 |
| Mass Production & Art (or Lack Thereof) |
In a world of rapid technological advancement, it makes sense
that modern art would absorb and adapt to fit the mold of this progress. Art
and robotics have had a mutually influential relationship since the birth of
the latter concept during the Industrial Revolution. Walter Benjamin asserts that
mass production takes away from the authenticity of a finished product—so while
it may have once required a carpenter to spend hours of painstaking work
building a rocking chair, a machine can now produce hundreds of them in an
hour (Benjamin).
 |
| Craftsmanship & Art |
I agree with this concept in terms of the construction of tangible pieces of artwork, such as an oil painting on canvas, or a handcrafted clay sculpture, as I think industrialized production of this kind takes away from the ingenuity of creation. When it comes to computer-generated and digital art, however, I think that mass-production and dissemination are actually a byproduct of the medium and don’t take away from the quality of the product. For example, someone renting a copy of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) can expect to experience the film in nearly the same way as anyone else watching, because “popular culture “in the age of mechanical reproduction” is generally mass produced and ready for virtually identical mass consumption.” (Irwin, 42).
 |
| Benign Robots & Art; 'Her' |
This concept
is also relevant as we move into what Robert Manning calls the “Third
Industrial Revolution”, or the rise in the importance of robotics in our modern
life. Manning predicts that humankind sits on the threshold of a new
technological era, where we will soon move from tools like Roombas and ATM
machines to the use of self-driving cars and robotic personal assistants (Manning, 2).
Hollywood has been foreshadowing this shift for years, as it continues to
produce movies that feature robots intermingling with humans, and questions the
role that these entities will assume.
 |
| Evil Robots & Art, 'The Terminator' |
Works Cited:
Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction". 1936. PDF file.
Irwin, William. Philosophy and the Interpretation of Pop Culture. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. 42. Print.
Manning, Robert A. "Rising Robotics and the Third Industrial Revolution." Strategic Foresight Initiative. Atlantic Council, 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
Meadows, Mark Stephen. "Robot Love: Spike Jonze's New Sci-fi Film 'Her' May Be Closer to Reality than You Think." Robohub. 28 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.
Singleton, Malik. "80 Years of Robots in Hollywood." TIME. TIME Magazine, 29 June 2007. Web. 18 Apr. 2015.
Hollywood really is foreshadowing a kind of "Third Industrial Revolution." Now that I think about it, the different futuristic movies throughout the years have made some great predictions about the advancement and technology in our society. Like you said, we won't know for sure if these robots will become a reality - and sometimes, I wonder if it will even be a good thing with how Hollywood depicts it at times!
ReplyDeleteGreat incorporation of outside resources - thank you for sharing
Film will always be authentic due to the fact it was created by mechanical technology. Therefore the art of film does get the best of both worlds in that it is able to obtain its authenticity yet touch money people who decide to view them. Even recreations of previous produced films or squeals to ones will always obtain their legitimacy because of the created fan base and the association it has with the name of the film and the people who help create it. They are able to last longer and age does not play a significant role compared to actual paintings or sculptures.
ReplyDeleteHello Victoria,
ReplyDeleteI was going to use a photo of the Terminator as well! I loved that movie - quite some time ago. Excellent photo of Joaquin Phoenix in "Her" and what a great example of robotics (in its theory) and art, beauty, heartbreak, and the humanization of robotics. This class is getting more and more interesting, bringing up concepts I never knew the true value of. I may begin advocating for a Robotic Art Program at my home campus of UC Davis. Again, though, excellent blog, I very much enjoyed it and look forward to your future submissions. Cheers.
Your blog really got me thinking about how much artists (in film, books, etc) either predict or lay the ground for technological innovation. Looking at Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" is just one example of artistic prediction on how technology could influenced the human body. It was written in 1932 before our bodies could be manipulated with the use of mood-altering drugs and physical/genetic engineering. However, Huxley uses both these processes to create this ideal image of the body and mood. If you take a look at both Sci-Fi books and film, there are many others and I thought your use of Terminator was a perfect example.
ReplyDelete