Topic Four: Old Communication Technologies

Lecture

In our lecture Stephen discussed communication technologies that have been used in the past and that have paved the way for new and more efficient ways of communicating information and expressing ideas in a modern setting. There was a discussion of Walter Benjamin's work in the field of analysing communication technologies.

Tutorial

Our tutorial started with a discussion regarding the work of Walter Benjamin and then moved onto more specific topics within his area of expertise. We talked about old ways of communication from tribes using different markings to decipher clan from clan to ancient Egyptians communicating information by the use of hieroglyphics. We also talked moved on to discussing telegraphs, telephones and finished with semiotics. After our discussion which only touched on subjects contained in the course readings I moved onto completing the tutorial task for week four.

Our task for the week was concerned with delving into the connections Walter Benjamin's work has to do with modern society, in particular the artistic world and 'new' media. I believe their is a direct connection as his work illustrates how art is not affected by the elite. They may have created to avenues for expressing art but they do not have monopoly on how it is expressed, especially in today's terms. Contemporary digital media allows for the majority to create forms of artistic expression. There seem to be no boundaries, except in terms of decency and perverseness, but even those lines continue to be blurred. Art is no longer bound by education and most likely never was, it was only that access to these artistic expressions were either not shown to the public or their expression took another form, possibly that of perfecting a profession or hobby. Art derives from creativity, and its motivations lie solely in the need for expression of ones identity. We are asked the question, is a photoshopped image "authentic". I believe that is in indeed authentic in that by modifying the original image, you thereby create something that becomes its own entity. By becoming its own identity it therefore has an authenticity to it, that then can be modified to an even greater extent. We were also asked do digital "things" have an aura? Digital things do have an aura because there is a certain mystery or mystique that attaches itself to the process or object. However when a society becomes accustomed to a digital process or thing, there is less mystery and more understanding. It therefore loses its strangeness or foreignness and becomes part of the social consciousness instead (A social norm or requirement).

Readings

This week we were required to read The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. He talks at length on his views of what shapes the particular aesthetics of creating art, whether it be Film, Theatre, Photography, Painting, Music or any pursuit of expression. I believe he is extremely passionate in his views regarding such subjects and is even able to find poetry in the horrors of war, which is no mean feat. Benjamin states that the arts were created by people in society that held the supreme power in a time much earlier than ours, however the pursuit of beauty, or the Beautiful, is not limited to a time, space or position of power. It instead relies on knowledge and in gaining knowledge we ultimately change the techniques, ideas and habits of those that wish to attain beauty through the arts.