Manifesto draft
In New Media: An Introduction, the authors discuss the history of the camera obscura, a device that has been used to project images of ones surroundings onto a wall for thousands of years. He points out that while art historians usually try portray the camera obscura as a predecessor for modern cameras, film, etc, in reality, especially in the 18th century, the camera obscura was used as a tool to ' stimulate philosophical reflection and speculation on the nature of visual perception and knowledge.'. In the modern age of digital media, we have seen a move towards more immersive environments, with virtual reality systems providing full immersion, and computer generated imagery that is used to animate photorealistic characters through stories that resonate with us on personal levels. The aim of this media is often to make the user forget about the medium or the process, and instead provide a virtual space for the viewer to escape to. I propose a shift towards a more critical style that calls into attention the digital and fabricated nature of these virtual environments by undermining their immersive qualities, instead providing a visual experience that is broken or unimmersive, in order to keep the viewer in a critical state of mind, so they can pay attention to the thematic content of the images, which would address specifically the digital nature of the medium.
Lister, M. (2010). New media: A critical introduction (Revised/Expanded ed.). London: Routledge.