CKV
4TTO Maaslandcollege
Accepting technology into art forms
“New technologies facilitate new forms of creative work. William Shakespeare is generally recognized
as one of the greatest writers to have ever lived. He was extraordinarily prolific and gifted. But his
work was entirely in the forms of plays and poetry. He did not write novels. Why not? It would seem
the natural form for one of the world’s greatest storytellers. Shakespeare did not write novels because
the idea probably had not occured to him. He was writing in the sixteenth century. The novel onlybegan to develop fully as an art form in the eighteenth century. It germinated in the cultural conditions
that evolved in the wake of the spread of prinitng. These conditions included the means of print reproduction and distributution that printing made possible and the consequent emergence of a large literate class with an appetite for extended narrative……….In the literate societies of the 21st century, the
novel is one of the most popular art forms of all.”
From Out of Our Minds, Learning to be Creative by Ken Robinson
Technology in art
Technology is present throughout the world we live in and in all areas of our lives. In this written assignment
you are going to have to consider and explain your position with regard to the technological and digital world in
art and culture.
You have seen a film and a presentation about the Dutch artist/designer Daan Roosegaarde and participated in
a movement and music workshop provided by Virtual Emotions. Both of these are cultural practitioners who
rely heavily on technological advances in order to make their own particular art forms.
Various technological advances have come along through the years that have sometimes threatened traditional
work forms, sometimes altered approaches and sometimes have resulted in completely new cultural directions.
How accepting are you of technology in your cultural work forms?
We need to ignore for a moment the role of technology in the presentation of art and culture, so we art not
talking so much about the developments in how we listen, look at or otherwise experience art. We are concerned with the role of technology at the point of making the art or technology that is actually part of the art
itself.
If we consider music in its various forms as a cultural medium. As teenagers you probably all have very much
your own idea of what you like and what you don't. But you probably are all happy to acknowledge that digital
technology has a part to play in the making of the music that you like. Computers may well be being used in the
actual production of the sound in the keyboards and synthesizers that are being used. Digital technology is vital
in the mixing desks that are used to refine and mix the sound or maybe digitally recorded and manipulated samples are important too.
But there is of course music that is made without these modern technological production methods. Is music that
has been produced 'by hand' in the form of someone 'just playing' a cello, guitar or flute for example superior to
someone who works digitally with samples and computers?
How does this relate to other areas of culture?
 Where do you stand on handmade, photographic and digitally produced visual art? Is one form, in your eyes,
superior to the others. How does modern technological skill weigh up against handmade skill?
 Would you rather been the owner of a handmade item of clothing or footwear made by a designer or one
that has used maximum technology in its production?
Does more use of technology, by definition, mean better art?
As has already been mentioned, technology has found its way into all areas of art and culture. But in film it is
more the case than anywhere else. Each technological advance has allowed filmmakers new possibilities. First
there were only silent movies, then there was sound. Black and white films became colour. Analogue film techniques became digital. Real action is now often being replaced by cgi (computer generated imagery).
All these changes and developments raises the question, are more technological advanced films better by definition?
Can you by definition say that a film made in 1980 is better than one made in 1950 or a film from 2016 is better
than one from 1990?
Assignment
Reflect on the following points using your own examples to clearly illustrate your opinions and ideas:
 The Virtual Emotions workshop and the role of technology in the workshop
 Daan Roosegaarde's work as a designer, its strengths and weaknesses in your opinion and its reliance on
technology
 How accepting are you in the place of technology in art and culture? How important is 'handmade' and 'skill'
in your evaluation. Consider your position with regard to at least two of the following: music, visual art and
fashion. Illustrate your opinions with examples.
 Are modern films by definition better than older films? Are more technologically advanced films superior
than more primitive ones? Can a black and white film only be worse than one made in colour? Or is it all a bit
more complex than that?
 Just to return to where we started (re-read the quote on the previous page); if Shakespeare was alive today,
what art forms (and technology) do you think he might me making use of?