#press pause play

[sallyfort-h-blog]

PressPausePlay

The digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent in an unprecedented way, with unlimited opportunities. But does democratized culture…

... much fascinate ...

[4thiess]

[mediaunmasked]

Press Pause Play: The digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent in an unprecedented way, with unlimited opportunities. But does democratized culture mean better art or is true talent instead drowned out? 

[emacblogbymasha]

Press Pause Play reaction

Larger quantity does not always mean better quality. When nowadays anyone can make music, video, art, and share it with the world the value of craftsmanship is decaying. The time put into the creation is decreased and the quality of the finished artwork is diminished. Popularity is defined by data; how many views did a certain artist get on their youtube video? When the number of tags on art put online determines the number of views, mediocre art gets in the way of talent. 

   Art making used to be a mystery. It took some research and struggle to produce a photograph before digital cameras. The ones who were truly passionate about a certain art form had to master the technical part. It took dedication and patience. Ones who were not passionate enough gave up. With bigger struggle success used to be more rewarding. Now there is no more secret. Anyone has access to the secrets of craftsmanship through google.

   Nevertheless, we can't help but adapt to the changing technology. However, the ones who know their craft like the back of their hand will have access to more than just basic functions and utilities of the advanced technology. Those will be the ones with expanded knowledge and an open mind. They will hopefully be the ones who emerge from the pool of mediocrity.

[songwritingseminar]

De digitale revolutie. Einde of begin der tijden?

PressPausePlay from House of Radon on Vimeo.

In de geweldige documentaire Press Pause Play komen verschillende vooraanstaande artiesten en denkers aan het woord over de vraag welke impact de digitale revolutie heeft op kunstproductie en perceptie. De technologische ontwikkelingen van de afgelopen 20 jaar en, bij uitstek, de uitvinding van het internet hebben een revolutie ontketend in de kunstwereld. Elke hard werkende Do-It-Yourself artiest zal dit beamen. Tegenwoordig ben je in staat om gezeten vanachter je laptop je volledige eigen album te produceren. Vanachter diezelfde laptop kun je vervolgens ook nog eens succesvol de distributie van dat album verzorgen. Als kunstenaar, in ons geval muzikant, geeft je dat natuurlijk een zekere macht en daarnaast vooral veel vrijheid om je eigen product te maken geheel volgens jouw eigen voorwaarden. Maar je bent niet de enige die zich tegenwoordig kunstenaar noemt. De huidige technologie biedt iederéén een uitlaatklep voor hun creativiteit. Iedereen, professional of amateur, kunstenaar of peuter, dictator of vredesstrijder kan via het internet vervolgens zijn ideeën wereldkundig maken en een following op bouwen. De concurrentie is dus enorm, maar belangrijker nog, er is geen culturele elite die in de gaten houdt welke uitingen van waarde zijn en welke niet. Om die reden beweert Andrew Keen, die in deze film aan het woord komt, dat we aan het begin staan van een nieuwe ‘Cultural Dark Age’. Donkere tijden waarin overdreven democratisering op een gegeven moment de dood van de kunstwereld zal betekenen. Aan de andere kant vindt de populaire denker en blogger Seth Godin dat er juist nooit een betere tijd is geweest voor kunstenaars om te leven dan deze. De industrie is dood en zodoende heb je alle vrijheid om je kunst te produceren en distribueren volgens je eigen voorwaarden! Deze tegenstelling vormt een belangrijke rode lijn in de film. Verder komt er een fraaie collectie kunstenaars aan het woord zoals Lena Dunham (van de hilarische serie Girls), de ongeëvenaarde Apparat, en mijn persoonlijke favoriet de IJslandse componist Ólafur Arnalds. Zij geven een inspirerende en openhartige blik op hun werkwijze en de manier waarop de bovenstaande ontwikkelingen van invloed zijn op hun carrière. Daniel. Op de site van Press Pauze Play vind je veel leuke achtergrond informatie, downloads, links.

[perich-blog]

LENA DUNHAM: "Nobody's gonna care about how did you distribute your movie or what you shot it on if it doesn't have an idea beyond just 'I'm a modern person using modern technology'".- >>Technology vs. craft

[aestheticking88]

"In our post industrial age, because of loneliness, because of the breakup of community, the way we redefine or deify ourselves is through the creative act. You go out there into the world and EVERYONE thinks they have a novel in them. Everyone thinks they can make a movie and everyone thinks they can write a song and that's why so many kids start bands and that's why everyone sits down and tries to write the great american novel. That's why everyone is going out and buying cameras and throwing their stuff onto youtube. Anyone, ANYONE can make an album. Anyone with the most minimal software can make a record and let the entire world that they exist. The problem is, everyone's doing that. Should everyone be able to be a successful musician? Should everyone be able to have a fan base and people buying their work? No. Absolutely not. There are talented people and there are not talented people. That's a reality. It's an unfortunate reality. It's a reality many people don't like because most people don't have talent. So for a serious young artist, these are very depressing times. When you leave everything to the crowd. Where everything is democratized, then you are by definition undermining the seriousness of the artistic endeavor. It's that idea of grey goo. It's the idea that if you have these little bitty bio machines that can replicate themselves and they just keep replicating themselves, theres nothing stopping them from covering the world in grey goo. Art and culture might succumb to that same principal. Where if everyone is a musician, everyone's an artist, everyone is making mediocre music and art. Eventually the world is just covered in mediocrity and people start to become comfortable with mediocrity and that to me is the danger."

-Press, Pause, Play

[u1258699-blog]

Press Pause Play

Tuesday Contemporary Practice in Context Lecture.

Today we viewed the documentary Press Pause Play which discusses the current attitude to art compared to past attitudes. 

Here are some of the points that I took note of;

Art is not cut off to the public as it was in the past, in contemporary society everyone is an artist, and if they are not that is because they have chosen not to be. Everyone has the same chance to acquire the talent and tools of the trade what with the internet and free video tutorials via sites like Youtube and Vimeo. 

As a result of this, it is much easier to put work out in to the creative world, nowadays one could post a video or animation or something they have scribbled down onto any of the social media sites and become an instant sensation as the creator or star of a viral video or a new 'off the street artist'. On the other hand, it can be harder to get your work seen because everyone is putting their work out there. 

Art has become democratised  where everyone can do it and can have access to it. In my opinion, I feel like for art to exist there cannot be a democratisation as there would only be talented people and no one to appreciate the true beauty of the creation as everyone else has already seen it. If everyone makes can make music and art and film, then culture and art becomes mediocre and people will be used to the beautiful and the creative world will be destroyed. 

Overall, I feel like this video explores some great points about art in the contemporary age, however, at points the opinions of the speakers can be pessimistic about how art will evolve in the new creative arena.