Friday, May 15, 2015

OUGD501 / Context Of Practice / Technologies influence on Contemporary Graphic Design

How has new media influenced art?

‘The digital world is not static and is continuing to experience very rapid development. At the moment, attention is focused on the impact of social media which allow for the creation and exchange of user-generated content and provide a structure for people to get organized, exchange and collaborate.’

The rise of social media platforms has created an opportunity for the common man to distribute work and gain acknowledgement, unlike the past when only a select few could create and distribute. Tumblr is a prime example of such a platform that celebrates user-generated work. Acceptance and acknowledgement is noted through re-blogs, comments and notes, creating the question, what is the purpose of these self-generated works? Is it expression or a craving for acknowledgement?

Referencing the work of McCall and Simmons’ Theory of Identity, these user-generated works are created to achieve one of three types of rewards;

‘They begin by classifying three basic types of rewards: First, there are extrinsic rewards, such as money or other reinforcers, that are visible to all.
Second, there are intrinsic rewards that provide less visible means of rein-
forcement for the individual—rewards such as satisfaction, pride, and comfort. And third, and most important, there is support for an identity, which
McCall and Simmons believe is the most valuable of all rewards. Individuals are motivated to seek a profit—rewards less the costs in securing them—in all their interactions. Moreover, there are separate types of calculi for each of these three categories of reward, and there are rules of the marketplace:
Rewards received by each party to an exchange should be roughly comparable in their type (whether extrinsic, intrinsic, or identity support), and rewards should be received in proportion to the investments individuals incur in receiving them (a principle of distributive justice).’

‘Artistic disciplines and practices have different dimensions in their relationship to digital technology. There are art forms that exist because of technology (digital arts practices and film, video) and art forms that are influenced by technology (new distribution means for music, e-books in publishing, live performing arts).’

New media created a new context for contemporary art, art can now be derived from comments and interpretations on this new media. A recent example is the sale of a screenshot of the phrase by an unknown ‘artist’:

‘Art used to be something to cherish

Now literally could be art

This post is art’

New media influencing art can just be seen as a series of new opportunities, formats, methods and platforms for an artist to do, in my interpretation, whatever they want to do, not merely create something aesthetically pleasing.

The introduction of this media enhances the blur between art and design, creating discussion about the function of design and expression of art, the rules of design against the void of rules with art. Just as Marchel Duchamp did with the readymade, skeumorphism and the digital interpretation of a readymade ( such as the screenshot artwork by anon )

Personally, I welcome this blur of art and design that has been enhanced by the introduction of new media. New media creates a great number of opportunities to express as well as a culture that welcomes a rebellion and questioning of ‘good design’, usually associated with minimal modernist attributes. I believe this introduction of questioning and several aspects of art which is affecting design ( as well as vice versa) is broadening the definition of both designers and artists.

The broadening of the definition of designer is ever growing, I believe an ode to this introduction of new media;



A recent article on I-D written by Courtney Iseman documents the rise of multi disciplinary professionals who refuse to specialize but instead adapt to the introduction of the ‘everything’ designer. Would this type of designer exist if it wasn’t to the rise of new media? Probably not, the introduction of new media, although a wide range of platforms, it seems to be a unity. The boundary of one platforms merges into another, A website turns into a responsive website, then fit for a mobile platform, then to an app. The blurring has encouraged this, with welcome, surely a creative mind struggles with the possibility of ideas not growing?

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