GOcars

I had an amazing time on our field trip to go cars. First off it was just plain fun. Secondly it was very informative. Seeing GPS work in the real world in real time was awesome. The programers they used are top notch. It was great to interact with a city i have lived in for two years in a new way. My favorite part is the way they synced music with the ride. When speeding down a big hill the car would play a fast paced song that really added to the feel of speed. the directions were great and the route it took you on are really enjoyable.

511 Final project

for my final project i will be doing a continuation of my earlier downhill SFSU. i will take the map i created for that and turn it into a locative walk, or rather skate. i will be laying audio tracks over it and creating the finished piece using mscape.

Dialogical Art:610 final

            Since the dawn of history when man first put pigment to cave wall, art has been an integral part of human existence. Art is a way to communicate thought and idea and is a way to initiate public or private discourse. It is difficult to pigeonhole what exactly art is because subjective and can take many different forms and can be created in a limitless number of ways. From early wall paintings to the digital art being created today, humans have always found the need to express themselves creatively, often trying to define ideas and issues larger then themselves.

            In early cultures art was produced for all and was largely used in spiritual or religious practices. The artist was not yet defined and was merely a craftsperson. It was not until the Renaissance that the status of Artist was elevated. “In the 16th century the new image emerges of the artist as genius, giving to eccentric behavior, or even slightly mad. The artist also appears as an intellectual given to abnormal modes of thought, and regarded as an inspired and special individual. (Witcombe)” This image of the artist seems to linger to this day. It is an idea that the artist is different then the rest of is. While this might hold somewhat true it is dangerous to the concept and expression of art. It says that there are only a select few people who can be artists and that they need a special set of skills to be accepted in the arts community. 

            While this has held true in the gallery community for quite some time, there are several movements that seek to take back art and free it from the gallery and give it to the people where it belongs. The goal of art should be to connect people, not divide them. One such artistic movement that does this is dialogical art. There is no set definition for dialogical art because it is continuously being formed, but Andrea Assaf writes, “Dialogic art uses dialogue as an artistic medium, in a variety of forms including, but not limited to speaking, writing, and physical participation.” It liberates art from the restricted forms of drawing, painting, and sculpting. Dialogue has a vast number of possibilities therefore it is important to set up a set of aesthetics on how to judge dialogical art, this is because it is certain that not all dialogue is art. According to Grant Kester in his essay, Conversation Pieces: The role of Dialogue in Socially-Engaged Art, “the concept of dialogical art practice is derived from the Russian literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin, who argued that the work of art can be viewed as a kind of conversation: a locus of differing meanings, interpretations, and points of view.” He also states that, “it is quite common for a work of art to provoke dialogue among viewers, this typically occurs in response to the finished object.” The artist makes a piece of work and displays it. They have created the work and the environment in which it will be presented and we as viewers will try to ascertain some sort of meaning.

            True dialogical art challenges the traditional gallery setting. In Eduardo Kac’s essay, Negotiating Meaning, he says “dialogical aesthetics [are] intersubjective and stand in stark contrast with monological art, which is largely based on the concept of individual expression.” In dialogical art the content actually comes from the conversation that takes place between viewers and participants. Unlike traditional art there is no object or tangible ‘thing’ that comes out of its creation, but rather a greater knowledge and understanding among the participants and the viewers. One such example is by the Californian artist Suzanne Lacy, along with Annice Jaroby and Chris Johnson. The piece is entitled, “The Roof is on Fire,” in which Lacy gathered 200 Oakland students of African American and Latino decent, and had them sit in parked cars on top of an Oakland parking structure and carry out, “a series of unscripted dialogues on the problems faced by young people of color in California. (Kester)” Topics ranged from the under funded schools they attended, police profiling and racial stereotypes. Politicians, news media, and regular citizens were invited to walk around the parking lot and listen in on the student’s conversations. This is a great piece because it works on multiple levels and contains multiple conversations. The first is the conversation amongst the young people in the cars, who might not necessarily discuss such things in a formal manner in their daily lives. The second conversation that takes place is between the youths and the viewers. While the students are not speaking directly to the viewers, the spectators are taking in their discussions. Lacy sought to break down the preconceived notions the public may have had and show them a side of these students that they would have been unaware of otherwise. Dialogical art is closely related to activism and social issues because it can address issues and spark communication between parties that are sometimes not willing or able to do so. Our society is a fairly rigid one, where we are placed in hierarchal orders, this makes free and true communication hard to achieve. Dialogical art seeks to bring down these walls and bridge the gap. It seeks to level the playing field making all participants are equals.

            A fantastic example using dialogical art to open communication and activism was done by The Austrian arts collective Wochenklauser.  In 1994 they sought to address the homeless problem amongst drug-addicted sex workers in Zurich. The “intervention consisted of a boat outing on Lake Zurich where the collective gathered politicians, journalists, sex workers, and activists. The goal was to create an open dialogue in which participants would be able to express their views and beliefs on the subject freely. While it is difficult to get a politician to speak so openly and truthfully about a topic that could seriously affect their professional career Wochenklauser, as well as other artists, “Encourage their contributors to question fixed identities.” This “questioning” is done through “a cumulative process of exchange and dialogue rather than a single, instantaneous shock of insight precipitated by an object. (Kester)” By taking the participants out of their normal status and position Wochenklauser effectively levels the playing field, allows everyone to speak as equals and begins an important change for these people.

            There are many other artists who take this approach. But it is not just limited to the taking the participants out of their normal realm of discourse but some artist even move the conversation. One such artist is Maria Salo. For Vertigo, her 1989 installation at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center in New York City, she presented her work in the woman’s bathroom and asked the question, “When you watch the film Vertigo, are you Scottie Wanting Madeleine, or are you Madeleine wanting Scottie to want you? Or both? Alternately or Simultaneously? In What Proportions and intensities?” She painted the back of the stalls white so people could respond. She included two separate photos in multiple. One of Scottie and one of her with Madeleine’s face projected on her own. She later remarks that, “Within one month of the opening, three quarters of the photos were torn off the wall, remarks had spread from the doors to the bathroom walls and the name Scottie was removed from the running text.” While this might not be exactly how Salo envisioned the shape of her piece taking it is the beauty of dialogical art. It engages the viewer to participate and shape the work into the finished project. In dialogic art, “every subject with the competence to speak is allowed to take part in discourse.” “Everyone is allowed to question any assertion whatsoever. (Kester)” Remarks on Salo’s piece varied greatly. Some directly answered the question she posed; some were comments on the piece itself, while others were comments made about comments. It is this connection and communication that I find most fascinating about dialogical art. Participants are free to do and say whatever they want, and it is through looking back at these remarks that we can get a better grasp of the subject matter. All dialogical art is interactive, but that is not to say that all interactive art is dialogical. It is through the exchange back and forth that the dialogue is created.

            This semester I undertook the task of creating an artwork that embodied the ideals of dialogue. It was a daunting task. I had no real clue of what to do, all I knew is that I wanted to create a piece that gave people the ability to express themselves freely and hopefully a type of dialogue would ensue. Because this was my first time working in the field I did not want to be overly ambitious. The community I wanted to engage was that of my fellow students at SFSU. I have done two iterations so far of my project Conversation Station. The piece is a booth I constructed out of PVC piping and blank canvas. Inside the booth I left felt pens so that passers by could contribte to the finished piece. My first experiment with it was during the senior show. I thought it was a good place to start because the people who would see it were primarily those interested in the arts. I wrote one work on the inside, create, and was thrilled with how well it was received. People both wrote and drew all over it. Not just on the inside but the outside as well.

            For the second iteration I took a bit of a chance and opened it up to the rest of the school. I replaced the canvas and moved the piece from the 5^th floor of the fine arts building down to the Malcolm X Plaza. This time I left the canvas completely blank as to not influence what people would contribute. Once again I was blown away at the results. I had all kinds of different responses ranging from poetry to cute drawings, and even some confessions. What excited me the most is that I was actually able to spark a bit of discussion. One addition to the booth was a heart with the words “Jesus loves you,” inside. Under that some one wrote, “No he doesn’t.”  Someone later wrote under that, “Actually he does!” And even later still someone crossed out the name Jesus and added Allah. This simple interplay exceeded my expectations, a janky little booth that I rigged together, along with the contributions of anonymous passers, was able to create a dialogue as well as get a better look at the student population of a university. While it might not be an earth shattering or life-changing event, it was my first attempt at undertaking such a daunting task, and by no means am I finished. I expect to continue down this road and push myself to be a better artist.

            As I have expressed through out this paper dialogical art can take on a wide range of possibilities and processes that can help challenge or establish a set of beliefs. It is through this dialogue that we can better understand and connect with the world and the people around us. It may not be able to hang in a gallery or be commoditized by the mainstream, but it will remain in the hands of the people where art can really do the most good.

References:

"An essay on community and communication in art." Oturn. 19 Oct 2006. 21 May 2009 .

 

deNobriga, Kathie. "Community-based Art for Social Change." http://www.communityarts.net/. Oct 1999 http://www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/1999/10/communitybased.php

 

Kac, Eduardo. "Defining Lines: Breaking Down Boarders." http://cristine.org/. 1999. 15 May 2009 .

 

Kester, Grant. "Conversation Pieces: The Role of Dialogue in Socially-Engaged Art." http://digitalarts.ucsd.edu/. 2004. UCSD. 15 May 2009 . 

 

Witcombe, Christopher. "ART & ARTISTS: the Renaissance and the Rise of the Artist." arthistory.sbc.edu. 1998. Sweet Briar College. 12 May 2009 .

Art 511 final paper

What is locative media? According to Wikipedia.org, “Locative media is media of communication functionally bound to a location.” Now that doesn’t tell us much but it gets us started in the right direction. Locative media is an emerging field that ties technology and location together.  It is hard to define because it is ever growing and every changing to encompass new possibilities and new ideas. Locative media has a wide variety of applications, and has potential in the commercial, personal and educational arenas. In this paper I would like to explore a few of those possibilities and raise questions about the limitations facing this exciting new emerging field.

In March of ‘07 Technology Review reported a team of researchers, led by Markus Kahari, from Nokia’s research center located in Helsinki unveiling a prototype system on one of their smart phones that included a GPS sensor, a compass and an accelerometer.

"Using data from these sensors, the phone can calculate the location of just about any object its camera is pointed at. Each time the phone changes location, it retrieves landmarks from an external database. The user can then download additional information about a chosen location from the web."

 

While the technology is still in development think of the possibilities. Not just for tourists navigating a new and strange city but giving friends the ability to go around and geo-tag all over a city. Tagging restaurants they like, basketball courts they want to set up pick up games and possibly leave notes for friends that are date and time specific as to arrange meeting places or events. Again because locative media seems tailor made for narrative people could create stories and histories around the city that could be locked in place and time and keep those as a record for all that follow after.

Social networking and gaming are also being redefined with the advent of locative media. Websites such as Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter are changing the way people connect with each other and the way they communicate and interact. At first these services were tethered to the home computer and a internet land line, but now as computers are getting smaller, being integrated with cell phones and wireless internet they are beginning to be taken outside into the real world. You can check your facebook for notifications or update your tweet in real time on the go. And now with GPS enabled phones it has become possible to navigate your way around unfamiliar places, as well as locate friends, restaurants, shops and more. While this is a start I foresee the technology moving well beyond its current state and shattering the limitations of its hardware.

             These are great ideas but they are still limited to using a handheld or laptop device. I see the future potential going well beyond this. I believe in the near future the technology described in the Technology Review article being implemented with wearable technology such as virtual reality headsets which are becoming smaller and smaller and are now about the same size as a pair of sunglasses. There are many different styles of head sets on the market right now that are designed to be incorporated with standard computers, but there are also great number of headsets or virtual reality goggles, VRG’s, that are in conceptual stages. One such device reported on the website, Gearfuse.com, entitled “Intense” by designer

 Benjamin Hubert looks to the future and hopes to do away with the computer and allow, “feedback from a sensory rich reality [to] directly stimulate the brain via a chip in the motor cortex of the brain.” These stylish goggles would allow the wearer to be freed from the restrictions of being tied to a computer and would allow them to roam free in reality while enjoying a virtual world. I like the potential of this product and ones like it but I would like to see them taken one step further and implement augmented reality.  Instead of just walking through a purely virtual world I envision cameras being attached to the goggles/glasses so that information from the real world could be changed and have digital information superimposed on to it. If this becomes a reality I see a lot of money being made in the gaming industry.

            The gaming industry already makes up the majority of VGR purchases on the market. I think the Immersive realities would change the way gamers play. At the moment there are quite a few games that create online communities such as world of warcraft and secondlife. I think it is great to connect people from around the world but it is hindering connections with people from around where you live. A goal for me would be to bring people together to a common area where they could play their game but still interact with real people. Imagine a warehouse with physical structures that could be transformed into any world or time just by using an augmented reality. With the right programming

this could become a reality. Players would wear VGR’s or whatever new technology might arize and beable to interact with eachother in realtime but instead of being themeselve the would appear as the avatar they create. Whether it be medieval knights or futuristic space rangers, it wouldn’t matter because all it would take is loading a different game map and program to change the surroundings and game play. There would even be the possibility to load in players remotely from around the world. Then when the game is turned off and everyone is finishehed they will be surrounded by actual people and have the ability to make deeper connections with those around them.

I think artists are going to have a major role in where this technology is going as well. Art interventions will be able to be carried out in a much larger scale because the cost of physical materials will be removed from the equation. It is true that much of the equipment that would be needed is very expensive at the moment or even still under development, but over time the cost of all technology comes down. If devices such as VRG’s become common everyday gadgets like the iPod or iPhone, arts will be able to target the audience they want. Dr. Samuel Centralai writes, “Locative art suggests a future in which artists will create virtual works, specifically placed at GPS coordinates to overlay our regular, pedestrian reality.” He continues to speculate that, “there could potentially exist millions of different "channels" -- different worlds, even -- which one could choose to perceive at any time.” I too have thought about having a system for many channels to exist in. As more and more people define the space around them, channels can be created to accommodate people with shared interests and aesthetics. There could be a limitless number of layers occupying the same space and depending on what channel you have your device (what ever that may end up being), tuned to will determine what you see. The Beauty of this kind of art is that there are no restrictions on it. It could be as large or small as you want it to be. The artist imagination is its only limitation.

            These ideas could even be incorporated into the educational system. One of the great aspects of locative media is its ability to use narrative to tell stories and give information. Text books may some day be replaced or at least supplemented by immersive environments created with integrative technologies. Instead of merely being given information one would be allowed to wander around and “discover” it. An early incarnation of this sort of learning would be the audio tours you can take at zoos and museums. While they give you information they are designed in a way that present the same information to everyone. With the new technologies emerging it is possible to add a bit more user control over them. As we have learned using mscape, it is possible to add many layers of information and as the field becomes more refined and integrated it would be possible to allow for different tours from different perspectives to be given from the same devise. Historic events would also be able to be brought to life. As a child I remember going to Historic Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. While there my family and I watched a video about the events that took place at the fort. While it was informative and entertaining it was a passive experience. With locative media it would be possible to recreate some of the historic battles and events and transplant visitors into the action.

         I see great possibilities for this field but unfortunately I am also a bit of a cynic. I have spoken much of where I would like to see the technology lead, but the artists and educators are rarely the ones with the financial means to shape technology. It saddens my heart to say but the people who will probably dictate where this all goes are the large corporations. In there eyes they will use this as just another way to slang their wares to a public that is becoming more and more desensitized. The only hope for us is the creativity and ingenuity of artists and hackers alike to find ways of turning the system onto its head and reclaiming digital space as they have done now with actual space in reality.

References:

Centralia, Samuel. "Locative Art: The Aesthetics of GPS." Dyscern.com. 17 Jan 2008. 12 May 2009 .

Fallon, Sean. "Virtual Reality Headset For The Style Conscious Consumer." gearfuse.com. 17 Sep 2007. Gear Fuse. 12 May 2009 .

Jonietz, Erika. "TR10:Augmented Reality." technologyreview.com. 12 Mar 2007. Technology Review. 12 May 2009 .