times: when you write it, when you shoot it, and when you edit it”. Miller’s article does not add much to the expansive literature on the subject of editing as an art form in and of itself, nor does it add much in the realm of understanding a third-dimensional being’s relation to the fourth-dimension. However, what this piece DOES show me – through it’s lyricism – is that traditional writing is not necessarily the best way to convey an idea. To read Miller’s article one must become attuned to his lyrical stylings as one goes along…only without the beat. This, more than Miller’s actual ideas, is much more relevant to Daniel Schneider, the writer and filmmaker; this shows how to grab attention and not let go through the not-so-subtle manipulation of language.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I read "The Art of Instant Gratification" by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. I chose this article, one because it was very short and easy to read. I also chose it because I'm a film/photography major. So when I can read about my favorite thing, which is photography I will do it.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
Throughout the essay Trachtenberg discusses the history of photography. He first discusses on how people viewed photography as a somewhat religious meaning, each time a photograph was taken part of there soul was captured as well. It is a good thing that is still not the case, because with how many pictures I've had taken of me, I would have no soul. He also discusses how you used to not be able to see any pictures until they are printed and now they are ready available. The other day I realized that I have 80, yes 80 albums on Facebook, and with 60 pictures in each album, that means I have an amazing 4,800 pictures on there. With that being said photography has obviously come a long way, and clearly I take way to many pictures. This just goes to show what Trachtenberg was saying though, how images are so easily taken now compared to how they used to be.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
The ideas are very relevant to my own practice. One I do still have an old school film SLR camera. However someday I do realize I won't be able to use it, because film is going to become an outdated practice. However with digital photography I can do so much more editing to all of my photos, which is nice. Sometimes you take a descent shot, but with a little photoshop work you can make it into an amazing shot. I feel that with digital photography there is no limitations. I do like the suspense that you do get with film photography though, always waiting for your pictures to develop, but even now you can also get them on a CD, so you can digitally retouch them.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose the article "The Art of Instant Gratification" by Stephen Trachtenberg. I chose this article because before I decided on being in the film department, I had a good background in photography in high school and the fact that this article talks about it intrigued me.
2. What are the main points of the essay?
Trachtenberg talks about the history of photography and the processes involved with the medium. It is a history lesson in the developments that have been made in the photographic world. Originally have to send in the camera for prints now has become obsolete as the age of digital cameras is here. Personally I still enjoy the process of taking pictures on film and developing them myself, but the resources aren't at my disposal and digital is much easier and produces a better image.
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
As a media artist, camera's are an essential part of life. During the drifts this semester it was nice to be able to take a bunch of pictures and then decide whether or not to keep or erase them, rather than having to develop them and choose negatives that worked. You never have you worry about the aperture, lighting, and focus with a digital camera. All in all, digital is a more superior form of taking pictures, though the graininess and feel of film cameras still have their place in the arts.
1. Identify the article you have selected and why you chose it.
I chose the article written by miller. I chose this article because it had a very deep art vibe going throughout and made me think of how deep art can get
2. What are the main points of the essay?
The article's main points are basically of how time can affect art and how you can use time as a tool for your art
3. How are the ideas or arguments in this article relevant to your own practice as a media artist?
I think that the depth he goes into and the examples of surrealism and chaos all help me think differently as an artist.
I chose the article, “Deep Listening: Bridge to Collaboration,” by Pauline Oliveros, because it deals with the listening skills we have been trying to hone in this class and the fact that collaboration is essential in the field I am entering. The essay covers issues about my present situation along with ones that I will have to work on for the rest of my career as a filmmaker.
Oliveros first stresses the importance of collaboration, because there are many pieces to be put together, and a different person can bring the most skill to each aspect. You have to be able to work well with others, because, though everyone is doing their own part, they all have to be on the same page when it comes to the main focus of the project. People have to be able to communicate ideas to each other, and understand that there will have to be compromises when you are collaborating. Pauline then goes into talking about ‘Deep Listening,’ which she believes is a necessity, because we tune out so much around us. We have to re-learn how to hear the many things going on around us that we simply zone out in our daily lives. She talks about how listening should be taught much more, as opposed to only reading and writing. If you focus on listening you can get a much deeper understanding.
As an aspiring filmmaker, these ideas could be quite helpful to me in better understanding the world around me—a skill which is necessary when you are trying to re-create the world around you through art. Noticing more than just visual aspects of the world can open your mind to many more possibilities and a much better understanding of whatever you are trying to convey. If you can pick up on things that people may not notice, and show them, you may end up influencing them to do the same.
I chose Trachtenberg's The Art of Instant Gratification, because it was the first one on the list. The essay talks about how cameras and photos have changed over time--and how now, with digital cameras, photos can be uploaded to websites or deleted without having to ever have been printed first. This is really relevant today, as we are constantly taking pictures and deleting them, sending them to friends via online or by phone, altering them, and using them for worldwide viewing. It seems that with new technologies, we are trying to use everything faster and more to our convenience. We don't have time for using things that work too slowly or not up to our standards. If something new comes out, we prefer to use this for our everyday viewing habits and usage, whether it be with cameras or televisions or video playback devices. We want the quality better, and so we are always looking for improvements. Artists need to keep this in mind. Flexibility is key to using the best equipment to get your message across. If you chose to use an older way of displaying your artwork, you need to find a way that is engaging the the viewers--you want the I-want-it-now fastpaced populations of today to have a reason to stop and look at your artwork, especially if it is lacking the digital-age inventions to show it.
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