DESMA 9 Week 3 Blog

   
    
    This week's lectures are all about the convergence of art and robotics. To me, these two seemingly polarizing ideas come together to make a connection which is especially apparent within the medium of film. A good example would be the famous Will Smith movie, iRobot.  Although it received mixed reviews from movie critics, almost everyone could agree on the fact that this action movie also makes you think.  This movie follows the life of Will Smith and his dealings with these creatures of artificial intelligence and it provokes thoughts about things like robotics, humanity, morality, and consciousness. 


    Walter Benjamin also played a key role in the use of robotics in films.  In the 1930s, he wrote about how films should try and "gain control over technology and its effects" while also creating a sensational experience that goes far beyond an other form of media or consumption.  In modern films, directors do just this, trying to affect as many of the viewers' senses as possible, in order to create the ideal viewing experience. Today, many modern artists are using technology and robots in their art pieces.  For example, Bot & Dolly utilized a robotic arm and different computer software to create a new viral artwork entitled "Box."  This work is a great example of how robotics can literally be used in modern art. 


    One of the ideas I found most interesting in the lecture was the idea that art has an uncanny ability to predict technological advances including machines and robots. For instance Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea predicted submarines, Marshal McLuhan’s Gutenberg Galaxy predicted the world wide web and the movie I, Robot predicts that one day cars will drive themselves.

Gutenberg Galaxy Book Cover, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Book Cover and I, Robot Car


References:

"Walter Benjamin on Film and the Senses." NextNature.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017

Brigette Supernova/The Daily Beast. "The Next Picasso Is a Robot." N.p., 19 Mar 2016. Web. 23 Apr. 2017 <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/20/the-next-picasso-is-a-robot.html>

"I, Robot." TV Tropes.  N.p., n.d. Web.  23 Apr. 2017.<http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/IRobot>

"Robotics and Art Combine in Latest Viral Video 'Box'" Singularity HUB. N.p., 01 Oct. 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.

Verne - 20000. Digital image. Wordpress. Alien Territory, 30 Jan. 2010. Web. 23 Apr. 2017. <https://alienterritory.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/verne-20000.png>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Robotics Part 1-3." CA, Los Angeles. 16 Apr. 2012. Youtube. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.

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