Author: Tiana Twist (Page 2 of 2)

Technology has impacted and shaped the future of art and design. Squeezing itself, creating a new channel, and broadening the horizons for artists to explore in the art and design world. Based on the three readings during the 20th century, we get a look at how these three artists show a similar view on the changes technology has made.  

 In Marinetti Manifesto it speaks about the Futurism movement based in Italy. In this movement, it called out to artists that want to discard the past and embrace the dynamics of modern-day. While attacking the traditionalist, they sought out to break the preexistent norms. Marinetti used vivid imagery to tell a inspiring story to depict how the future will be. We can tell that he is fascinated by machinery and speed in the industrial age. He used the manifesto as a guide, a key to express how a something fresh will replace the traditional attraction and a new life will be born. In Marinetti Manifesto it tell us that modern day industry and technology will take over the art and design world. He states that we should take advantage of the technological achievements in an assertive manner and take action. Basically, telling us to embrace technology and use it to our advantage.

Aleksandr Rodchenko’s Who Are We speak about the constructivism period. This is a time in which mechanical objects are combined to create abstract and structural forms.  He strive to express that it’s time for a change that aims to influence artists in expressing themselves rather than serving the needs of society. Using your artistic abilities to create “constructively” so that society can benefit from it. This movement was to create order in a world full of chaos. Rodchenko stresses on the point “The first working group of constructivist”  referring to himself as a simple worker setting the foundation that it starts here with us. He wanted us to open our eyes and see that there is more than what meets eye. One can say that Rodchenko and Marinetti both had a similar view. Which is to embrace technology with open arms.

El Lissitzky’s Our Book took us on a different route to view the impacts of technology. He informs us how it influenced society. Expressing to us the material forms of book design and how it came about. At the same time predicting the dematerialization of it in decreasing the value of print and increasing the digital design world. He conveys to us at the beginning of the article “that art is a single event in time, has no evolution…Gutenburg the inventor of the system of printing from movable type…the highest achievement in book art”. I can tell that Lissitzky was a little saddened by the development. Since it was the first great invention and then it died down after the invention of photography. I fell that Lissitzky wanted society to build on Gutenberg’ printing press. Instead of waiting around, looking for the next invention to pop out the sky.

At first, I felt that he wasn’t into the whole change and the creation of something anew. However, as I continued to read I can see that he was looking forward to the future and what it enfolds. It’s like he foreshadowed that many problems will occur.  As a result, we should create, and build to enhance the future for the designers and artists to come. Lissitzky gave us an insight that with any new influences being brought about we will always lose some and gain some and that’s how the design world is. As we follow through he informs us about the letters, telephone, media, radio, and all great communication inventions. Increasing the level of communication, and the “material used”. Stating the time and effort it took to create all this. One can say that it is revealed to us how great and powerful communication is. It is a driving force with no hint of tradition, craft, or reminiscence on the past. However, it has expanded, transcend, and will continue to grow. Lissitzky complain to us that we have the tools to reconstruct the lives of many individuals. With on click, we can level off the playing field.

Today we can see that many problems have been addressed before we as the users came in contact with them. We are in a modern-day era that we can not only listen and converse in a conversation, but we can also participate and experience it. As a result, Lissitzky exclaims that this is our time, “Our Book”. Rodchenko states “we are the beginning, our work is today”.  I can tell you as a young designer I am often amazed and intrigued by the new revelations. I often find myself loosing myself in technology. That’s to tell you how powerful it is. Today there is always something new that arises and you have the urge to try it. How we interact with technology can make or break you. It comes with a lot of influences that can hinder you or help you. I think this will be the greatest challenge that we have to face and learn from.

After reading the excerpts it expresses that language is comprised of a system, of spoken or written sounds, symbols, including the use of words in a fundamental and conventional way. It is stated in the reading that language is not arbitrary but contains a form of logic. This mean that language is not random it is comprise of a whole reasoning and thought process that goes beyond what meets the eye. Throughout the ages language has work hand in hand with time to depict the transformation and shift. Language is both traditional and conventional, each word has meaning and components that is a part of the system. With each word developing its meaning exclusively from its distinction from the system. Every single word could mean something or anything. As a result, it causes “a shift in the relationship between the signified and the signifier” as expressed in the readings. Language is radically incapable of shielding itself against the forces that change the relationship between the signified and the signifier from one moment to the next. This is among the arbitrary existence that has created. Over time language transform, became clear, universal and used daily by all.

Nevertheless, the Lupton-Miller readings express how communication came about. In these essays, it indicates the relationship between language, writing, numbers, hieroglyphs, and dreams. With the combination of language, it created a new shift. Changing how language is being perceived. Thus, creating communication. Communication is conveyed as the exchange of a given message or information from one individual to the next, either spoken or unspoken. Mostly focusing on the message itself. While many would believe that language is communication and that there is no difference. Since we are conversing with one another over the same median.  However, they are not the same the big difference is language is a tool that contains a system between two or more people who are interacting.  Communication is the message of the experience that we witness.

As designers we use visual language to communicate with our users. This is where language and visual elements are combined to help users understand and comprehend visible signs and elements. In other words it is the use of visual symbols rather than verbal symbols. In the short essay “Modern Hieroglyphics” we see how these icons and symbols were used to bring across the given message.  Many icons and symbols took the form of the given word and this created a mean of communication. It became standardize across the world as an automatic visual language that we all understand. One icon can correspond to a word or phrase. As  result, there was no need to always write or speak things out a simple image will do the trick. In language symbols work hand in hand to convey linguistic and social meaning.  Using linguistic as unit like words. This relation opens a channel that gives designers a more greater field to explore, mix, match and combine things. For examples in logo creation an icon or symbol can be used as a brand image.  Posters, flyers and other print media no longer be heavily text based. This makes graphic communication more easier, understandable and not complex. It makes art speaks where words can’t.

In conclusion, the design process expresses how language transgress from verbal to nonverbal. We once started out as speaking out everything, followed by writing. Which was very graphic, classified as visual representation. To the rise of symbols and icons to speak as a universal language. In the archaic number system, it depicts the evolution of the number system from being ambiguous. With random tally marks, to counters, to abacus, to a standard notion of 0’s and 1’s.  This is the same process language, went through, with many new paths created and the traditional ways slowly disappearing.  

Design is everywhere and in everything! It influenced what we eat, how we dress, what we buy, and even how we think. Today, designs are shaping the world as it is no longer only self-expression, anonymous, and socially detached but rather marked with authorship, universality, and social engagement. These form a continuum in which designers grapple with when designing to meet the clients and world demands. Resulting in a continuous transformation of design strategies to meet the demands of consumers and clients. Design is experiencing a merging of the theoretical design foundation with modern and post-modern views which are influenced by prosumerism, technology, and social responsibility. The evolution in design has caused designers to diversify from “neutral transmitter of information” to producers, initiators, and entrepreneurs. 

I believe that designers should be concerned with unresolved theoretical questions because it allows for greater exploration of the profession. Keep in contact with design roots helps to unlock new experiences and allow the field to grow and develop and meet futuristic goals. Additionally, to avoid graphic designers from being sidelined they have to continue to develop new innovative tools, templates, and resources to sustain clients’ demands so that they are an integral part of the prosumer culture.

Technology is the tool that is keeping designers to reflect on the unresolved theoretical questions such as universality and subjectivity. Artists such as Moholy-Nagy and Herbert Bayer seek to make design communicate clearly, concisely, and precisely and truthfully which means eliminating subjectivity and making the image objective. Technology is the tool for designers to create a masterpiece, but the software applications are restrictive and use standardized tools that make the visual images universal. The sharing of tools and technology has been made easier thus creating common visuals and shifting the visual language to include cross-cultural images and designs. This causes the influx of terms from different disciplines and cultures creating a design and visual language that Manovich described as “hybridity and remixability”. It enables a new kind of language and voice which is comprehensible and constant in meeting despite the various cultures. Visual language does not require translation, so the meaning and understanding are universal.

The design field has expanded to include more political and social platforms on community and global issues such as equity, social justice, and the environment. The images are engaging persons to critically examine the issues and concerns and awaken the movement of change. This brought subjectivity into the design as it serves as a critique of social issues and problems. Design is inspiring, empowering, enlightening, and activates action. This broadens the audience’s perspectives and increases the need to produce meaningful images to meet the needs of a client and the consumers and use the work of designers as a platform to critique and make changes in the world.