August 21st, 2006
Socio-technological imagination?
After developing much of my SMS-to-thought-bubbles-eminating-from-windows-on-public-facades-project, I did a little research to see what other artists were doing with SMSes.
As has happened before, I found an artist who has a well-developed, lovely version of my idea. In fact, the similarity was uncanny. Apparently, I’m about 10 months behind on this one. The project is called TXTual healing. Beautiful work Paul Notzold. I’ll toast you by linking to you!
So, is there something about contemporary technologies that lead people to similar artistic expressions? Is the expressive potential of technology simply limited by “features”, resulting in similar ideas — or is our socio-technological imagination “in-sync” in some way? We certainly have no problem adopting tech-speak to describe out thoughts, patterns, interactions and bodily processes.
I’ve encountered this coincidence of ideas many times during my first year studying art. My science and engineering background left me with the impression that novelty is the greatest of all expressive achievements. Is novelty the highest achievement in art? I hope not.
2 Responses to “Socio-technological imagination?”
Thomas Asmuth said it on August 26th, 2006 at 3:11 pmChasing the Zeitgeist? The human mind or particularly the Western civilization’s consciousness (which expertly influenced this author) continues to be in love with the romantic notion of being the ‘author of prima materia’. This entepenurial notion, perhaps helpful in the drive toward innovative thinking, causes undue concern and consternation upon the discovery that another mind is or has been researching the same important ideas.
I suppose that many of us are too fragile to immediatately realize that our work has just been confirmed. I cannot count the number of times, I cursed the earth upon the discovery of a completed project I was still designing.
Another mind out there completely independent of our direct relationships, follies, and education has found the same subject fascinating?? incredible! And if we can step out of our fragility for a moment we will see that human history is rife with examples of concurrent R&D from the unacquainted. I propose that there is no higher compliment or a better example of that we are connected in unimaginable ways.
Excuse me now, I need to go sulk… someone else already wrote this.
Thomas Asmuth
CADRE Laboratory for New Media
Matt Waxman said it on September 7th, 2006 at 6:56 pmSo true, so true! Plus, if you take note of all the similar things out there you can use it as evidence to support your thesis in a paper or project on the subject. And you can build coalitions and community around shared themes and common vision! (I was going to write something similar as the last commenter, too.)
