Digital Media Online

I think one of the most important things to explore when looking at ideas about digital media is the ability to use it and create it in different ways. In this section we are looking at digital photography and how artists have used media in various ways in order to enhance their photographs and artwork.

 

Along with photography, I am really interested on how these ideas work related to the web. Obviously print photographs can be digitally altered, but because of my interest in web design I also wanted to explore how these techniques could be used in the Internet world. Because my focus in integrative arts is graphic design, I started looking into how this topic would be relevant to my work and career and how I may be using it in the near future.

 

There is a really cool design firm located in Austin, TX that is constantly changing their website and adding new stuff to their online portfolio. The flash site is significantly changed once a year and has just been updated for 2009. Within the site there is actually a customization option which makes the site interactive. Along with some print and web design, they also have a really awesome photography section that features digitally retouched photography. It is interesting to look at this type of work because it is completed with the clear goal of marketing or advertising some kind of product or person. They show a really wide range of images and compositions. Check out the website at:

http://www.pixelpeach.com/2009/flash/

 

And again check back often because they are constantly updating…

Digital Art in a Convergence Society

Digital and media art is an interesting topic to explore. As a fine artist, as well as a practicing a digitally based type of art, it is sometimes hard to pinpoint the various differences that occur between the two. Digital art is constantly changing as new technologies are created. New media artists are always learning an experimenting with new software or equipment. The field is in a state of constant movement. However, given the nature that the evolution of art has taken throughout the years, eventually these new media practices may be considered the norm. As artists we should always be searching and working to find new ways to create expressions or commentate on topics within our society. Just like painters evolved when photography could capture the same images they could paint, art practices will continue to react to the media. Something that I am really drawn to when it comes to new media is the ability to experiment and develop new ways to create art beyond the traditional practices. Henry Jenkins, an author on the subject of new media art, has a lot of interesting things to say about media convergence in our culture. I had to read one of his articles for another class and I thought it really fit well with the topics we would be discussing in this class. So after researching him a little I found a good website that gives a pretty good overview of his ideas. The link is http://web.mit.edu/cms/People/henry3/converge.html. You will find a lot of links to other related articles. Check out the one entitled "Art Form for the Digital Age." I thought this was really interesting because it looks at video games as an art form.