Response to Chapter 1

The first chapter of Digital Art is about using digital technologies as tools. The majority of the chapter discusses different ways that artist have used digital technologies as a tool. It states in the beginning of that many people speculate that all forms of artistic media will eventually be absorbed into the digital medium one way or another. In my opinion this is most likely a true statement especially as young artist emerge since they are are much more comfortable with the digital world. Also I think that artist in general are always looking for new ways to create and expand what they are already doing.

The idea of boundaries eroding between different medias is very interesting. They give the example of Casey Williams work that merges photography with painterly color fields and industrialism. It creates a new interesting work of art. I feel that the boundaries are not only eroding between mediums but also between artist creating a bigger community.

I was particularly interested the work by Jochem Hendricks the “Eye”. I love the concept of tracking what the artist is seeing and translating that into art. As the book says “it is a precise record of the root of the artistic process and visual perception.” Specifically I thought it was interesting that viewer could make out the face that was on the front cover of the paper. The book brings up the argument that some people believe that there is a loss of relationship with the mark and discusses how the concept , the composition of elements and the writing of software are all a mark left by the artist. I do agree that concept and composition of elements are a mark of the artist however, I think this project has more of a mark then concept and the writing of software. You are getting a view of the world through the artist eyes. We are able to track what he saw and read which tells us so much about them. This may not be a physical mark but I feel that this visual mark is more substantial.

This chapter had some interesting ideas and brought out some conflicts that can arise with the introduction and merging of digital technologies. Digital technology will eventually be integrated entirely through out the art world. The eroding of boundaries that creates new art, new ideas and I feel a bigger community. The author also brought up the conflict of whether or not a physical mark is necessary and how that effects the individual piece and the viewer. We each leave our mark when creating one way or the other.