Unit 3 - Robotics and Art

The relationship between art and technology had never crossed my mind prior to this weeks lecture. Connecting human interaction and mechanics has impacted society substantially on many different levels. Various forms of mechanization, robotics, and mass production are known to have impacted art, but I was not fully aware of the extent prior to going over the course’s lecture. Learning about Ford’s assembly line and the printing press brought to light the important of mass production. Mass production and industrialization offer a wide variety of art forms to be created and, ultimately, replicated or duplicated. As Douglas Davis states, “there is no longer a clear conceptual distinction between original and reproduction”. I agree with Davis’ idea of the line thinning between the distinction of originality and replication due to this new age of mass production. Original and unique forms of art become more and more rare as time progresses during this time of mass production and industrialization. Benjamin describes this developmental phenomenon as a “relentless destruction of the aura” and only destroys the “uniqueness, authenticity, [and] ritual” of original art [3]. While some technology has ruined the originality of art, other technologies have allowed humans to bridge their creative ability to a new platform of innovative art.

There are many ways in which the connection of art and technology are portrayed. Film, writers, and directors often times use mass mechanical production throughout their films. For example, the movie iRobot portrays a society in which humanity is rivaling technological advances that are rapidly altering the way life is lived. The production of mechanical humans on a mass scale is changing the way original human life is viewed. In addition, 3 dimensional forms of creating films is a way technology has interacted with art. As technology has rapidly expanded, new forms of art and expression allow art to be shown in new ways.

When thinking about robotics I think strictly about forms mechanical production and fail to consider what creative opportunity it presents. Robotics have the ability to alter certain characteristics are portrayed in films such as how technology and art interact. Attending Coachella last weekend, I noticed the lights and animations that have come to create an experience that was not provided decades ago. Advances in technology have affected so many ways in which our world is lived today.

Citations

"Alesso at Coachella Valley Music Festival 2015 Laser Show Sahara Tent." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

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

Davis, Douglas. “The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction.” The MIT Press, 1995. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. 

"iRobot." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Vesna, Victoria. "Robotics Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.