technology and the art experience

How does technology mediate the art experience?

Making the transition from physical forms of art like drawing and sculpture to digital media initially makes one question what makes something art. Telematic art is an evolving art from that is becoming more popular as technology continues to develop and progress. Telematics involves the technology of interaction among human beings and between the human mind and artificial systems of intelligence and perception. The individual user of networks is always potentially involved in a global net, and the world is always potentially in a state of interaction with the individual (Ascott).
Art no longer consists of just the classic forms of painting, sculpture, or music and theater. The skills required to produce telematic art greatly differ from those required for classic works of art. Both require creativity and imagination, but telematic art requires knowledge of computers and computer programs and of other forms of technology. Classic art forms require technique and an understanding of more simiply the elements of art and the materials being used to create the art. Telematic art requires some artistic ability, but less than classic art forms. It requires a knowledge of how to use technology to create things that were previously created by humans.
Examples of this can even be found in the project we did for class. We used digital cameras to capture images and Adobe Photoshop to edit the images. In the past most pictures were capture onto film with a camera and then were developed and edited in the darkroom. Most digital cameras automatically adjust their settings to try to ensure the best quality for capturing an image, but previously the artist could manually adjust the camera and play around with the settings to achieve the desired settings for a photo. Digital media such as digital cameras and photo editing on the computer takes away the internal creativity of photography, as it's no longer the artist developing the photos herself, but now she has a computer to do it for her.


With telematic art the artist is becoming physically disconnected from the art form and the art is becoming cybernetic. It is part human, part machine created. The tools (computers) that we create ultimately in turn reshape those who use those tools (from Blade Runner). Digital art that artists create is reshaping them as artists.