S2

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The Perception of Art

In this week’s article Social Media Art In The Expanded Field, Ben Davis argues that art and social media involves resistance between the two, there is a closed-in type of expression vs. a relation-based mode of operation (Ben Davis 2010) and the two terms cannot be merged. In other words, there cannot be a combination of art and social media; it is either one or the other. However, social media art has one exception, which is a social networking service that is designed specifically for an art project, which Davis explains is questionable. 

Artists that use social media platforms to display authentic works of art such as abstract art, paintings, sculptures and hand drawings etc. have a global audience. This week’s reading made me question whether modern art loses its value and whether art exists beyond the use of social networks. To me, art on social media appeals to a larger audience to show what is chic and trendy and reaches a worldwide audience. However, I think art on social media loses its visual art power and undervalues an artist’s time, work and talent. For example, I have a framed painting of Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night in my room and that same exact painting set as my desktop wallpaper. Although they are both the same painting, I feel that the framed photo speaks louder to me than my desktop because there is a feeling of existence and reality with the framed painting over the electronic one. Moreover, electronic photos of art can be filtered and edited whereas; observing an artwork, in reality, gives you the satisfaction of authenticity. Thus, digital is frequently perceived as artificial whereas, analogue is perceived as authentic, for example, a digital photo of a baby seems less natural compared to a framed photo. 

Davis, Ben. “"Social Media Art” In The Expanded Field". Artnet (2010). Web. 24 Mar. 2016.

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Gender and Gaming

This week we wrapped up our two-week netprov on goosepocalypse; it was definitely my favourite assignment so far. Our networked narrative seemed so real to me, in that our storyline was very active and impelling, to the point where I felt like the campus geese were really a threat. It felt like it was a legitimate problem on campus that others outside of #ENGL295 also joined in. I think the idea of netprov is very engaging and entertaining and one can make a whimsical make-belief story very convincing through social media. 

This week's topic on online harassment, abuse, and gg was very intriguing. I believe characters in video games are heavily sexualized, especially female characters, and acts as a contributing factor to why gender is constructed in gaming communities. Traditional gender roles, such as men as protectors and women as nurturers, skew gender portrayals in video games which are why women are looked down upon in association with games. Reasonably, many games and gaming systems are created by men, hence,  XBOX and PlayStation are more male-dominated. However, during our guest lecture, I found it interesting when Emma Vossen played a video on how phone games aren't considered "real" games and how some games are specifically created for men and women.  Analyzing video games and the construction of gamer identity is very important as games are a great part of our culture.

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Social Media Is A Game Changer

Twitter Revolution? By Henry Jenkins dwells on the idea that social networking sites have become the new revolution to what is and isn’t in the public’s eye. He used an example of the Iranian elections in 2009, which sparked a global response on Twitter due to the prominence of the protest. Another example Jenkins used was the 2011 US protest against the Wisconsin governor. He goes on to say that the use of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook is seen as a game changer and used as a tool for political change. This article really stuck with me because I feel that social media has definitely changed the way we grasp mainstream media and politics. After reading this article it reminded me of the disheartening Paris attacks that occurred on November 13, 2015, which gained worldwide attention. Some people were offended that Paris was gaining so much attention with flag filters and #PrayForParis hashtags leaving other countries disregarded. Although it’s sad and shameful to be having a debate on death, it made a bunch of people angry that social media was spreading love and prayers for the victims of Paris but not other places of the world. There was a trending hashtag on Twitter later that week called #PrayForBeirut? (with the question mark) because a day before the Paris attacks, 43 people died in Lebanon due to a suicide bombing but it was completely overlooked. Many people questioned and pointed out the lack of support for other countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Kenya and Iraq etc. I definitely agree with Jenkins’ viewpoint on how social media is becoming the new revolution and changing the way we grasp onto things especially politics and news.

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