"New Media" Reflection
...What I learned
In these past three weeks, we have built upon our knowledge of working online and used it to begin creating our own new media creations. The coursework has promoted learning in many areas such as: actual skill work in new-media settings, opening our minds the the online work space, tips on how to manage working with such a ginormous work space, how to look at work created online critically and with a similar eye as the one we use to look at our work within our respective art disciplines, etc. Because we are all artists many of us are visual learners, thus we learn by example. Four prime examples of new-media artists are Katerina Cizek, Aaron Koblin, JR, and the Sacrificial Poets. Each of these artists use a combination of new media and "old" media in a unique way (this collaboration constitutes the "new media" emerging art form): Cizek and Koblin are based more online, while JR and the Sacrificial Poets use new media, but share their pieces in a non-cyberspace setting. In the curriculum these past few weeks, I had the opportunity to try my hand and new media composition, combining ideas like adding text and transparency to produce a visually-appealing image. Learning about the art of composition influences how I look at my website and blog differently, and prompted me to rethink some visual aspects of both. Also prompting thought were the conversations that I had with my peers via Facebook. More than ever, this week everyone had a lot to say about the content of the videos, most likely because we all directly relate to the artists, at least I know that's how I felt.
...What stood out?
- how to compose
- new media as a new art form
...How does this help me?
These past few weeks showed me a lot about how what I learn in my dance composition classes could be applied in this setting, and vice versa. Actually, now that I think about it, throughout the majority of this course I am finding situations where the coursework benefits my daily life, and how my daily life encourages my coursework. Eventually I hope to take these skills to create an appealing and fully functional website and blog. The concept that we used in making our images and layering them, using the transparency function in Pixlr can be compared to adding layers to composition in dance. Say you have two phrases (images), and you want to mix them perhaps you do the arms of one and the legs of the other, or one step of one and one of the other and keep switching between the two.. I would compare that process to making one image from two. Also, in my music perspective class we talk about ways you can compose such as adding embellishment, repetition, changes in time, changes in level of intensity; while not all of them have direct equals in new media composition I think the principles remain the same. The fact that new media is emerging as an art form all on its own is monumental, and it is SO important that as artist we latch onto this idea and embrace it. The idea of new media, I think, has already begun to find its way into dance. I have been to performances where instead of music, the choreographer projects a video on the backdrop, and the dancers "react" on stage, or where a piece incorporates more media than just music.
...My Strengths
I think my strengths in the past few weeks lie in the technical skills area. I have a little bit of experience /enjoy playing with photo editors, so I feel that I shine brightest(in comparison to my other work, not saying I'm the best in any way shape or form) in those instances.
...What's next?
I think in order to progress in this course I just need to keep diving deeper and deeper in to the coursework, and not let the craziness of the semester effect me. There is always a possibility to be better, more creative, or more thoughtful about a composition... I think that by placing a "finished" stamp on any creative work you are prohibiting any type of further growth.
