#4 - Response to Lessig's book "Free Culture"

Laurence Lessig wrote a book titled Free Culture. Here are my selective thoughts…

Chapter Eleven: Chimera grabbed my attention right from the start. It actually wasn’t the content, but rather the title. A chimera in reality is a person with two sets of DNA. “Chimera” was also a term used to describe the half-human alchemy creation in the Japanese Anime series Full-Metal Alchemist (which I love dearly). In the series, the chimeras were miserable, since they were no longer fully human or fully “free”. Often, they would be put out of their misery through death. Lessig incorporates chimeras in his book by saying that the struggle between copyright and culture functions much to the same degree. He claims that both halves are neither right nor wrong, but in fact they are both right and at the same time both wrong. He suggests that instead of fighting for dominance, each side should impart rules that can govern the whole successfully. If not, one half will eventually give way (die), and the other half will soon follow suit since they are not separate but one “entity” or chimera.

Chimeras, contrary to their role in Full-Metal, do not have to be limited and unproductive. Earlier in history, when copyright and culture had a “working” relationship, chimeras were born in a timeless way. Walt Disney merged tales from the past with his own creativity to form such movie classics as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. If creativity is not allowed to build upon itself, at most, won’t it simply run in circles?

Before I read Lessig’s book, I was convinced that “free beer” was the way to go (basically, all digital media found on the web should be free to anyone who can find it). However, let’s say that the argument was over America’s way and the U.N.’s way instead of copyright’s way and culture’s way. I honestly, don’t want either to become dominant. The idea of partial power given to more than one brandishes cooperation as opposed to dominance. While decisions made for the common good will always come with a struggle, at least they will come. I agree with Lessig.

Media, in my mind, is this generation's history book. We use to write our pages freely, is this still true? If so, how long will it stay? There are only two sides to a coin, but what person in their right mind let's their future rest in a flip? Don't eat what is fed to you; feed yourself. Consider what is important, and stand up for it.

As so many great "inspirers" really meant to say, and as Russell Peters so blatantly put it, "Be a man - do the right thing."

#3 Assignment - Paul Saffo, Originality

In 1994, Paul Saffo wrote an essay titled The Place of Originality in the Information Age. This essay discusses the effects of technology on designer’s ability to create original works. While initially Saffo wrote about possible negative effects, in the end, I think he did feel that technology would further design as opposed to hinder it. To better understand Saffo’s later view, I will discuss a project done many years ago by Noah Webster. Of course, as you must know, Webster is credited with compiling the American Dictionary of the English Language in 1828. While I am sure this was an immense feat, it is not the project itself I will discuss, but rather it’s “never-ending” content. Have you ever thought of how many words are in the English language? Could someone ever add the last word to the dictionary? With words, there are restrictions. English only has 26 usable letters. If you are creative, you can even count Romaji (Japanese words in English form) and other words from different languages, but in the end you can only use 26 different little pictures. Even with its confining limits, an English dictionary can seem limitless. Each word is different and holds meaning – just like any design. Each word in fact is original, because when one letter is changed it is in fact a different word. Design has but one limit, and that is the limit we put on ourselves. I feel Saffo’s concern may have been related more to the individual’s character, than the “character” of technology. In his essay he quoted T.S. Elliot saying, “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge that we have lost in information?" Wisdom is derived. Deriving is an ability born from introspection which is directly related to one’s character. Our culture sometimes seems as if it has lost all its basic values. We wonder when the next leader with character will rise up. He may be the face of art, the face of music, or the face of our country. Saffo contemplated the new face of originality. With so many designers going through the motions of “copy and paste” and not deriving there art from their own talents, he worried that greatness may never find its way through to the next generation. But how many faces are there to find? The character and wisdom it takes to be original are just as rare as the character and wisdom it takes to be a good national leader. How many Michael Angelo’s, Mahatma Gandhi’s, and Martin Luther King’s were there? New technology/culture will define anyone who lets it, but he who has the character to display wisdom will redefine technology and culture. I would like to end with a quote from Paul Saffo himself, “We swim in a sea of culture, of memories old and new, and all our acts flow out in response to what we experience. In the coming age of infinite recall, I think we will rediscover a preindustrial fact: origin is not a point but a continuum, and the process of originality is much more linked than we imagine.”

Reflection on Lecture Series by Scott Snibbe

Scott Snibbe recently visited IUPUI and gave a lecture concerning his artwork. Born in New York, Scott Snibbe has studied both fine art as well as computer science. This background has contributed to his unique take on art, and enabled him to create some of the most "interactively-addictive" pieces in the world. While Snibbe presented several of his works during the lecture, I intend to share only the two I favored most.

On display at Beall Center for Art and Technology in Irvine, California is Scott Snibbe's interactive piece known as Concentration. Imagine a giant shadow puppet theater. Now instead of only using your hands, you are able to project your entire body onto the wall. Not only this, but if you were the first person "on screen" you possess a glowing aura. Other people on the screen will also glow while you touch them, and if they "dig" deep inside of you they get to have the "power" of the aura instead. (This is accomplished by reaching your "shadow hands" into the "shadow heart" of the other person.) What I loved about this piece was its beauty and symbolism. The stunning aura toyed with my mind as I instantly gave it attributes it couldn't possibly posses. Most rudimentarily I attributed it power. This may have come from the fact that only one person could "possess" the aura. I also gave it a sense of worth which may have resulted from the videos of people trying to "steal" the aura. The list could go on, but more importantly, the symbolism I sensed (or made up) grabbed at my own heart. What if the aura was knowledge, or what if it was an emotion? Don't we pass those unseen "auras" on to others in real life? Whether it is from our mind or our heart, we transfer our own aura again and again, by using methods of speech, signs, and yes, even a touch on the shoulder.

The other piece I enjoyed immensely is housed in Artspace New Haven in New Haven, Connecticut. The work is called Make Like a Tree. Again there is a huge screen that functions based on projected shadows. However, the screen contains elements of its own and records a certain number of past actions that are continuously being replayed. There is a series of trees always on screen. When a person walks across the screen, the action is saved and replayed between the first set of trees. When the second person walks by, the newly saved action is played in between the first set of trees and the first action is pushed back to the second set of trees. This continues for about five or six frames. What I loved was the idea of several different moments being seen at once as one overall moment (or movement). I can't help but say, I love things that inspire me! What if a pair of newlyweds wanted a work of art to celebrate their love? How beautiful would it be to change the basic scenery to ornate pillars with flowers or Arab tapestries in a sensual red color, and then have silhouettes of the couple dancing and kissing, etc. - all playing at once for just a moment...who wouldn't jump at the thought?!

In the end, I enjoyed Scott Snibbe's presentation and artwork. He inspired me, as I hope I have inspired you.

Blog Assignment #1 - My Topic of Choice

The Machine Stops
Imagine the world 100 years from now. What do you think life will be like? Would you believe me if I told you a man born almost 100 years before you could have a better idea of the future? It sounds absurd, but you haven't met E. M. Forster. Forster wrote a short fictional account in 1909 entitled "The Machine Stops." (click here for a link) In his story he addresses his view of the future through a relationship between a mother and her son. Here are a my thoughts:
I couldn't help thinking of the phrase "history repeats itself." The whole time my mind was fixated on creating links between the story's events and true historical accounts. This was not only with specific events but with general emotions and relative beliefs as well. While Vashti (the mother) seemed very cold she still couldn't completely shake the natural love she had for her son. While mankind itself was given everything it needed, rumors of waring against and punishing those who are deviant still existed. And above all, while fictionally today's religions did not exist, humans still couldn't shake the worship of a higher power. I sense that Forster recognized a unique key in life. While eras may seem so distinct, there have always existed basic truths that are in essence...plainly put...the truth. Kuno (the son) believed in freedom. It drove him near death, but he was persistent in what he felt was meaningful. That being said, the "truths" in life may not all be good. The machine itself concealed its errors until it was too late. The machine was deceitful and imperfect. My point is, though, that "learning from history" is not just deciding NOT to bomb a country or to start a war, but to actually look at history as a whole and draw deeper ideas and truths from it.

Issues

Okay, this is the second blog I've made...the first one no longer exists...it's weird, but that's life. So, let me say this again. To all my friends out there this blog is for school only right now, so please, as funny as it might be, don't spam this thing for giggles. Later Days All!
-Stephanie