Technological Development in the Art World

 Technological  development is something that is celebrated as well as feared. We are always updating and progressing as a society, creating new things as well as replacing old things. In the art world, technological advancement is rather overlooked. 

There are thousands of new media artists in our world today, but I feel the old fine art tradition seems to turn their nose at the idea of "new media". I feel the difficulty for them is accepting new media as something new, rather then something that is replacing the old. Personally I love working with my hands and I love using the physicality of paint, markers, and charcoal. But I appreciate the ideas and complexity that are roused by new media artwork. 

Brian Knep, the artist that just visited our class, is a new media artist with little to no fine arts background. His ideas are taking art to the next level, taking art further by creating art that changes because of us rather then the opposite. It is his ideas that propel him forward as a brilliant artist. 

In 1928, Leon Theremin created the "theremin" an electronic musical instrument. Metal antennas were controlled by the hands which in turn controlled radio frequencies and volume which were then amplified through a loud speaker. 

This was the start of the electronic music age, leading to synthesizers, etc. Soon, music could easily be made with no musical instruments at all. This is what I find parallel to the visual arts world. Now we can make art with computers and technology rather then our hands. 

We can, but we don't have to. I think that is a crucial thing to remember. Electronic music is its own category. It is something new, rather then something to replace the old. Blending these ideas and techniques is what is going to progress us to higher levels of art understanding.