Since the beginning of the twentieth century and the Industrial Revolution, there has been an intense movement towards creating technologies that would make the lives of humans easier. This trend started in the factories, as automobile companies like Ford, which once constructed cars by hand, are now completely operated by machinery. Because the invention of these machines has made our lives much simpler, scientists and inventors around the world are racing to create the newest and greatest technology. The art field is very similar to the science world; artists are now using machines and other forms of technology to create their art. It still is art, but it is gradually moving away from the traditional painting and taking a new form.
In his TED talk, Rodney Brooks suggests that our lives will be invaded by robots in a matter of years. In principle, this doesn’t sound like such a bad thing, as the robots would take care of the chores we loathe, giving us a greater opportunity to do what we want. However, there is the possibility that our society could eventually be run by robots like in the film I, Robot (2004). In the film, VIKI—the artificial intelligence unit controlling the entire city of Chicago—becomes corrupt, putting countless human lives in danger. When the film was released, human-like robots seemed like a distant reality. Only seven years later, there are extremely lifelike robots that can be found throughout the world, just like the Japanese models we saw in lecture. We are working so hard to push the limits of technology to create robots that will mimic human life and also make our lives easier. However, we must now think about the reality that we could push technology past the point where we can control it.
However, technological advancement doesn’t come without its costs. Art in the traditional sense has begun to suffer because of the improvement of technology. In his writing in “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter Benjamin talks about how people don’t perceive art the same way as they have in the past. He says that there is no longer a distinct differentiation between an original and a reproduction. You can now have an exact replica of a painting like Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” in your home for a quarter of the price because of the advances we have made in mechanical reproduction. Yes, it is true that art is now as visually appealing as it has ever been, but there are very few artists that create “traditional art” anymore because of the technological advancements that have been made over the last century. Because of this technological transformation, we are gradually seeing a new breed of tech-art forming.
Works Cited:
Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.
Gardiner, Bonnie. irobot. 2012. Photograph. BusinessTechnologyWeb. 14 Oct 2013. <http://business-technology.co.uk/2012/12/did-the-mayans-predict-terminator/irobot/>.
TED. "Rodney Brooks: How robots will invade our lives". Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 10 October 2008. Web. 13 October 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdyRmdv-KiY>
The Last Supper reproduction of famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci. N.d. Photograph. Xiamen Noah Art&Craft Co., LTDWeb. 14 Oct 2013. <http://noah-art.en.alibaba.com/product/1239825828-219205711/The_Last_Supper_reproduction_of_famous_paintings_of_Leonardo_da_Vinci.html>.
Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics pt2.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 15 April 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAZ8bo9T_Pk>
No comments:
Post a Comment