Week 3: Robotics + Art
This week, we were introduced to the history of robotics and how it can intertwine with art in many ways (producing both good, and bad results). Something that I was particularly interested in this week was the idea of mechanization. In our lecture this week, Professor Vesna discussed the history of Ford and the assembly line, a classic example of early mechanization (Vesna, 2012). By developing this system for workers, he was able to produce cars on a great magnitude of scale (but also introduced the idea of machine/automated-based work, as people were doing the same type of work every day). This also brought higher pay and shorter hours for workers, despite the repetitive work (Cwiek, 2014).
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| https://www.quora.com/Did-Henry-Ford-use-an-assembly-line-in-1908-but-someone-before-1901 |
Walter Benjamin argues that this mechanization diminishes the “aura” or uniqueness of art and creation because it is reproducible (Benjamin, 1936). However he also argues that this gives society more opportunities to explore art, and perhaps that humans are entitled to reproducing artforms they enjoy (McLaverty-Robinson, 2013).
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| https://www.croxgallery.com/oil-paintings/replicas/ |
He specifically talks about films, and I never really thought about how films incorporate both technology/robotics and art in a way that “reproduces” reality. I specifically thought of the original Avatar movie released in 2009 which introduced multiple technical innovations to Hollywood like virtual cinematography and the 3D digital Fusion camera (NYFA, 2023). The film used groundbreaking technology to “reproduce” director James Cameron’s ideas in each frame – an artwork in and of itself. It is clear to see that robotics and technology play a crucial role in developing art, and also making it accessible to people.
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| https://www.avatar.com/ |
Works Cited
Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Counterflow Distro, 2023.
Cwiek, Sarah. “The Middle Class Took off 100 Years Ago ... Thanks to Henry Ford?” NPR, 27 Jan. 2014, www.npr.org/2014/01/27/267145552/the-middle-class-took-off-100-years-ago-thanks-to-henry-ford#:~:text=Thanks%20To%20Henry%20Ford%3F,-Listen%C2%B7%204%3A23&text=AP-,Ford’s%20use%20of%20a%20moving%20line%20reduced%20a%20car’s%20assembly,extraordinary%20amount%20at%20the%20time. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
McLaverty-Robinson, Andy. “Walter Benjamin: Art, Aura and Authenticity.” Ceasefire Magazine, 2 July 2013, ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/walter-benjamin-art-aura-authenticity/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Nyfa. “Avatar Cinematography Analysis: Going to New Worlds.” NYFA, 3 Jan. 2024, www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/best-cinematography-many-looks-avatar/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
“Robotics Intro.” YouTube, 26 Mar. 2012, youtu.be/dJcPtv7tnKY?si=fvSzcQMuNFA4vOg8. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Hi Lizzy, I loved reading your blog! I also discussed the mechanization of workers and I like how you tied it to Benjamin's argument. Similarly, I incorporated his ideas with a movie, but I chose Wall-E. Avatar is a great film and I enjoyed your comparisons between the reading and the technology used in the movie. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Lizzy, I was able to learn a lot from reading your blog because I decided to cover a different topic, Robotics and Art, in my blog. I thought it was so interesting how many pros and cons mechanization brought, it makes it so hard to have a good or bad opinion on it. Avatar is such a good example of a movie that utilizes mechanical/robotic tactics in art, I wish I had thought of it as well! I also think this film was the beginning of that "groundbreaking technology" to reproduce which we see happen in mass amounts, especially through easy access platforms of social media.
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