Technologised Bodies

Which artist’s work do you find the most interesting?
I think that Stelarc's work - "Exoskeleton" is the most interesting work.

About Stelarc(Stelios Arkadious), he is a Greek-Australian performance artist. Stelarc has a concept that " The human body is obsolete." Therefore, most of his works are consisting of  robotic or other modern technology with his body. Moreover, he explores whether or not the human body is an adequate biological form through his work,

"The body is neither a very efficient nor very durable structure. It malfunctions often and fatigues quickly; its performance is determined by its age. It is susceptible to disease and is doomed to a certain and early death. Its survival parameters are very slim - it can survive only weeks without food, days without water and minutes without oxygen" (Stelarc, 1998).

About "Exoskeleton", it's a six-legged, pneumatically powered walking machine has been constructed for the body. The locomotor, with either ripple or tripod gait , moves fowards, backwards, sideways and turns on the spot.

Why I think this work is most interested?

It's because the work recall the figure that appeared in the movie - "Spider man 2". He is Dr. Octopus. He also insert a machine in his body. And he control the machine by himself, it's similar to Stelarc's work.

Individual reserch topic

The Title: Videogames – But are they art?

Ōkami

1. Key quotes

2. Key Links.

3. Key Books and Articles.

4. Case Study.

• Who is the maker of the game? The director is Hideki Kamiya

• When was it produced/released? 2006

• What is its name? Ōkami

• Describe it in detail
  Ōkami combines some of Japanese myths, legends and folklore to tell the story of how the land was saved from darkness by a white wolf, the Shinto sun goddess - Amaterasu. It features a distinct visual style and brush, a gesture-system to perform miracles. The most important element in the game is the game features the calligraphic brushstroke to make the images.

• For you, what is interesting/unusual/thought-provoking/aesthetically pleasing/puzzling about this artwork/website/game? [you may choose your own adjectives! These are just some suggestions]. Explain in detail.

• What key issue(s) or question(s) does this artwork/website/game raise? Explain these thoroughly, making use of quotations and paraphrases from your readings, and other examples, as appropriate 

Online Identity

1. How many online identities do you have? What are they like?

I have lots of online identities such as forum, facebook, MSN, ICQ, e-mail, youtube and xanga.
2. In what ways are they different to your "in person" identities?

There are lots of differences to my "in person' identities. As these identities are not the real identity, therefore I can express my own feeling freely. It's so different to my real personality, I am too shy to express my own feelings in the real life. Sometimes, I won't show my gender, even I will change my gender to male.

3. What are some benefits of expressing one's identity online?

These identities are benefit for me to do many things. For example, I can talk with my friends through MSN, ICQ and facebook, it is quite convenient for me to talk on internet and won't need to holding the phone to talk with them. Besides, I can communicate with strangers and share somethings that I won't have brave to talk in reality.

4. What are some risks?

To me, I will consider the privacy. When we create an account on some forum even msn, these website may require us to provide our personal information such as real name, telephone number even address. For example, the most popular website - facebook also have this problem. According to kurtvonmoos.com, it reported that "Facebook is import all the names and phone numbers from your phone’s address book and upload them to your Facebook Phonebook app on Facebook.com."

References link: http://kurtvonmoos.com/facebook_steals_contact_info/

Do video-sharing sites enhance or worsen creative culture?

People always argue that whether the video-sharing sites such as youtube, youku even facebook enhance the creative culture or not. To me, those video-sharing sites can enhance the creative culture and our development of creativity indeed.

According to Roman Marek, he said that "the virtuality of the internet maximizes accessibility. It almost seems like there are no external boundaries for the creativity of the community...", I agree what he said is the internet is accessibility, people can access to it and share their idea freely. They won't have any boundary to stop their creativity, except the illegal things. Therefore, all the people can surf the internet and get the new idea from others. It is the free-sharing world indeed. It's not same as the reality, we don't know how to public your own work / idea to others.

Moreover, I also agree that "people are sharing enormous amounts of audio-visual material — they are participating in a circulation of ideas. This circulation of ideas results in a process you may label as collective creativity." by Roman Marek. If people share their idea to others and it will be a circulation of creativity, that's mean "collective creativity". In the internet, it must be collected many ideas from all of us because have contributed the ideas even only a sketch.

Therefore, I would say that these video-sharing sites such as youtube, youku even facebook enhance the creative culture can enhance the creativity and the creative culture.

Youtube - "Bus Uncle"

1. There's above 80,000 viewers have watched "Bus Uncle". Maybe it's because the english title, so the numbers of viewers is less.

    The Chinese title of this video has been watched by more than 26,000,000 people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSHziqJWYcM

2.  I would like to give a high score for this video; it's about 8 out of 10.

Although it's not the high quality video and it is also hard for us to see the face of the two main characters in the video, it is also a good video for me. It is because this video can show the reality of hong Kong and showing the truth to us - All of us are under pressure.

Actually, bus uncle is an extreme model to showing us the truth; it can also attract our attention to face our difficulties. It is really interesting video for us. And raising the socio-cultural issues to us, as this video took at the real situation, all of them are normal reaction. Therefore, all Hong Kong people can realize and have a same feeling when they watching this video.

Moreover, this video can tell us this serious issue in a funny way, it is not similar to other video or a show talking these issues in a too serious way.

3. I think all of them who put the video on internet, deserve to recieive the attention from the internet community. But I believed that all of them have another aims that want to achieve.For example, some people want to share their daily life to their friends.

Example here:

(Reference link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOwQs5h4aNg&feature=player_embedded)


(Reference link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtbrLIwKWWA&feature=related)

Moreover, most of the company will upload the advertisment on youtube in order to get the attention from public and promote their product . For example, Hong Kong Ocean Park have a account on youtube and they will have a post to promote the latest activities to public.
The follows link is the latest advertisment which posted by HK Ocean Park to promote the Halloween. 


(Reference link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMHh3yfrFnw)

Mission to Earth

1. Using “Mission to Earth” as an example, note what is new or different about digital cinema compared to traditional filmmaking? Consider the story and appearance of the film.

There are lots of different between digital cinerma and traditional filmmaking. Take "Mission to Earth" as a example, we can see both video clips and motion-graphics clips (It seems a gif. file) appearing side by side in most parts of the film. In the tradition film, we can't add the motion-graphics in the film, even it is difficult for them to group the clips and create a film by many images or clips.

Moreover, the voice over is one of the difference between the digital cinerma and traditional filmmaking. The whole story is being told by the narrator. Actually, it is not surprise if I only mention that story is running with the narrator, I am interested in  the film is cutting by many images or clips and it seems that those images or clips shown randomly. also, the film was visualizing the narrative as much through motion graphics as through live-action video. In traditional filmmaking, they are simply to add the narrator to tell the story.
At last, the filmmaker chose a large or smaller window to display a particular sequence, and the number of windows that appear in a layout is telling us what the main character is seeing and representing her thoughts, memories and feelings. In the traditional filmmaking, they haven't a choice of large or smaller window as they haven't the technique to do so.

•2. What other art forms (eg film, digital art, painting, websites etc) does this film remind you of? Explain the similarity.

This film remind me the other art forms such as digital art. About the digital art, this film remind me the advertisment for the digital art show on 2007. It is because the trailor of the art show is similar to this film and both if them are showing the images or a clips randomly. Also, the content of this trailor is follow the rhythm of the music. It is similar to "Mission to Earth", the narrator is leading the clips and images in the film. Therefore, this film remind me of this trailor.

(Reference link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA3qLichPYE&p=E8E4D4FA5E0AB8FC&playnext=1&index=1)

Digital vs Traditional Photography

1. Photographic Effects

We can use many photographic effects to be achieved by using digital and analog technology.
For example, we can change the level of lightness by both digital and analog technology. Also, we can adjust the color of the photo by using the color filter.

2. Photographic Techniques

There are some photographic effect that can be only achieved by using photographic technique.

We can cut the size of te photo that we want or we can shape of it. Moreover, we can add other object, which have exist in the real life, into the photo. For example, u can add yourself into the photo by using photoshop, even you can add more than one :)

Moreover, we can use the functional key on camera that can change the daylight, such as we can change the color of the photo from sunrise to sunset. Or we can change the tone of mood on the photo, for example change to be a vintage tone.

Example:

Original

Vintage

3. Difference between analog photography and digital photography

Digital photography is a form of photography that uses an array of light sensitive sensors to capture the image focused by the lens, as opposed to an exposure on light sensitive film. The captured image is then stored as a digital file ready for digital processing.

Analog photography is a traditional photography, we use the film to record the image. And we need to print it out so that we can see what we take.

There are lots of difference between analog photography and digital photography.
Firstly, Digital photography save the images in the memory card and we can see the image that we took on the camera's monitor immdiately; analog photography save the image on the film. We can only see the image until the film had been printed.

Moreover, digital photography can change any object of background on the photo, such as change a sunny day to rainny day or change the road to a river etc; but, analog photography can't change the background and object of the photo.