The Medium I'm In

In thinking more about our class discussion on 5/1 surrounding the differing experiences to be had based on the medium one may be writing or reading in, my thoughts turn again to Marshall McLuhan. This is a true example of his "the Medium is the Message", in that thought processes and actions are influenced and changed based on the medium itself (regardless of the content). In thinking about my own experiences, I do find that I arrange my thoughts differently (and perhaps in a more formal way) when typing rather than writing, and again when I know it may be read by others (albeit in a blog, a seemingly less formal setting). In this case, I find myself revising and re-writing more, perhaps more easily and more frequently in a computer rather than a written medium (which can still be changed, but in my mind has more permanence). How does this relate to ideas of authenticity? It is interesting the think about the potential impact that factors like this may have on content. So, the type of medium can have an influence and also the purpose of the medium (i.e. a blog versus a formal paper). Overall, the experience of blogging has been a great one for me (and one that I will continue), in that though it is still a typed medium it allows for more free thought and expression than perhaps other media would (i.e. formal papers). Considering these factors and the influence they have is important in studying the impact of various media.

To my I2 class: I have enjoyed working and blogging with all of you, and I hope we can continue! :)

Future Projects and Process

In thinking about and expanding on ideas for future I2 collaborations, along with the idea of thinking about the implications of collaboration from the audience perspective, Midori and I came up with ideas stemming from experiences that we have already had in a hospital environment. Midori has had previous experience performing at hospitals as a visiting artist, and I conducted a photography project that aimed to show patient perspectives by alternating images of the hospital environment with images of artworks created by patients as part of the recreational therapy program (titled "View from in Here"). This was a starting point for collaborative possibilities; namely connecting patients with other patients as they undergo artistic endeavors whether through the rec therapy, art therapy or music therapy programs. Allowing patients to "become the artist" and to collaborate/improvise with others in similar circumstances can foster a sense of empowerment, and could be seen as an ideal example of the ideas behind I2 connections (also realizing that a connection does not necessarily have to be made via I2). Visiting artists could also be incorporated into this idea, in that those facilities that do not have these capabilities can perhaps be connected with those that do. Midori and I will be checking into whether a collaboration like this will be possible. Overall, this demonstrates a tremendous capacity for further applications of not only I2 specific connections, but of collaborative process. As Lawrence Halprin states, what we all crave is a "creative involvement in processes"....

Connections with UCI and Bergen

Over the past two weeks, our connections with Bergen and UCI have provided a lot of food for thought regarding the various perspectives inherent in these types of connections. Depending on one's role in the connection and location in the room, you could find yourself a part of or an audience to a variety of environments (whether observing UCI or improvising with Bergen). Documenting an event such as this brings a unique perspective as well. As these "environments" are viewed through yet another lens, their meaning can be changed depending on the perspective of the "documentarian." In capturing various perspectives of both the process and the interaction, one can see how new "realities" can be created. What can these documentations tell us about these events?

Connections

In thinking about ideas for Internet2 collaborations/projects, my thoughts have turned to the perspective of the audience or spectator. In artistic collaborations, for example, in many (but certainly not all) cases the focus is on a collaboration/interaction between two or more artists. I would like to consider a project thinking more from the point of view of the viewer or audience. Internet2 connections are a great way to explore the idea of context (i.e. where and how art is viewed and its effects on perception). What, for example, makes watching a dance performance via an I2 connection more unique than say, watching it on television? Though television itself is becoming more participatory as we move more and more toward "reality" TV (as Dr. Gilbert has discussed, so as not to lose people to the Internet the television is becoming more and more like it), the difference is the idea or potential for participation. This is one way in which this medium can be further examined from this perspective. For example, "viewers" take pictures that are then projected in different locations/venues (thus exploring the idea of context). This idea of "everyone as an artist" may relate to John Dewey's ideas of art as experience (that there is a current separation of the two). As Lawrence Halprin discusses in RSVP cycles, we all long for "involvement in processes," and making the process visible allows us to do that (perhaps that is the nature of I2 connections). Overall, looking at the point of view of not only the "doers" but viewers/consumers is another way that these connections can be explored.

The Medium is the Message

As the "leading prophet of the electronic age", Marshall McLuhan describes and analyzes the effects of technology, and how this affects human beings and their relations to one another. Of interest to me is McLuhan's focus on the medium itself. In common thought and practice, the content of media is that which is scrutinized for its potential effects; while McLuhan emphasizes that it is the medium itself that alters perception and changes consciousness (along with society's seeming naivety to this fact). Media as extensions of our selves and our senses create new "social patterns of organization" on which we depend.

In discussing these extensions (especially technology) as having the effect of amputating or modifying other extensions, McLuhan succinctly sums up our state of affairs in that "we have become people who regularly praise all extensions, and minimize all amputations." Thus the "global village" and interrelatedness (in a tribal sense) of all human beings via television and now the Internet, along with the subsequent "amputation" of interpersonal communication with family interaction, etc. What does a simultaneous increase of global and decrease in interpersonal communication signify? Increased knowledge but a decrease in the ability to experience in the here and now, because the here and now has become virtual and can be accessed or "experienced" at any time.

How then, does I2 operate as an extension? In a sense, the collaboration/simultaneous interaction sought through some I2 connections could almost be seen as a way to repair that amputation of interpersonal connection inherent in our current climate. Perhaps it is a unique way to attempt a combination of global interrelatedness and personal experience. In looking at a medium in its infancy such as I2, it seems essential to have an awareness of how media operate as extensions and the subsequent effects this has on society amidst continual change and innovation. Interestingly, McLuhan describes the power of the arts as a radar, to enable us to discover social and psychic targets ahead of time in order to prepare and better cope with them. As arts are combined with media, it will be interesting to continue to examine their use as a perceptual tool.

Technology and Memory

The relationship between memory and the factors that create or perpetuate it is a topic that garners more and more attention. In a mass-mediated society such as our own, the area of memory studies is gaining distinction in regards to its focus on the impact that various media have on both our individual and collective consciousness. To the extent that events are documented and repeatedly shown to us, what impact does this have on our memories of these events (whether experienced firsthand or via another medium), and thus on our perceptions and definitions of society? Both individual and collective events are experienced differently when documented and made a recorded part of "history", as could be demonstrated in the aftermath of September 11. In relation to the horror/disbelief surrounding this event, people spoke of the repeating images shown in the media as something "out of a movie". This may provide an example as to how media are used as a template against which "real" events are compared, interpreted and managed.

This also brings up a question in regards to the effects of various media. Photography, for example, is a medium that has been and continues to be used as a way to preserve memory or document history (both personal and public). What is meant by preserving memory? In these documentations, are we actually creating memory? Where does Internet2 fit in in regards to its own mediation of experience and memory? Those who seek to use this medium are seeking out a unique form of collaboration or connection. Do these unique characteristics make an I2 experience more memorable (or how may it mediate memory/experience differently) ? How would viewing the documentation of an I2 event differ or change our memory of that event? Lastly, in speaking of the effects of media on collective consciousness, how could the use of I2 as a medium effect consciousness around a larger societal issue or event?

Cassandra, Eurydice and other Themes...

In our class meeting and connection with UCI last week (2/27/07), we observed movements that some of the dancers had created in response to words describing their own "journey" as graduate students. Many of these words can be related to themes surrounding the story of Cassandra; those that particularly stood out for me were risk and vision (risk in relation to the risk of telling others the truth though you know they will not believe you, and the courage that it takes to do so). In this "risk" movement, the dancer's use of the camera was particularly interesting - this could relate to themes of openness versus secrecy (i.e. the idea of someone watching) and also to our discussions of camera angles and positioning and how this changes perspective. In demonstrating vision, the dancer again seemed to be demonstrating ideas of openness and secrecy. This term also relates to my movie on Cassandra; both in her ability to see the future (i.e. holding the whole world in her hands) and in her (lonely) perspective (i.e. no one else can see what she sees). In thinking about Cassandra and Eurydice, themes of love and trust seem to stand out in both of their stories (though in perhaps opposite ways). In examining these themes and our perspectives on them, one can see the challenge in searching for or creating media to "represent" a word, theme or idea (whether it be visual, musical or otherwise). I'll be posting more images on my Web site related to the theme alone, so keep checking!