Questions Asked, 20 Years On

What caused the Berlin Wall to open up, leading onto the changes in Europe, and how did the changes follow? Packer (2009) claims "multiplicity of conditions" - such as dissidents' protests and the American support, failing economy in the Eastern bloc, the loss of confidence among the ruling elites, and Gorbachev's forbearing attitude - brought changes in Europe in 1989. Packer argues that it was a rare combination of circumstances and it should not be expected generally;

"a false lesson drawn from 1989 involves a kind of shallow eschatology of totalitarianism: this is how it always happens—the people rise up, the regime withers and dies, peace and democracy reign." (Packer, 2009)

By Tom Bachtell 

There are doubts about how democracy had prevailed over other political ideals, as Fukuyama (1989) proclaimed, we have reached "the end point of mankind's ideological evolution and the universalization of Western liberal democracy". Morozov (2009) writes that even though the world is more democratic than it was 20 years ago, it is not as democratic as we expected. Authoritarian governments have taken up technology and new media and raptures of within oppresive states are caused by globalisation, not technology, he claims. "The Berlin Wall may have fallen, but the Chinese Firewall has been erected in its place" (Morozov, 2008).

O MURO QUE DIVIDIA

UMA CIDADE - E O MUNDO by Neal Levene (2009)

Fukuyama, F. (1989) The End of History? The National Interest, Summer 1989. [online] http://www.unc.edu/home/rlstev/Text/Fukuyama%20End%20of%20History.pdf [14/03/2010]

Levene, N. (2009) Infographic: Berlin Wall. [online] http://simplecomplexity.net/berlin-wall/ [14/03/2010]

Morozov, E. (2009) TED and Reddit interview Evgeny Morozov. [online] http://blog.ted.com/2009/10/evgeny_morozov.php [14/03/2010]

Morozov, E. (2008) Digital Renegades, or Captives? [online] http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/11/opinion/11iht-edmorozov.1.18595125.html?_r=1 [14/03/2010]

Packer, G. (2009) November 9th. [online] http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2009/11/16/091116taco_talk_packer [14/03/2010]

Tutorial with Shaun

Focus + Reflect

 Unpick how the project worked, not worked, wasn't as successful as originally planned

  communication

  roles: who does what, when

  instigator, facilitator: me

  size of group (5): did it require a hub/administrative role to control the project... was there a need to "control" it, when I saw the project as a group collaboration?

inter-relationship

 process of collaboration

talk to Lee about presentation

Where is this project positioned?

tools: Dropbox, Google Docs, emails, texts, Facebook, Skype, project blog

Critical evaluation and research portfolio: at BmB blog

N
http://www.nuca.ac.uk/

Considering Audience 03/12/09

Out There: Relating to my Audience (and, who are they?)

Why do we make things and who are they for? Les Bicknell gave a lecture on considering our audience, and where we place ourselves in relation to the art work we produce and how we relate to our audience. We were given 30 seconds (although it wasn't too strict) to draw a diagram, and to place ourselves as an artist, and this is what I drew. It was harder than I thought... and when I tried to explain the diagram below to my group, I still felt a little lost.

Being aware of who perceives your work, and speaking in their language is crucial, in order to communicate and perhaps to draw them into your work. Les talked about the processes he'd go through, interviews, consultation, workshops... to capture his audience. "The mind of people" was something artists needed to engage with. Blogging was one of way of being visible to his audience, he said.

When I worked as a photojournalist, I wasn't in direct contact with my audience, as I photographed and the newsagency sold my work to their clients. Perhaps my boss was my client (who I did not like, and vice versa).

My photojournalist background meant I have emphasis on observation and documentation, so the Berlin Wall naturally influences my work, so I had to bare in mind the environment close to the diagram.  And I had to define my position as a photographer of the Berlin Wall and as an educatior in photography and 3D design.

Who are my audience? I've realised I had two roles: a photographing the Berlin Wall, and working at a school with photography and 3D design projects. My Berlin Wall project started off as my personal photography project propelled by my Cold War enthusiasm, so I didn't need to think about who saw my photos - I took photos of what excited me, and I'd show the images to my friends over beer or peppermint tea (this project developed into my BA dissertation in 2009, but the audience was still limited, mainly to my lecturers/markers). Are the Berliners I interviewed my audience?

When I think about my work at the school, are the kinds audience, and how do they interract with my work? When I drew this diagram, I didn't think there was much the kids could do to my work...

but they do pick things up and play with them. Sometimes the kids get into the projects I run, and sometime it doesn't pick up at all... so I guess the kids are my audience in a way, and who I'm trying to communicate with. The group of kids I work with are friendly and motivated, and the context is specific to the environment.

On top of that, I consider a different group of audience now that I look into digital arts and media... so the whole wide world (well, at least those who have internet access) will now become my prospective-audience.

What cultural context do I consider now?

SMS Guerrilla Projector by Troika

http://www.preoccupations.org/2005/04/sms_guerrilla_p.html

SMS Guerrilla Projecter is a homemade device that projects text messages its integrated mobile phone receives, and encourages participation on a mass scale as well as enabling people to "share their reflections in an unexpected and versatile way" (Freyer et al, 2008). It emerged as a reaction to constant exposure to adverts and the aim to "re-appropriate" this field at grass-roots.

Freyer, C., Noel, S. & Rucki, E. (2008) Design by Digital: Crafting Technology for Products and Environments. London: Thames & Hudson.

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle 2

Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

Artists Reflect on 20 Years

Tim Roeloffs, "Berlin Works" (photo montage), 1992-2009

"Everyone's got an opinion on the anniversary of Germany's symbolic moment of freedom. But we asked the ones who can really interpret history" (Wilder, 2009)

Wilder (2009) interviewed 8 contemporary artists, photographers and film-makers to interpret and to describe how "more perspective than ever".

"After the wall was destroyed and Checkpoint Charlie [was] erased from the city map, the area became a regular crossroad with regular traffic... I wanted to reach this large number of people — that's why there are no texts or interactive installation[s] but a light box in the middle of the street. It does imitate advertising aesthetics, but it is not advertisement. It functions as a visualized traffic sign — like a question mark standing in the middle of the street." (Thiel, in Wilder, 2009)

Frank Thiel, Permanent Installation at Former
 Checkpoint Charlie (photograph), 1994/1998 

Wilder, C. (2009) The Berlin Wall: How Today's Art Reflects 20 Years of Memories. [online] http://www.esquire.com/the-side/feature/berlin-wall-art-110909

The Hierarchy of Digital Distractions

McCandless, D. (2009) The Hierarchy of Digital Distractions. [online] http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/the-hierarchy-of-digital-distractions/
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/

The Wall Between Art and Design

At the Core Unit session yesterday, the group of MA students were split into small groups to analyse a short film. This was the second Core Unit session where I noticed a boundary between Fine Arts students (from Fine Arts and Drawing courses) and "designers" (from DIgital Arts and Sound & Animation courses). Many "design students" are sometimes referred to as people who aren't exactly artists.

I've talked to my friends in Digital Arts and Animation & Sound Design courses, and they have noticed this too. I think we all see ourselves as artists, but one group seems to think the other isn't. Is there a divide of perceptions between the two groups? Is there another wall?

I remember a session where we discussed whether there were art and design differences in creativity. Most of us thought there were subtle differences... but it seemed as if design was not part of "art". In the discussion group we loosely agreed that  artists and designers are as creative as one another. Is it that important to differentiate? 

"Some designers consider themselves artists, but few artists consider themselves designers" and this is due to the "entirely different" relations they have within the creative culture, claims O'Nolan [2009]. 

O'Nolan, J. [2009] The Difference between Art and Design. [online]

 http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/09/the-difference-between-art-and-design/

http://jehiah.cz/archive/design-is-not-art


http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/







BBC (2009) In Pictures: Meeting at the Fence. [online] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7908368.stm

I am skeptical about uploading my personal work on my blog (or perhaps online in general). It's not the easy process of capturing the images or copying ideas.

What if this happens?

"On the left, my Tufte-esque blog illustration. On the right, the McDonalds rendering, decked out in the effective Cooper Black, no less. Just a case of coinicidence? Or is there a fast food e-marketer burning deep within my soul, just waiting to bare itself out?". (Kawabunga, 2006)

Kawabunga (2006) McRib Update. [online] http://www.kawabunga.com/archives/2006/01/mcrib_update.php

Reflecblog

Blogging has been a new learning experience for me. I have viewed the blogging culture as a collective of journalists-wannabes publishing personal accounts I didn't care to know about. My photojournalist background didn't help. In other words, my "professional" pride got in the way, even though I am no longer a journalist.

"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." (Adare, in Cornwell, 2004)

I reluctantly entered the new culture when my tutor "strongly" recommended using a blog as my learning journal.

It then became a casual sketchbook of images and texts I found in books and websites... until today, where I am finally typing words of refection, about reflection. I aim to keep this journal just larger enough circle for myself, my classmates and tutors. And, I hope this will develop into a neat recording system of my learning, awareness, and a habit.

Some of the things I wall bare in mind are:

description of events, experiences and processes,

my feelings about these events,

positive and negative experiences, and self-questioning about these experiences,

analysis of my work and evaluation of my progress,

ideas for future development,

links to your coursework and theories,

use of the first person, and

be honest. (UAL, 2007)

So, here I start my refbloglection.

Cornwell, R. (2004) Red Adair: Oilwell Firefighter Who Became an American Legend. [online] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/red-adair-550241.html

UAL (2007) Visual Directions: Reflective Writing. [online] http://www.arts.ac.uk/cetl/visual-directions/flash/reflective/flash_reflective_textversion.htm#topics