How does technology mediate the artist experience?

How does technology mediate the artist experience?

The technology that was available to me to synthesize my project both helped and hindered the different parts of the process. One thing I noticed while doing the situational tour is that there are different steps to take and create good photographs than for creating good paintings. The processes differ because there is only so much you can do with the equipment and object or setting that you are photographing.

In our painting class, we can take artistic license while we are setting up the design of the painting. With photography, you take many pictures, and work with what you have. I ran into this problem because it was a dark night at the vigil and my camera was not sharp enough to capture the scene very accurately. This was both a problem and an opportunity.

The advantage to taking digital photography is the fact that you can edit the pictures after you take them, something that you really can not do with painting. Since my pictures generally came out fuzzy, I applied a digital wash that helped sharpen the pictures. Also, the advantage to taking pictures is that I got to document an entire event from start to finish, not just one moment in time. These pictures together say much more than one painting can say, and since you apply the same artistic principles you would in painting, just in a different way, the artists meaning can still show through.

The disadvantages that I thought were present was there is a steeper learning curve. I have taken digital pictures before, but I had usually avoided nighttime. That is part of the reason I choose the location for the tour that I did. I thought it would be interesting to try new forms of photograph. However learning the shutter length and exposure time and such to formulate good base images took awhile. I walked away from the event not knowing whether or not my images would formulate into a good series, but with editing it all worked.

Editing was probably my favorite part, because this is where I feel I am truly being an artist. I was able to choose how I wanted the picture to look, and not just rely on the luck I had with some of my pictures, This stage was hard also, because it takes a lot of time to decide what you want the final pictures to look like, but also how you want them to function as a whole.

I feel that producing mass media art can be just as personal as creating a painting. It can even take just as much time when you add in the traveling time for pictures, editing, posting and such. However, even though it may take the same time, it can convey a more real time, "it seems like I was there" feeling that you may want to convey. Technology has improved enough for me to be able to fix some of my pictures to convey the scene in the way I saw it, even if my pictures did not come out the way I saw it completely due to a lesser quality camera. However, some pictures that came out different then I saw, I decided to keep that way because the disconnect interested me. The technology we used was simple once you got over the learning curve and produced a great series of pictures from everyone in the class.

The events relation to Four Keywords: Ritual, Ideology, Security, Authority

This event will engage all four of the keywords through the silent candlelight vigil

Ritual: Candlelight vigils are used for a variety of reason. This candlelight vigil was used to represent the lives that have been lost in the last 5 years of fighting in the Iraq war. This ritual is being used because it has been used before to show people the backing for there belief.

Ideology: The ideology goes along with ritual because people are coming together with similar ideology to show others that they all feel the same and are willing to work together towards one goal.

Security: The vigil is at the park behind the White House. The White House is a major icon of security, and provides an interesting backdrop to a vigil/protest. The security that we feel as Americans comes from that building, however the protesters have chosen this location to challenge the security that we feel because all people will not always agree with there government.

Authority: Authority goes along with security, again because the location of the vigil. The White House is the ultimate icon of authority as well as security because they help put in force choices for Americans. This is how the vigil challenges the authority that the White House represents.

Fifth Anniversary Candlelight Vigil

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Lafayette Park March 19, 2008
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We walked to the park from the nearest metro station. We were lost at first, but met a lady who was also attending the protest. She talked about her and her husbands previous protests. We went one street to far, but turned around and saw some interesting architecture. As we got closer, there were signs pointing us where to go.

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Even with getting lost, we arrived a bit early. It was still light outside, therefore you could see the newly blooming trees. This created a very serene environment in the green little city park. There weren't many people that had arrived yet.
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People started showing up and began to light there candles. It was beginning to get a little darker. It was a windy day, so keeping the candles from blowing out was a hard task. Groups were in front of the White House as well as in the park. There was a mix of school groups, work professionals, and others that showed up.
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People started to show up a little after 7 PM. People walked by the White House, and then went into Lafayette Park. The park is located directly behind the White House. There is a great view of the fountain and the flag, however, due to security reasons, it is completely fenced in.
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The candles were a simple way to represent the war and all the people who have lost their lives. There were not many people at the protest however, so the light from the candles did not light up the park, but almost everyone who was there carried a candle in remembrance.
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The police officers were there and ready, even before the protesters were. The road near the White House was frequented by important looking people in cars as well as police cars.
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Some protesters were carrying signs that were handed out by the people holding the vigil. Some brought there own candles, but luckily candles were handed out as well.
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The turnout at this protest was much smaller than I had expected. The group is pictured above, barely filling a corner of the park. Because of the small group of people though, it was able to stay quiet. The candlelight vigil was a quiet time to remember those who have died in Iraq. After the main group spoke, people broke into little groups for prayers, thoughts, poems and other artistic displays of civil disobedience.
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The people have not taken over the park, and the lights that take over are not from the candles, but from the lamps and buildings in the distance.

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The park remained rather empty, which produced an eerie and solemn feel. This added to the point of the protest. This feeling could only be produced with the lack of people and crowdedness at the protest.

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The White House looks very imposing on the hill behind the park. It is very interesting to see the White House at night. Since light against the dark of the night is the main focus of vigils, it is really interesting to see how the light looks different against buildings then is does on the park. The buildings have sharp edges that appear more scary in the dark, but the park has a much softer, natural look with the light of the candles, lamps, and building lights. This translates into pictures that convey the feeling towards the government when paired with the other pictures of the park during the vigil. It shows the government as shady, as opposed to the in the park.

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At the end of the day, people go back home, and all returns to normal. The vigil lasted for less than an hour, and the protesters came and went with little noise or disturbance.

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After everyone is gone, the park is very dark and quiet. In the absence of candles, the torches are now the main light inside the park.

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7 PM Iraq War 5th Anniversary Candlelight Vigil

Lafayette Park
H Street NW and Jackson Place NW

7:00 PM - Iraq War 5th anniversary vigil, Lafayette Park, H St NW & Jackson PL NW. According to their information: "The war in Iraq has gone on for nearly five years. The unbearable costs at home and abroad keep mounting. It's clear that Americans are ready for a real change in direction. On March 19th, tens of thousands of people across the country will gather to observe the fifth anniversary of the war with candlelight vigils. We'll commemorate the sacrifices too many families have made, and the billions of dollars wasted in Iraq that could have been better invested at home. Join us at a candlelight vigil. Honor the sacrifice. Change our priorities. Bring the troops home."

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How computer technology factors into Art

Art, up until recently, has relied on forms that do not do well for mass reproduction and mass viewing. Since the boom of computer technology and its easy user interface, artists have started to use this as a tool to get out their information to a larger audience. This has proved to shake up how art is viewed, as well as how it relates to the rest of works in society. With the internet, art can be shared and connected based on the basic ideas present in each page.
Connecting ideas in art through hyper links is a new invention because of the internet.This creates a new way of connecting images because you can give the piece a subject. This can give people viewing your images ideas of what else to view, and also provide more meaning to you.
Also, the internet allows people that can not go and see an exhibit the opportunity to view your art. This is a very important aspect.