My point is that we should take action to ensure that the future is a place in which we wish to live. Teleology is for suckers; there is no ultimate end to history. Eschatology was invented to soothe the sting of mortality; it's very comforting to resolve the ultimate existential cognitive dissonance by taking ownership of one's own death. Hopefully in this group we're all grownups now and don't believe in fairy stories, supernatural or technological.
We live in a deterministic universe, so from one point of view the future already exists. But that's no excuse for us to sit idly by while the future is created for us. Surely a creative group such as this can see the value in proactive critical evaluation of emerging technologies. We should be taking the mind control machines that are intended to placate us and use them for our own self- and world-transforming purposes. Making experimental film and video is precisely that; wresting the means of media production from the powerful in order to pursue higher aims of aesthetic, psychological, and political evolution. So when brain-machine interfaces become affordable, I'll be among the first to have my dreams recorded. Aaron At 10/31/2011, you wrote: >I'm not any sort of Christian, but C.S. Lewis is really worth >reading, the Narnia books are good fun (if a bit over the top in the >allegory department) and his theological writings are quite >wonderfully written and (I believe) quite under appreciated as >philosophical texts (though I don't really agree with him). However, >this isn't a literature, philosophy, or theology list-serve so it's >probably not appropriate to go into it in any depth. > >I'm also not convinced by a Kurzeilian view of a technological >singularity. Every technology has exciting (and frightening) >possibilities and can't really be predicted as being entirely >negative or positive and has never caused us as a species to reach >any sort of teleological end (be it apocalypse or transcendence). > >For example, the invention of cinema, mechanical reproduction, and >digital media were viewed simultaneously as allowing for new utopic >modes of shared experience and as being imminent dangers to the >structure of western civilization (I don't think either has come to >pass yet, and certainly not at the hands of whatever aesthetic tools >we have available). > >Best, >Tessa > >On Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 12:29 AM, Aaron F. Ross ><<mailto:aa...@digitalartsguild.com>aa...@digitalartsguild.com> wrote: >I haven't read C.S. Lewis, I could never tolerate the heavy-handed >Christian apologism. Tolkien was the better writer because he >abhorred allegory. Anyway, I think it's worth questioning whether >"The Abolition of Man" might not be such a bad thing after all. Or, >to quote Nietzche, man is something to be overcome. The utter >virtualization of all experience may liberate consciousness in ways >we puny humans cannot comprehend. Intellect and vision are emergent >properties of consciousness; we should be doing everything in our >power to extend those capabilities or risk obsolescence. The >singularity is coming whether we like it or not. Shall we light a >candle, or curse the darkness? > >Aaron > >----------------- > > >At 10/30/2011, you wrote: > >Yes -- and there will always be constraints of one kind or > >another. New tools will still be tools. . . . My "unsettling" > >reference was in regard to the inevitable misuse of the tools. But > >the various roles of artists will likely include, as always, > >creating new and alternative visions as informed by whatever > >technologies exist, as well as ongoing social/cultural criticism > >and provocation. But to Aaron's comment: while "the most > >imaginative visionaries" and "pure intellect" (whatever that may > >be) seem somehow contradictory . . . i,e. from where do these > >visions and intellect arise? . . . it is certainly believable that > >the scope possibilities will be widened. It's just that the notion > >of the end of artisanal craftsmanship does sound a bit like "That > >Hideous Strength." Marilyn On 29-Oct-11, at 1:21 PM, Brook Hinton > >wrote: > And before I get labeled as a luddite or film fetishist, > >which anyone > who knows me knows I am not at all - I love the > >things digital > technology has opened up for making and > >experiencing art. My work has > been completely digital for years > >(though I also love, and loved > working with, film for its own > >unique capabilities). And I can > certainly see "brain recordings" > >as great ingredients in a piece of > art made with constrained > >tools. But raw vision dump? I want to see > the amazing collision of > >the artist's vision with the tools and > materials - digital, > >analog, virtual, I don't care - not the one > unmasked > >ingredient. > > Brook > > > On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 1:16 PM, Brook > >Hinton <<mailto:bhin...@gmail.com>bhin...@gmail.com> > wrote: >> > I am interested in tools > >because they can jolt my mind into finding / >> expressing / using > >things it couldn't otherwise envision. The >> "constraint" of tools > >is the key to aesthetic transformation, which >> then helps me see / > >live better the rest of the time. >> >> I'm not interested in > >unfiltered manifestation of something direct >> from my, or > >anyone's, brain. I already live there. Same even with the >> "dream" > >of 3D 360degree cinema - I already live in a 3D immersive >> world. > >I need things like cinema to enlighten, inform, enhance being >> > >alive, not duplicate it - goes for the life outside as well as > >inner >> life. >> >> Making art is a way to surpass the limitations > >of the brain. The >> constraints of the tools are catalysts in this > >process. >> >> >> Brook >> >> >> >> On Sat, Oct 29, 2011 at 11:38 > >AM, Aaron F. Ross >> > <<mailto:aa...@digitalartsguild.com>aa...@digitalartsguild.com> > wrote: >>> This is > >not unsettling to me, I've been waiting for it to happen >>> since I > >first read science fiction stories as a young boy. >>> >>> With > >brain-machine interfaces, the opportunities for self-expression >>> > >will be blown wide open. At that point, I'm hoping that the most >>> > >imaginative visionaries should be able to rise to the forefront > >of >>> public awareness. No longer will we be constrained by > >tools. >>> Artisanal craftsmanship will no longer exist, to be > >replaced by pure >>> intellect. And that's a good thing. >>> >>> I > >gave a talk this year that touched upon this topic, mainly in > >the >>> context of how 3D graphics has widened the scope of > >possibilities >>> for >>> art and communication. I know that > >computer art is very unpopular >>> among this crowd, I've been > >attacked again and again for mentioning >>> it, so let the flames > >begin. I'm wearing my flame-retardant vest. >>> >>> > ><http://www.dr-yo.com/video_dorkbot_2011.html>http://www.dr-yo.com/ > video_dorkbot_2011.html >>> >>> > >Aaron >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> At 10/28/2011, you wrote: >>>> > >Interesting article with complex social, biological, as well >>>> > >as aesthetic implications into the future. . . . Obviously, >>>> > >capturing imagery is a far cry from understanding the > >complexities >>>> of 'thought,' and it's still very futuristic, but > >as we >>>> conceivably >>>> 'think' to each other, or project our > >thought/images, there would >>>> have to be resultant changes in > >consciousness, and the role of the >>>> artist would necessarily be > >re-defined along with >>>> everything/everyone else. "Direct" > >visual art? Ultimate loss of >>>> the artisanal? And/or a > >revitalizing of same? I realize this has >>>> little or no > >immediate relevance to anyone here (probably), but it >>>> showed > >up in my email and I just thought some frameworkers would >>>> > >possibly find it interesting as well: >>>> > ><http://gizmodo.com/5843117/scientists-reconstruct-video-clips-from > -brain-activity>http://gizmodo.com/5843117/scientists-reconstruct-video-clips-from-brain-activity > > >>>> Marilyn Brakhage > >_______________________________________________ >>>> FrameWorks > >mailing list > <mailto:FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com>FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com >>>> > >https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks >>> >>> > >------------------------------------------- >>> >>> Aaron F. > >Ross >>> Digital Arts Guild >>> >>> > >_______________________________________________ >>> FrameWorks > >mailing list >>> > <mailto:FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com>FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com >>> > >https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks >>> >> >> >> > > >> -- >> ____________________________ >> Brook Hinton >> Moving > >Image and Sound Maker >> > <http://www.brookhinton.com>www.brookhinton.com >> >> Associate > >Professor / Assistant Chair >> Film Program at CCA >> California > >College of the Arts >> > <http://www.cca.edu/film>www.cca.edu/film >> > > > > -- > > >____________________________ > Brook Hinton > Moving Image and Sound > >Maker > <http://www.brookhinton.com>www.brookhinton.com > > > Associate Professor / Assistant > >Chair > Film Program at CCA > California College of the Arts > > ><http://www.cca.edu/film>www.cca.edu/film > > _______________________________________________ > > >FrameWorks mailing list > > <mailto:FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com>FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com > > >https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks > >_______________________________________________ FrameWorks mailing > >list <mailto:FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com>FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com > >https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks > >------------------------------------------- > >Aaron F. Ross >Digital Arts Guild > >_______________________________________________ >FrameWorks mailing list ><mailto:FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com>FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com >https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks > > >_______________________________________________ FrameWorks mailing >list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com >https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks ------------------------------------------- Aaron F. Ross Digital Arts Guild _______________________________________________ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
