Blog # 9, 04/07/09 Readings

Article#1: Why the Digital Computer is Dead by Chris Chesher.
The article is showing why the term "digital computer" is outdated because the technology is bringing new electronic gadgets which are widespread everywhere.
The technology is advancing in a very high pace,writer is introducing the concept of invocation media, which could be the combination of history and new technology.
There might be a connection between religion,magical powers and new technology.
The three key points are:
1.Invocation Media
2.Analog Computers
3.Digital Computers

They are defining and comparing the digital and analog computers.As mentioned in the article analog computer used the continuous variations for calculations where as digital computers used the discrete values, which is noticeable in writing.
Digital computers have more advantages to work with stored programs and data,more powerful with large addressable memories and offered language-like command sets as compared to narrower applications use in analog computers.
Nowadays the term "digital"is used for any high tech or computerized media technology,like digital images, digital camera, digital television,digital sound system,etc.
Computer started as an electronic device used for doing time consuming mathematical calculations and statistics, but technology advanced the computer usage for typing a paper, making graphics in power points,millions of Web-sites can provide the world wide information in seconds.
As stated in the article "The theory of invocational media is an attempt to construct a non-representational concept for new media." Author is calling the light and switch as an invocation device. As per article "McLuhan[23] argues that the content of the electric light is what it illuminates: night baseball or brain surgery. Without electric light, these activities could not take place." The other interesting part mentioned is the act of switching could be symbolic as in Christmas tree lighting or any other festive lights, it can be done by someone special or by executioner for someone on electric chair, as mentioned in the article "the moment of switching is an event in itself. The invocatory act has a certain power."

Article #2: "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Walter Benjamin' (1936)

According to the article the piece of art is reproducible, but the mechanical reproduction has its own new quality of art.
Similarly in literature,mechanical reproductions in writing can come out differently in printings.
Some pieces of art are unique and authentic,which cannot be reproduced but certain things can be mechanically reproduced in quantities or in bulk but the quality is not guaranteed to be the same.
Art is very subjective it depends how you perceive it.Sometimes there is no originality left in reproduction.

The Three Key Points:

1.The Principle of Work of Art
2.Aura of the Work of Art
3.Comparison of Painting vs photography and Film vs Theater

Articles explains how the woodcut graphic art reproduced mechanically for the first time,engraving and etching were added to woodcut, then started the lithography which got surpassed by photography.All this convergent is taking place because of the new innovations.
The concept of aura refers to historical objects as well as the natural aspects.For the film as mentioned in the article "Consequently, the aura that envelopes the actor vanishes, and with it the aura of the figure he portrays."
Original paintings are the one and only ,they are mechanically reproduced into photography, but they are questioning if photography is an art in itself. As stated in the article "Abel Gance, compares the film hieroglyphs;Or in the words of Severin-Mars; "What art has been granted a dream more poetical and more real at the same time!Approached in this fashion the film might represent an incomparable means of expression".

My most difficult and challenging part was to understand about aura and the Epilogue at the end of the article # 2.

Q.1.How does the mechanical reproduction of art changes the reaction of the masses toward art?

Q.2. Will the art of mechanical reproduction attain a better quality in near future?


This week's reading on high tech or computerized media technology,like digital images, digital camera, digital television,digital sound system,etc.will help me in my final paper writing.