Thursday, April 16, 2015

Week 3 | Robotics + Art

WEEK 3 | Robotics + Art
Nicole Chuhak



Raising the Flag at Ground Zero
            This week’s lesson was all about how art and technology influence one another. Technology has influenced all different types of art, but robotics have played their own unique part. Mass production of art has been one of the most prominent ways that robotics have touched the art world, and not necessarily in the best ways. Not only does mass producing a piece of art devalue it fiscally, but also artistically (Murray).
 As Walter Benjamin argues, the mass production of pieces of art affects the aura of the work, and I agree with that sentiment in some regards (Benjamin). Take for example, the photo on the right taken in September 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. The photo has been mass produced many times, including as a stamp, but the aura of the photo will never carry that of the original photograph taken that day in 2001 (Stamp). Yes, people will feel the wide range of emotions associated with the September 11th events, but any reproduction of that photograph will not carry the weight of the original photograph that came from the piece of film present that day.  
Disney's Baymax
            There are a number of other robotic and art interactions but the most obvious is the robots we all think of, with a general human shape made out of metal boxes and tubes, and their interactions in our art in the form of movies. Robots have been a part of cinematic history since the 1920s (“Movie Robots”). They are an artistic tool used to symbolize the technology, and what can be done with it in the future; in short they are a plot device most of the time. However, it has been presented in this unit that the use of robotic in art has influenced the robotic technology we have grown to know (Vesna). For example, we can see in the comics, and more recent film, Big Hero 6 the use of a robot to treat the ill. These thoughts have defiantly been used by scientists to carry out their goals of health care robots. Other uses of robots in cinematic arts can be seen in the video below.


           

Sources:
Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. 1936. Print.

"Movie Robots - Illustrated History of Film Robots." Movie Robots - Illustrated History of Film Robots. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

Murray, Roberta. "Uncommon Depth." Uncommon Depth. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

"Stamp to Honor 9/11 Heroes." ABC News. ABC News Network. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.


Vesna, Victoria. "Robotics+Art." DESMA 9, Apr. 2015. Lecture

1 comment:

  1. Nicole,

    I thought your commentary on the 9/11 photographs was poignant and very fitting in terms of Benjamin's argument on reproduction taking away value from the original piece, something I also discussed in my blog post. Thinking about it now, though, I wonder if there are any measurable, convincing ways we could define the "aura" associated with the original piece, since this idea seems so subjective. How can we prove that a reproduction would not bring about the same memories or feelings evoked by the original? Anyway, I also liked your reference to Big Hero 6, a movie I am incredibly fond of. I think it was great that you brought up the healthcare industry and tied it into this week's topic, bridging the gaps between even more disciplines.

    - Carla

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