In his work The Medium is the Message, Marshall McLuhan compares early technology to the advanced tools of our post-industrial society and how their functions affect society. Simple technology (he uses the example of an electric light) include basic tools that can perform either one exclusive or a very limited number of tasks. McLuhan puts it very well when he says that "it is the medium that shapes and controls the scale and form of human association and action." The point stressed by McLuhan is that the most useful technology is that which supplements the human body or mind. Creative tools, tools for moving freight, tools for spreading information. These are all extensions of work able to be done by people, made easier through the association of those people with the technology. We adapt and learn to use these new appendages just like a child learning to walk.
Beyond making basic use of the new developments at our fingertips, I feel that we are obligated to push the boundaries of their utility. As artists (and, even on a more basic level, as humans) we are able to and driven by our abilities to manipulate what we are given. McLuhan touches on this idea by talking about moving "beyond the obvious." It's the difference between an average person and a prima ballerina. Both have mastered the basic operation of the tools at hand, but the latter has pushed the limits of their body in order to express his or herself in a deeper way than is allowed by just walking.
I agree that we should be compelled to push the limits of technology's utility, and, from what I got out of McLuhan's article, I think he would agree too. If we don't try to push the limits, or even become acquainted with how technology functions, then nothing will come of it. As you mention, these technologies are extensions of our capabilities, so it would make sense that we would want to exploit technology which aids us and is also based on something so familiar.
yah, the extension of human body is the only thing I kind of get in that article. I agree that in modern days new technology made things easier than before. for example, telephone is like our extended mouths and ears that allows us to communicate no matter where we are.
I liked how you said "We adapt and learn to use these new appendages just like a child learning to walk." It's an interesting analogy, in that, we are constantly learning, just as how infants are constantly discovering new things in his/her life everyday. Yes, there are so many technology out there, available to us, with multiple functions and applications, but how much do we know? How much can we manipulate them? Maybe you are right, in that as artists, we are obligated to learn them and to really manipulate it... control it!
What technology should artists be paying attention to right now? Smart phones in general as they enable a constant flow of information unlike never before? Or medical imaging? Ultimately, we all need to pay attention.
I agree that we should be compelled to push the limits of technology's utility, and, from what I got out of McLuhan's article, I think he would agree too. If we don't try to push the limits, or even become acquainted with how technology functions, then nothing will come of it. As you mention, these technologies are extensions of our capabilities, so it would make sense that we would want to exploit technology which aids us and is also based on something so familiar.
ReplyDeleteyah, the extension of human body is the only thing I kind of get in that article. I agree that in modern days new technology made things easier than before. for example, telephone is like our extended mouths and ears that allows us to communicate no matter where we are.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you said "We adapt and learn to use these new appendages just like a child learning to walk." It's an interesting analogy, in that, we are constantly learning, just as how infants are constantly discovering new things in his/her life everyday. Yes, there are so many technology out there, available to us, with multiple functions and applications, but how much do we know? How much can we manipulate them? Maybe you are right, in that as artists, we are obligated to learn them and to really manipulate it... control it!
ReplyDeleteWhat technology should artists be paying attention to right now? Smart phones in general as they enable a constant flow of information unlike never before? Or medical imaging? Ultimately, we all need to pay attention.
ReplyDelete