Digital Aesthetics

2006-10-29T22:58:00+01:00

Digital Aesthetics

How is digital photography developing it’s own image? As it doesn’t easily fit in with traditional aesthetics or conventional aesthetics theory from philosophers like Kant.

Aesthetics describes the way something looks and how this looks can have an effect on us, like fear or discomfort. Kant stated that certain phenomena can have an impact on us, this is not an educated response, but a disinterested response or natural reaction that we cannot control.

Can the digital as a media form generate the same responses that ‘conventional’ art work receives? Is it possible for a digital aesthetic to be achieved?

When photography was first invented in the 1800’s it was a gruelling task to take a photograph. The subject would have to sit still for hours and possibly even do more than one sitting. This was respected as art as it was similar to composing a painting and often the results looked exactly like paintings. For example below is a painting by Robert Demachy, which looks like an oil painting, but is actually a photograph.

Examples of the oldest cameras

The photograph become democratic when Kodak produced it’s first snapshot camera, that could be used to take quick photographs.

This is one of the oldest cameras that Kodak made, produced in 1915.

Digital photography has caused a shift in the values system of photography as the photograph is no longer guaranteed to be real as it can be digitally manipulated. The debate over digital photography has just begun to rage.

This is one of the worlds first digital cameras. Cannon produced one of the world’s first digital camera, which was the IXU in 1986.

Different photographers and painters

Edward Western was the first photographer to start producing instantaneous photographs, rather than posed and composed, the real rather than fake. This is his Pepper photograph, it has a human feel to it and it feels rather sensuous, you can’t really tell what it is. Only when you hear the title you realise what it is.

Pedro Meyer a Mexican, Catholic photographer, who tries to portray religion in everyday life by making digital collages. A good example of this is his photograph ‘The Saint out for a Walk’ , this is an established photographer who has taken up this new technology.

In comparison John Heartfield literally cuts up photographs and sticks them back together and then takes a photograph of the final product, a physical work. Below is his portrayal of Hitler with money is his belly and a swastika for his heart.

What is the validity of those images? How art can be true to reality, for example the realistic nature of painted portraits, it is generally thought that a painted portrait is better than a photographic portrait even now in these days when everything is digital.

The luxury art market cannot deal with this kind of digital art work because it does not have the same aura around it that conventional painting does. Digital prints are not unique and can be reproduced many times decreasing their intrinsic value.

However the most expensive painting ever sold was called ‘Garcon a la Pipe’ (shown below) by Pablo Picasso painted in 1905. In May 2006 it became the most expensive piece of art ever sold when it was sold in New York for $104m (£58m).

An interesting example of digital photographic manipulation is Inez Van Lamsweerde who digitally enhances and changes photographs. By morphing different body parts together an image is produced that looks very realistic and natural, but at the same time you can tell there is something wrong.
Often sexuality is played around with and photographs of men and women are mixed together.

Are they women? Look closer!

Males with females hands and facial features of a child.

Another concept that Lamsweerde investigates is the combination of photographs of children with adult features, that are overtly sexual. When you look at pictures like this it challenges.

This little girl has been given facial features of an adult.

This is taking this concept to extremes and this little girl has been given a sexual pout and long sexy eyelashes.

Lamsweerde is also bringing up the subject that these kind of genetic freaks could be possible implications in the new technology of human cloning. As our flaws are deleted by technology will we become a perfect species like this?

Other examples of new technology digital artists include Mariko Mori, who has transformed herself into a ‘techno girl’.

Paul Sermon, who produced a ‘virtual bed’ so you could lie in bed with a virtual person half way across the world.

Patricia Piccinini produces sculptures to show how much genetic modification and stem cell research has influences us. These sculptures are called ‘friendly stem cells.

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