This week, we had a look at ‘infinite lists‘.

In his book ‘The Language of New Media’, Lev Manovich discusses the ‘database’ as being a form of “cultural expression” (2001, p. 218) for our ever digitalizing generation. According to Manovich, new media objects follow the database model by appearing as “collections of items on which the user can perform various operations” (2001, p. 219). A fitting example of this would be the ‘list’.

When it came to creating our own media artifacts for this week, I was inspired by the idea of a “virtual museum” (2001, p. 219). Manovich explains this space as being a “database of images, sound recordings, video clips, and/or texts that can be navigated in a variety of ways” (2001, p. 220), which is what Amber and I sought out to achieve with the Digital Museum of Infinite Archives (DMIA).

https://www.pinterest.com.au/theDMIA/

As the name suggests, the DMIA is a Pinterest-based online platform that operates similarly to a museum archive. The project’s aim is to “collect, organize, and display” (Kim & Nilsson 2020) ordinary items from ordinary households through the voluntary donations of ordinary people. In the process of accumulation, these objects have the chance to be re-discovered and re-imagined as something worthy of being exhibited in a museum.

Much like Manovich’s description of the Web as being a medium that “never [has] to be complete” (2001, p. 220), Pinterest demonstrates the same kind of flexibility when it comes to adding and changing content after its initial creation. Firstly, the very nature of the website’s ‘pinning’ system allows for smooth transaction between the curator and donator. Once the donator uploads their ‘exhibit’ to their own Pinterest account, the curator needn’t more than click the ‘pin’ button to create a shortcut from the donator’s original post to a categorized DMIA board – demonstrating the “network” (2001, p. 218) type of database as described in Manovich’s book. Secondly, the easiness of adding new boards, erasing old ones, and moving pins between them makes categorizing the growing inventory a breeze. In addition to all this, Pinterest allows “up to 2,000 boards” and “200,000 pins” (Pinterest n.d.) on personal accounts – like the DMIA – which means the museum can almost infinitely be added to.

However, as much as the platform provides room for infinite expansion, its benefits can still be challenged by some unavoidable weaknesses. For instance, archive management on Pinterest can only ever be done manually so the rate at which the project expands and evolves is significantly slower than on other more autonomous platforms. Also, because the end exhibit is merely a direct shortcut from the donator’s original post, aesthetic consistency (layout and quality of images) cannot always be ensured.

References:
Kim, V & Nilsson, A 2020, The Digital Museum of Infinite Archives. Available from: https://www.pinterest.com.au/theDMIA/. [28 August 2020].

Manovich, L 2001, ‘The Database’ in The Language of New Media, pp. 218-243. The MIT Press, Cambridge.

Pinterest n.d., Limits for Pins, boards, and follows. Available from: https://help.pinterest.com/en/article/limits-for-pins-boards-and-follows. [28 August 2020].

Previous Works:

week4_gathering lists

week5_explosive lists

This week, we had a look at ‘explosive lists’.

In response to the idea of an ‘exploded view’, I decided to base this week’s media artefact around the good old ‘chopsticks’ and my wonderment behind their many different uses – both typical and unusual. The inspiration for this came from Adrian Miles and his exploration of the purposes and uses of a “vintage souvenir tea spoon” (2018, p. 307) in the context of many different perspectives.

My initial plan was to gather images and videos of chopsticks being used ‘properly’ and ‘improperly’, and present them simultaneously in a gridded on-screen mosaic. However, as I was gathering the different clips, I noticed that the further away they got from their typical use, the more chaotic in nature they became. Chopsticks that weren’t being used to pick up food were being used as ‘weapons’ in combat, fly catchers, and hair accessories. According to Bogost, exploded views are supposed to present the “anonymous, unseen situation of things” – in this case, chopsticks – “in a way that effectively draws our attention to its configurative nature.” (2012, p. 52). In order to successfully execute this, I decided to swap out the organized sequence I had originally planned with a more chaotic and unnatural aesthetic.

This week’s media artefact seemed to pose a lot more challenges than any other weeks. The biggest two problems I faced are as follows:
1) The difficulty of visually translating the written content (list, plan) onto the screen. Some things aren’t as easy to perform or capture on camera as they are written down on paper. Through the making process of this artefact, I discovered that an effective way of overcoming this difficulty was to visualise the shoot process beforehand. The things that I knew were going to be a pain to translate on screen were cut from the get-go. However, as much as this solution was effective, it is also the reason why I ran into my next problem:
2)The extent of my own knowledge – which I have come to realize is a problem that subtly underlies almost all of my works. When I was developing this week’s media artefact, I reached a certain point where I couldn’t think of anymore meanwhile and wonder possibilities. The best way to combat this, I found, was to ask other people for suggestions. During our group discussions and feedback sessions, I was introduced to new ideas that I would never have come up with myself and this also allowed me to shape my project into something more relatable to an outside audience.

References:
Bogost, I 2012, Alien Phenomenology, or What It’s Like to Be a Thing, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. Available from: ProQuest. [11 August 2020].

Miles, A, Weidle, F, Brasier, H, Lessard, B 2018, ‘From Critical Distance to Critical Intimacy: Interactive Documentary and Relational Media’ in G Cammaer, B Fitpatrick, B Lessard, (eds), Critical Distance in Documentary Media, pp. 301-319. Palgrave Macmillan, New York.

This week, we had a look at ‘gathering lists’.

In relation to the practice of ‘ontography’, Bogost describes listing as a way of “cataloging things” (2012, p. 50) and “drawing attention to the countless things that litter our world unseen” (2012, p. 51).
Taking inspiration from these statements, I decided to base this week’s media artifact around the idea of ‘revealing’ – in a new light – a few things from my everyday environment that often go unnoticed. As someone whose work is almost always computer-related, I find myself constantly attached to the screen, paying little to no attention to the other components that make up my workspace.

I initially approached the task with the intention of showing items through a tonal montage that focused on the cluttered, unorganized chaos of my desk. However, as I began constructing a shot list of the things I wanted to include, I realized that the aesthetic I truly desired was actually far from it. I wanted to create an atmosphere that would envelop the audience in an air of ‘ethereal academia’.

I started with the audio – ‘The Blue Danube’ (1866) by Austrian composer Johann Strauss II – because I wanted a piece that had a steady tempo to which I could time the revealing of the images. I specifically chose this piece because, to me, classical orchestra exemplifies class and scholarly environments (the music we typically hear in museums and art galleries). With the music selected, I moved on to filming the items on my list; ticking clock, floor lamp, gentle whir of the laptop, wireless mouse, textbooks, clicking of pens, and pencil cases. In order to maintain the scholarly composure of the music, I ensured everything was filmed against a clean-slate background and also used a generous amount of close up footage because I wanted the focus of the audience to solely be on one item at a time.

Lastly, as per the advice I received during in-class discussions, I wanted to make sure the level of cohesion and ambiguity in my media artifact was balanced. As Bogost puts it, “in addition to mere mention, [the contents of a list] also ought to be considered conjunctively” (2012, p. 39). For me, this meant categorizing the different items and putting them in an order that would allow one clip to flow into the next.

The end product, in my opinion, came out looking pretty decent and I think it successfully depicts the tone I ultimately sought out to portray. In the process of creating this media artifact, I have gained more confidence in my understanding of ‘gathering lists’ as an accumulation of seemingly disparate things. When it comes to creating media through lists, I now have a stronger grasp of what is expected of me in terms of balancing poetic cohesion and ambiguity.

References:
Bogost, I 2012, Alien Phenomenology, or What It’s Like to Be a Thing, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. Available from: ProQuest. [11 August 2020].