Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?
Born in 1932 in Seoul, South Korea, Nam June Paik was a “composer, performer and artist” whom in the 1960’s become an innovative figure towards the creation of video-art (Britannica, 2008). Paik was active from the early 60’s when he opened his first exhibition, Exhibition of Music/Electronic Television, to the early 2000’s; creating one of his last pieces Global Groove 2004 two years before his death. Paik also worked as a professor at Düsseldorf State Academy of Art during his time as an active artist. He was known to be close friends with fellow famous artist Andy Warhol.
What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?)
I have chosen to analyse the video art titled Venus by Nam June Paik. This was a piece out of a larger series of works Paik created in the 1990’s called “The Planet.”
With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced (date)?
Venus was created in 1990, appearing to be one of his later works.
How was the photo or video authored?
This work depicts a painted aluminium structure with a green satellite dish in the centre; 24 colour tv sets are shown surrounding the dish and within. Appearing on all of the screens of these Sony televisions is a synced program which showcases hypnotic imagery, forcing viewers to almost see this piece as an illusion from afar. In order to create such a piece, Paik would have used certain effects on the film itself in order for the images to become distorted and hypnotising. The laser disc scanner involved with this piece would have also contributed to such effects. As this piece is a sculpture, (the only form of technology used is the televisions) manual labour putting the piece together would have occurred. There was no assistance of digital technology.
How was the photo or video published?
By the 1990’s, colour television was no longer foreign. However, distorted colour imagery shown on television was, especially in the context of art. Hence, the publication of this piece would have occurred through the timely process of developing the film and distorting the film physically. There would have been no help of digital editing software.
How was the photo or video distributed?
“Venus” was distributed to the public by being placed in The Hans Mayer Gallery in Germany, which was established in 1965. Nam June Paik joined the gallery in 1989, a year before creating this piece. The gallery still distributes this and many other pieces created by Paik to this day. At Art Cologne 2009, Venus was shown and spoken about by Hans Mayar himself in an online video for further public distribution.
Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?
Born in 1908 in France, Henri Cartier-Bresson was an artist of many talents. Beginning with a love of surrealism painting, the artist soon moved onto photography in 1931. He bought his Leica camera in 1932. Cartier-Bresson remained active in his photography career up until the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, giving up this passion for drawing. It is important to address how accomplished this practitioner became, his documentary style of photography showcasing world events such as the liberation of Paris, the building of the Berlin Wall and the victory of communists in China.
What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?)
The photograph I have chosen to analyse is part of Cartier-Bresson’s SPAIN. 1933. collection titled “SPAIN. Valencia Province. Alicante. 1933.” It displays a portrait of three women.
With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced (date)?
This photograph was produced in autumn of 1933, month and day unknown.
How was the photo or video authored?
Considering this photograph was taken in 1933, it is accurate to assume that Cartier-Bresson took this photograph with his recently purchased Leica 35mm rangefinder camera and a 50mm lens. Influenced by surrealism in his paintings, the Leica with a 50mm wide angle lens allowed this photograph to appear like a realistic painting. What is important to note is Cartier-Bresson was uninterested in the “photographic process” (Kestenholz, 2014). He liked to use little equipment so he didn’t stand out, and hence, captured more “real” moments. This photograph film would then have been developed.
How was the photo or video published?
This photograph was published as a gelatin silver print as part of a collection. As this photograph was printed, it has become an important piece in exhibitions and books. Buyers are able to purchase this photograph through auctions and in some cases, online. However, in the early 1900’s, it would have been hard to obtain this print. It also means that the process of publishing the photo would have been more intensive as it was taken on film.
Although not evident in the picture above, photographs from the SPAIN 1933 collection have been exhibited many times at the MoMA. This distributes the artists work to many people at one time, in a space catered towards lovers of art and photography. Being an exhibition of just his work, the audience is implied to be lovers of Cartier-Bresson’s photography. This particular photograph is also displayed on the Magnum Photos website, which allows an audience in the digital world to access and view the print (which has been digitised for such consumption.)
These are the social media platforms I interact with the most, alongside millions of other users. When I think of these social platforms, I don’t necessarily have to question how they fit into the category of “new media,” as it seems plainly obvious how they are. Social media is a concept and idea that is the result of the internet and advanced digital technologies. However, Elaine in our lecture today explained that the term “new media” shouldn’t just describe a growth in physical developments in technology. Instead, as stated in the reading by Eugenia Siapera Understanding New Media, “Understanding social media leads to an understanding of changes and transformations in social processes, norms, ideas and practices” (Siapera, 2013, pg.2). Hence, new media becomes more about understanding the culture behind using certain media concepts and products. Siapera uses the example of the television, and how this not so new invention can be classed as “new media” through how it is being used. Nowadays, it isn’t uncommon to find a television in multiple rooms of the home, as opposed to just the living room. This is the result of a change in social norms.
Elaine stated in the lecture how social media can be seen as the roots which grow within the “pot plant” of new media. If the pot was to expand and develop, the roots will form to take up the space. But what interested me the most was the idea of us people as users within these social networks, and the impact we ultimately have on the growth of the platform. Sam Hinton and Larissa Hjorth explains this more in Understanding Social Media, stating, “Unpacking social media necessities us tracing how internet cultures have shaped and been shaped by, the social” (Hinton & Hjorth, 2013, pg. 8).
One way we as users can have an impact on these “internet cultures” is simply by using a platform. From the moment you make an account on Facebook, for instance, your user data and habits are tracked. By agreeing to the platform’s terms and conditions, you are signing yourself up to be monitored. A big factor that comes into this is advertisements. When Elaine brought up how she is still seeing advertisements for products she searched up a long time ago, I couldn’t help but sympathise. I could simply think of a product inside my head and Facebook will somehow find out and show me a sponsored post of that exact product on my feed. Seems freaky, but honestly, this is just the result of your behaviour on Facebook being tracked.
Through a simple google search, I was able to find a guide created specifically for advertisers who want to target specific audiences on Facebook. The guide mentions that “interest-based targeting” is the most effective way to advertise to a specific consumer as it is based on a user’s likes, what app’s they engage with, pages they have liked etc. Another way is through “behaviour-based targeting,” which is through data consisting of purchase histories, personal anniversaries and events. This data can also reveal if you are planning a holiday! Hence, it doesn’t seem so insane how Facebook “knows what we are thinking” as every single click, like and post is gathered as data.
If someone was to ask you to describe Melbourne, what would come to mind?
For me, I recall studying for my Certificate IV in Hospitality last year and the emphasis my trainer put on making the perfect latte.
“Melbourne is known for its coffee,” he claimed with confidence, “The standards are high.”
He spoke the truth.
Walking the streets of Melbourne, it is almost impossible to avoid a buzzing café. The demand for talented baristas in this city is as high as the standards for perfecting coffee itself. Hence, I wanted to use the popular coffee cup as my centrepiece; my ‘muse’ if you will. But the images needed something more to reflect the beautiful city I call my home.
Street-art, graffiti, however you may think of it, is also a fundamental part of Melbourne’s culture. Hosier Lane and Fitzroy’s laneways inspired me with the art’s bright and colourful elements. It created not just a backdrop for my images but made the simplicity of the white coffee cup pop amongst the contrast of colours. Behind the lens, I was constantly realising how powerful street-art can be. One of my favourite photographs was of the street-art “NO ROOM FOR RACISM;” a political stance on recent events.
In terms of editing, I didn’t do much to the images. In fact, I was delighted with how my exposure turned out. I added a little saturation to make the colours pop and fixed some of the positioning. Next time, I hope to improve more on my exposure and taking time to properly frame my pictures.
Big thanks to my friend Millie for helping me create these images!
At the beginning of February, I moved from a Unilodge on Swanston Street to a new apartment in Collingwood. The more spacious apartment and beautiful view of the city skyline was only a few of the key aspects which made me excited about the move. Personally, I was really thrilled about the included appliances which came with the apartment: a fridge, microwave, oven and washer/dryer. Being a University student on a budget, not having to spend extra cash on such appliances is always a plus. However, the common struggle which comes with new objects and new technology is learning how to use it; working out the object’s affordances. As expressed by Donald Norman, an affordance “refers to the perceived and actual properties of the thing, primarily those fundamental properties that determine just how the thing could possibly be used” (Norman,1998, pg. 9). Further explained in our tutorial, this in simpler terms means: to look at an object or environment and see how it can be interacted with and used. An example of this can be a microwave. The buttons on the microwave refer to an action (aka setting the time) that can only be done through pressing that exact button. Microwaves afford cooking, reheating food and sometimes even telling us the time (in the case of my microwave).
Yet, Norman is frustrated with how advanced “everyday objects” have become, and so am I.
I remember coming home last week to my roommate showcasing her annoyance with the dryer. “I spent half an hour just trying to get it to dry my sheets,” I recall her claiming. This is then questioned, why is it so difficult to set the machine to dry bed sheets? Why should we have to find the user manual in order to figure it out?
This same frustration can be linked to Instagram software and how, for someone not very educated with social media and technology, it can become difficult to understand its functions and properties. This is become of the constraints which are always linked to affordances. Norman explains, “Problems occur whenever there is more than one possibility. If there is only one part that can be operated and only one possible action to do, there will be no difficulty.” (Norman, 1998 pg. 82). A constraint can be either physical, semantic, cultural and logical. In terms of Instagram, I wanted to try and look deeper into the types of constraints that come with using the app.
One constraint which I could think of is the idea of lack of experience with social networking. For instance, I have extensive knowledge of social media app’s. If there was to be a new social networking app to become popular within the market, I am confident that my existing experience with using Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat would come in handy. However, what if I was to have never used such applications? Does this then become a constraint as I try to learn how to use the software?
My example of this is comparing my knowledge of Instagram and the way I use it to the way my dad interacts with the platform. In class, we discussed the use of the inbuilt camera on Instagram and if that is used. No one raised their hand in favour of it. Yet, my Dad, a 53-year-old man, does use this camera. I know this as one day at an Arctic Monkey’s concert, he whipped out his phone to present the Instagram camera for a selfie. I wasn’t surprised, as my dad probably just knew this was an easier option for him in regard to quick publication of this selfie of us. However, my dad doesn’t use filters like my generation loves to do. Is this because he doesn’t care for the way his photos look? Or does he not mind because his photos are only shared within an intimate group of friends and family due to the privacy setting?
I would love to actually ask my Dad if he even realises there is more to Instagram then just uploading a quick, unedited snap.
READING: Core: Norman, D 1998, The design of everyday things, Basic Book, New York (Sections: Preface vii-xv; Chapter one pp 1-13; Chapter 4 (constraints) pp 81-87; (computers) pp 177-186).
Whilst catching up with lecture notes and readings this week, I am amused by how linked this week’s prompt of “Networks” is with my last blog post. Last week, I discussed my interest in the way Instagram content isn’t authentic to the platform itself, as images and video are stolen through the accessibility of other social media networks in our current day and age. My main priority was discussing networks and today this will be my same priority.
However, something which interests me more than just networks themselves is the concept of marketing through platforms such as Instagram and Facebook and how accessible and easy it has become for the everyday user to promote a product due to the existence of the Internet and the World Wide Web. A quote I really liked from Martin Lister’s New Media: A Critical Introduction was “we can note the way in which the development of the Internet has not only given rise to new cultural practices that have actually become a threat to the interests and business practices of huge corporations but at the same time given rise to new media behemoths in online distribution, retailing and services” (Lister, 2009, pg. 163.) More specifically, I like how Lister mentions that the creation of the Internet has become threatening towards traditional business practices that have worked well in the past. Traditional styles of advertising such as using the television, cinema and billboards (although still used today and effective in their own way) are now not as popular as opting for advertising through social media networks.
Scrolling through an Instagram feed, you are bound to come across some form of advertisement, whether it being a sponsored ad or an “influencer” promoting a product through their account.
My example, here is Tammy Hembrow: a popular social media influencer on Instagram with 9.3m followers. Due to her high exposure to an audience, Tammy commonly links up with fitness brands (due to that being her passion and interest) and promotes their product. In return for giving the brand exposure of their product, Tammy gets a % of profit gained by people using her code WB25 at checkout. This style of promotion is completely different to simply advertising a service or product by purchasing an advertisement slot in between breaks of a television program. As discussed further by Lister, this has become possible through the concept of the “Long Tail.” The “Long Tail” refers to two factors: the lowering of costs in regard to the production of digital media and the effects of search providers on modern digital marketing.
Lister mentions, “for most of the past century, companies of all types strove to introduce products and services that were blockbuster hits and could capture the mass market. Bigger was better” (Lister, 2009, pg. 198). However now, due to the lower costs associated with new digital advertising, companies are drawn to different approaches and appealing to niche markets rather than the mass. This is reflected through Tammy Hembrow and how her simple Instagram caption is an example of how the Long Tail culture has come into play.
I am really intrigued with the way the Internet has changed the concept of digital marketing and I believe I will further my knowledge on this topic as the weeks go by.
READING: Lister, M et al 2009, New Media: A Critical Introduction. Routledge, 2009. (Sections: Networks, Users and Economics pp 163-169; Wiki Worlds and Web 2.0 pp 204-209; The Long Tail pp 197-200; User-generated content, we are all users now pp 221-232.)
It has become unavoidable to walk around the city of Melbourne and not come across someone using a bike as transportation. Proven to be better for your health and the environment, many commuters opt for the use of a bike in order to get to and from their destination instead of trains, cars and buses. Hence, the CBD of Melbourne has become chaotic with thousands of bicycles being rode daily and not enough space to house them all. Within this collection, this chaos and variety of purpose that people exhibit while using a bike is displayed. Specifically around RMIT and the State Library, bike racks are overloaded by the common bicycle. Yet, not all of them are used for the same purpose.
This particular shot not only captures the chaos of Melbourne in the background; busy people crossing the intersection alongside the tram, but too presents the different purposes people have when riding a bike in the city. Food delivery services have risen in popularity in the recent years, so much so that there is high demand for riders in the city for services such as Uber Eats. Here in this photo is an Uber Eats Driver, signified by the bulky backpack (something I have come to recognise well whilst living in Melbourne.) The rider is using a bicycle which is common due to the bike’s capability in getting to and from a location faster and being able to cut through alleys. Not only is there a food service rider in the frame, but a normal commuter in an orange helmet. It shows how difficult it is to capture a shot of a single rider at a time in Melbourne due to the high amount of bike users within the city.
No matter what there will always be bikes within the city, it is what they are used for that can be intriguing.
THE APPROPRIATION OF CONTENT THROUGH NETWORKED IMAGERY
Due to it being recognised as the primary platform of discussion for Networked Media this semester, Instagram will hence become my primary focus for my week one blog. As a lover of this social media application, I was happy to discover we would be studying Instagram in detail during the course. Throughout the last decade, I have seen this app thrive and grow. More friends have created new Instagram accounts than Facebook accounts.
In fact, I created an Instagram account before I even wished to create a Facebook account!
I was excited by the aesthetics that could be created through Instagram; how photos told the story about a person rather than just words. However, as platforms such as Twitter and Tumblr become popular, I began to realise how visual content can be appropriated through it’s networking. As stated in Sabine Niederer’s text ‘Networked Images:visual methodologies for the digital age,’ “online images become ‘networked’ when users like, share, comment or tag them, and also when platforms and engines format, filter, feed and recommend them to others” (Niederer, 2018). Through this networking system, millions of viewers are able to take such content from any platform and use it for personal gain. For example, the rise in meme accounts on Instagram has led to the discussion of these users “stealing” content from Twitter and Reddit, without crediting the original owner or author of the content.
Upon researching a bit more into this, I came across an Instagram account which I do in fact follow myself, called “FuckJerry.”
User @FuckJerry has recently become under fire for stealing content from comedians off other platforms, and profiting off of it through the likes of advertising.
This account is not alone. Thousands of meme/comedy accounts on Instagram are doing the exact same thing. As Niederer discusses further in the reading, the existence of mass production of imagery on social media platforms is due to the act of appropriation; “Studying
the ways in which such publics repurpose existing images (e.g., by turning them
into memes or creatively appropriating them by using filters and other visual
and textual elements), provides new insights into the dynamic user cultures of a
particular platform,” (Niederer, 2018). Yet, users aren’t simply turning what they find into memes. They are without remorse stealing content for personal growth in profit and followers (FuckJerry currently has 14M followers, 300k less than when the Fast Company article was written a month ago.)
This is an interesting issue which I would enjoy delving deeper into as I learn more about Instagram and how it work’s within this networked media culture.
The art of people watching. It is something we all do, whether it is in a busy café while you wait for your morning coffee or maybe it is at the library as you feel yourself fall deeper into procrastination. I had this in mind as I took this photo of Jonah, modelling perfectly in RMIT’s main library.
Melbourne is perfect for people watching as there are people almost everywhere, especially around RMIT where these photographs were taken. Taking turns with my two group members, Jonah and Ziggy, we ventured out with a single camera and began to capture these people caught up in their own lives. Now, taking perfect photos isn’t an easy task, especially when your subject is a stranger out the front of the State Library.
All three of us looked at each other nervously. Who was to take the photo of this well dressed man holding a bible? Who was going to ask him for his permission? It was Ziggy who took the reigns and captured the polite man who was nothing less than a delight. When finding people willing to snap proved its challenges, we enjoyed showcasing the beautiful architecture found within RMIT’s city campus. The windows found on these buildings in particular created a template for how we could capture the busy university student on their way too or from class on that busy Tuesday afternoon. Seen as almost a silhouette within the walls of Building 10, the subject watched us as he walked past, and disappeared as quickly as he appeared. He too, was people watching.
