Tag: aussie

Week 6: Analogue Video

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Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practising?

Nam June Paik (July 20, 1932 – January 29, 2006) was a Korean American artist who was known as the pioneer in video art. He was trained as a classical pianist at an early age to pursue his interest in music, performances and composition. After moving to Germany, he met Joseph Beuys and Wolf Vostell (conceptual artists) who inspired him to work in electronic art and become dedicated to being part of the Neo-Dada movement. The movement was inspired by composer John Cage who use everyday sounds and noises in his experimental music. Under such influences, June Paik engaged in artistic practices and made his debut in 1963 at an exhibition named ‘Exposition of Music-Electronic Television’.

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?) 

Title: Video Flag Z (1986)

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With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced (date)?

It is created in 1986.

How was the photo or video authored?

The video was authored by Paik in 1986 using 84 Quasar Televisions in grid form with 6-foot high to create an America flag layout. He created two channels, one to feed all the screens on the left top section in stars while another channel is to feed the rest of the screens in stripes. The stars and the stripes changed constantly like dissolving in and out, spinning and flashing. Sometimes, it indistinctly showed news still, rotating statue of Liberty and faces with a morph of US presidents from Harry S. Truman to Bill Clinton and it is endlessly running of ones and zeros. This work was created based on the American flag for three sculptures: Video Flag X, Video Flag Y and Video Flag Z with a symbolic meaning to praise America and the power of learning from youth-oriented culture. Video Flag Z embodied the latest advance of technology during the 80s, including laser disks, automatic switcher and thirteen-inch monitors, this incorporates his belief in technology that gives people a chance to make a shared art and the idea of ‘Global Grove’ as he had predicted in 1973 there will be global satellite TV which allows people to switch to any TV station in the world (Tate 2019).

How was the photo or video published?

The video was published as the analogue electronic signals to create the flash and transition of image on the monitors. Indeed, analogue video and television are highly reliant on physical objects in the world (Lister et al, 2009, p. 19), like cables, fibres, television monitors, electricity supply etc. This means Paik had to ensure all the points were interfering with the signal so to project the effects in the video.

Unfortunately, there are limited sources to show whether the videos had been shown in other analogue television. However, it is certain that this video was shown on 84 Quasar monitors in the art galleries or exhibitions in the past. Yet, the screen of the Video Flag Z went dark since the 2000s and Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) conservator John Hirx stated that they could not find replacement anymore subsequent to the closure of Quasar manufacturing. The artwork pieces are currently stored in the museum’s warehouse. This situation applies to other avant-garde works as they are videos, laser-discs and technology-based, they are plagued with failing disk drives, burned-out bulbs, scorched wires etc (Pham 2004) when times went by. The video art involves various sectors to conserve, unlike the analogue photography that only required several chemicals and designated environment to maintain it.

How was the photo or video distributed?

As known that Video Flag Z was shown in Los Angeles Country Museum of Art from 1986 till the 2000s. Regrettably, people could not see its authentic anymore due to the dissipation of time, however, there are still access via Youtube because of visitors and fans of Paik recorded the art piece while they are visiting the gallery and upload it online. Besides, the image of it could be found in the museum sites.

References

Lister, M et al 2009, New Media: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, New York, p16-21

Pham, A. 2004, Art That Goes on the Blink, Los Angeles Times, viewed on 7 April 2020

Tate, 2019, 5 Times Artist Nam June Paik Predicted the Future | Tate, Youtube, 20 December, Tate, viewed on 7 April 2020

Week 2: An abstruse concept

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The Affordances

It refers to the perceived and actual properties of the thing, primarily those fundamental properties that determine how things could possibly be used (Norman, 1998, p.9).

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Simply, after reading this definition, I have the fundamental cognition towards this concept. Indeed, in the tutorial, Elaine further interprets this abstruse concept with us with the support of daily examples and Youtube videos. she also mentioned a few key points which are quite crucial to our course prompt: 

1. Affordances are the perceived and actual properties of the thing

2. Users form “conceptual models” to indicate how they will use the object

3. Conceptual models are made up of affordances, constraints and mapping of an object

4. Constraints restrict the way an object can be used

5. Four types of constraints: Physical, Semantic, Logical and Cultural

The affordances, it allows people to think about an object’s property so to use it or interact with it. For example, there is a chair in front of us, the perceived property is that we can sit on it and withstand our weight, however, if this chair is made of paper, thus its actual property is it could not withstand our weight. Further, sometimes we act or use the object that is out of the designers’ expectations, this is due to our affordances towards the particular object. Taking the chair as an example again. Besides, sitting on it, we can lift it up, stack it up or even use it in the magic show.

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Conceptual Model

When we are thinking about how we will use the object, we are going through the process of a conceptual model. The first step is the affordances, second is the constraints and the last step is the mapping of the object ( we would ponder over the relationship between the affordances and the constraints which indicate how the object works). In the lecture, Keen (2020) used the example in Norman’s novel – How to hold a pair of scissors (Norman, 1998, p12-13). 

  • Affordances: The holes in the handle of the scissors, which are designed to put the fingers in;
  • Constraints: The diameter of the holes indicate how many fingers can be put in each hole;
  • Mappings: The relationship between the affordances and the constraints would indicate how it works.
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The Constraints

Constraints limit the way of how the object can be used. It is vital for me to recall the four constraints which are the physical, semantic, logical and cultural. Indeed, it is a bit confused to differentiate semantic constraints and logical constraints. Yet, the “Lego” (Norman, 1998, p82-87)example shown in class, (I would not detail mention it here) had assisted me to gain elemental knowledge with the concepts. Though I am still not confident to identify them when I see a different object therefore when it comes to Instagram, the constraints of it physically is the app install in the smartphone or device; semantically is read the buttons shown on the screen which allow us to know where it can be accessed to; culturally, we can understand how to set up the profile when we are reading in our own language; logically, we will scroll up and down and tap on the screen to control the platform.

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Applying the approach to daily

Do your parents always question why you can get used to your new phone so quick?

My answer is always ‘I don’t know, I just knew it.’

However, this approach – ‘conceptual model’ could help me answer my parents. When we think of the affordances of the smartphone, we could think of using it for dialling, texting, surfing social media platforms or even gaming, watching videos and films and vlogging.  Therefore, the smartphone’s screen provides the affordances for us to touch so as to control the phone, the size of it allows us to hold it properly. When considering its constraints, it could limit the way we use, for example, the dimension of the screen is only suitable for an individual to watch videos (Physically); we could only tap, scroll up and down, left and right with the finger and zoom in and out with two fingers (logically).

Clues to the course prompt

How do the affordance of Instagram affect the way photo and video authorised, published and distributed in the network?

Instagram is all about authorising, publishing and distributing, these three aspects affected mutually. The platform allows us to edit and authorize our posts in several ways but not much, there are restrictions such as the size and the resolution, they cannot exist in its confinement. Furthermore, mentioned by Elaine there are restrictions in accessing another page, this situation occurs when we want to click on a link. The only way is we either scroll up or click the link in biography, this act utilizes the actions of the users than Instagram can gain more data to know the interest of the users. Therefore, this to a large extent would affect the affordances of Instagram. It became a platform not only for life sharing nor photo posting but also for e-commerce and people to shop or search for information, it changes the habits of individuals of using social media. 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Keen, S 2020, Wk 2 Lecture, Comm2219 Networked media, Powerpoint, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne

Lister, Martin, et al., 2009 New Media: A Critical Introduction. Routledge, Glossary

Norman D., 1998, The Design of Everyday Things, Basic Book, New York, p1-87