Christina Walker

VSAR 405-01
Dr. Hutton
Influence of New Media on Art
The digital revolution began with the convergence of media and
computational machines-now called digital media or new media. The
advancement of this technology paved the way for artists to explore new ideas,
possibilities, and to reach greater audience. Some examples of the advantages
of digital media are: connectivity, interaction, editing, and variability.
The history of digital media began with the convergence of old media
and computational machines. Although computers can now process images,
numbers, sounds, text, etc., both media machines, also known as cameras, and
computational engines began as separate and distinct technologies. The
influence of media machines on computational machines was a slow
phenomenon. According to Lev Manovich in New Media: a Users Guide, the two
trajectories developed in parallel to each other for many years prior to their
convergence. Eventually the two technologies merged into one, known today as
the computer and through the use of these computers, art was revolutionized.
Today, computers continue to influence artists and the same is true of artists
influence on computers.
One of the main advantages of digital media is its ability to reach a big
audience. Many artists use digital archives to store and showcase their work.
This allows an artist to display their artwork on a medium other than a traditional

art gallery. One example of a digital archive is Jodi by Josephine Bosma. In this
archive, the viewer is able to explore the web page by clicking the links, which
lead to new images and information.
Digital art not only reaches out to a big audience, but it also allows the
possibility of viewers to interact with what theyre viewing in different ways. A
particular artist that explores this idea of digital interaction is Rafael Rozendaal.
One of his pieces, Sad for Japan, allows the participant to move the cursor over
a blob to get a response, such as a color change. These modern art pieces stem
from traditional art influence. For example, an extremely influential artist that
experimented with audience interaction is Marcel Duchamp. He used objects and
traditional art to create various pieces. One of his well known projects, Rotary
Glass Plates, required viewers to turn on the machine in order to see the effect
unfold, as Christiane Paul stated in the book Digital Art. Duchamps influence
continues to be pervasive in digital art.
There are many art movements that favor technology, yet there are also
many that refuse to embrace it. Despite these opposing views, these artists
shared something in common. The following statement by Margot Lovejoy in
Digital Currents elaborates on this idea, All artists had to come to terms with the
machine. Those who appreciated technology and utilized it are known as
Constructivists and director Dziga Vertov in particular can be described as one.
New media often alludes to Vertovs work through the use of editing on a
computer. He was influential because he explored new camera angles and
various ways to make art. Just as Lev Manovich explained in Vertovs Dataset,

Vertovs work was very distinctive because he superimposed images and created
multiple layers within his pieces, specifically A Man with a Movie Camera. Along
with these layers, he utilized ladders, cars, and other objects to give him new
dimensions while using a camera. These features collectively expand the ability
of human vision and encourage spatial narrative. Another example of editing,
which is often used in new media, is Lev Manovichs work titles Phototrails San
Francisco. This piece took images taken by many people in San Francisco, and
organized them into tiny images to form a circle. The concept here is embracing
the advancement of technology, much like Duchamp and Vertov had.
New media often repurposes existing art into a new piece. It uses editing,
digital archives, and various means of interaction to reach a new end. Using
these features independently or collectively results in variability. One
predominant art movement in new media is the repurposing of online social
media. One example is My Generation, which is a Youtube video created by
editing videos from the web and formatting them into one video, forming a
collage of videos from the web. Another example of this repurposing is the idea
of Forgotify vs. Spotify. The latter is the original application that is a music
archive of popular music and the former has the same idea, but for music that
lacks popularity. There are artists who also create art using the concept of a
desktop. Again, these artists edit and repurpose existing material. David Hudson
and his piece, References to Art History is an example of this desktop art
movement.

Technology and new media provide many options and avenues for
exploration that traditional art could not do. However, it is also important to note
that there is a lot of controversy in the art world surrounding digital media. One
issue is over the concept of repurposing an image. In Margot Lovejoys book,
Digital Currents, the question was raised whether these repurposed images hold
the same value or rights as the original. These replications are often successful,
if not more successful than the original and whether they deserve such praise is
a concern. Furthermore, the fact that digital media is becoming more pervasive
raises the question whether it is meant to be displayed online, in a traditional
museum, viewed alone or publicly. There are many things to consider and there
is no true answer to these concerns. It can be said that society and the art world
will adapt to these changes in time, just as various art movements have come to
embrace technology.
The influence of technology in the art world continues to change and grow
with time. At first, it was a slow transition from two distinct mediums into one
diverse and advanced unit, known as the computer. The product of this
convergence completely revolutionized art, whether it was wanted or not. Both
traditional art and digital art have a symbiotic relationship, one in which they
inspire each other. Technology influenced artists on both ends of the spectrum.
There are those who appreciate it and those who despise it. Although these
opposing views are apparent, it is important to understand that these different
views have embraced technology in some way. The artists who accept
technology explore new ways to composite images and art, use new editing

features, create digital archives to store their artwork, etc. On the other hand,
artists who dont accept technology as a positive change often criticize it using
the same medium through the use of repurposing an image. Despite these
opposing views of new media, it is no doubt that technology will continue to
greatly influence new ideas in art. As technology advances and changes art with
it, traditional art will still be at the core of these pieces. Work by Duchamp and
Vertov are examples of the continuous influence of traditional art on new media.
Artists aim to push the boundaries and create a new reality so that we can
escape from our everyday lives as we become immersed in a piece of art.
Through the use of technology, they are better able to explore new ways of doing
so while expanding their audience capacity. In conclusion, technology has had an
enormous influence on art and has led to new media.

Citations

1. Manovich,Lev."NewMedia:AUsersGuide."Web.

2. Paul,Christiane."Introduction."DigitalArt.NewYork:Thames&
Hudson,2003.725.Web.
3. Lovejoy,Margot."TheMachineAgeandModernism."Digital
Currents:ArtintheElectronicAge.NewYork:Routledge,2004.36
61.Web.
4. "Vertov'sDataset."MITPress,n.d.Web.
<https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/titles/content/9780262632
553_sch_0001.pdf>.
5. Lovejoy,Margot."3/TheElectronicEraandPostmodernism."Digital
Currents:ArtintheElectronicAge.NewYork:Routledge,2004.62
90.Print.