Cultural Practice &Cultural Practice &New MediaNew Media

Media Cultures 1Media Cultures 1

Week 1 – 21 July 2009Week 1 – 21 July 2009

Introduction: Introduction: New Media and Cultural PracticeNew Media and Cultural Practice Live – Analog – Live – Analog –

DigitalDigital What is ‘culture’?What is ‘culture’? What Is New Media What Is New Media

Culture?Culture? Theories of Theories of

RepresentationRepresentation Reading ‘culture’ Reading ‘culture’

from Imagesfrom Images

(New) Media: (New) Media: Analog vs DigitalAnalog vs Digital

Analog technology responds to a live signal Analog technology responds to a live signal (voice, visual image) and translates it into (voice, visual image) and translates it into electronic impulses or chemical reactions: eg electronic impulses or chemical reactions: eg phonograph records, film, non-digital cameras. phonograph records, film, non-digital cameras.

Digital technology breaks the live signal down Digital technology breaks the live signal down into a binary code and then via a receiving device into a binary code and then via a receiving device (monitor, phone) it reassembles them into the (monitor, phone) it reassembles them into the original pattern.original pattern.

Analog may not get replication completely ‘right’, Analog may not get replication completely ‘right’, as digital does, but analog does still allow a as digital does, but analog does still allow a warmer, richer range of replicationwarmer, richer range of replication

http://telecom.hellodirect.com/docs/Tutorials/http://telecom.hellodirect.com/docs/Tutorials/AnalogVsDigital.1.051501.aspAnalogVsDigital.1.051501.asp

So why “new” media?So why “new” media?

Available New TechnologiesAvailable New Technologies::A coming together of numerical calculating A coming together of numerical calculating

technology, cinema and broadcast. technology, cinema and broadcast. New and Emerging Ways of Thinking:New and Emerging Ways of Thinking:Postmodern, Poststructural Postmodern, Poststructural Eg. Intertextuality – ‘all texts only make Eg. Intertextuality – ‘all texts only make

sense to us in relation to other texts, that sense to us in relation to other texts, that we understand them as a part of a web of we understand them as a part of a web of textuality’ (Lister 28)textuality’ (Lister 28)

:Not so much the death of the author as the :Not so much the death of the author as the rise of the readerrise of the reader

What Is Culture?What Is Culture?

The way in which people communicate The way in which people communicate and live together, including the tools they and live together, including the tools they use to communicate and live together : use to communicate and live together : language, film, fashion, houses, cities, language, film, fashion, houses, cities, music, visual art, computers, music, visual art, computers, transportation, and all the various transportation, and all the various discourses which people use to organise discourses which people use to organise the world (and other people).the world (and other people).

Definitions of CultureDefinitions of Culture (also in Readings) (also in Readings)

Defining Concepts in New Defining Concepts in New Media (Lister et al.)Media (Lister et al.)

DigitalityDigitality InteractivityInteractivity HypertextualityHypertextuality DispersalDispersal VirtualityVirtuality

Manovich’s Principles of New Manovich’s Principles of New MediaMediaManovich, Lev (2001). Manovich, Lev (2001). Language of New MediaLanguage of New Media, Cambridge, , Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England:The MIT Press, pp 27-48Massachusetts, London, England:The MIT Press, pp 27-48

1.1. Numerical representationNumerical representation

2.2. ModularityModularity

3.3. AutomationAutomation

4.4. VariabilityVariability

5.5. TranscodingTranscoding

Other Key termsOther Key terms

VR – Virtual RealityVR – Virtual Reality ConvergenceConvergence CyberspaceCyberspace

New Media Culture New Media Culture

Diversified, mass distribution but relies on Diversified, mass distribution but relies on individuals passing information on -a individuals passing information on -a viralviral process. Individual to individual to individual to process. Individual to individual to individual to individual ….individual ….

Communications via new media have the Communications via new media have the potential to continue potential to continue ad infinitumad infinitum

Mass audience for the sublime and the dreadful, Mass audience for the sublime and the dreadful, the amateur and the professionalthe amateur and the professional

(how to distinguish between the 2?)(how to distinguish between the 2?) Portable, mobile and personalised points of Portable, mobile and personalised points of

accessaccess Increasingly becoming less expensive: a lot can Increasingly becoming less expensive: a lot can

be done on old machinesbe done on old machines

Theories of Representation (a)Theories of Representation (a)

Reflective/MimeticReflective/Mimetic‘‘the truth is out there’ and language or the truth is out there’ and language or

some other system of communication can some other system of communication can accurately imitate it.accurately imitate it.

IntentionalIntentionalThe person who does the communicating The person who does the communicating

(speaking, drawing, web-design, (speaking, drawing, web-design, filmmaking, sculpting etc) is in total filmmaking, sculpting etc) is in total control of the ‘message’. Meaning is fixed.control of the ‘message’. Meaning is fixed.

Theories of Representation (b)Theories of Representation (b)

ConstructionistConstructionist Language, art, the web are all ‘signifying Language, art, the web are all ‘signifying

practices’:practices’:

The symbols that are used in these signifying practices The symbols that are used in these signifying practices can all be used in many ways to mean many things.can all be used in many ways to mean many things. The way we make the message is not the message The way we make the message is not the message

itself and no message is ever ‘fixed’ forever.itself and no message is ever ‘fixed’ forever. People construct ‘meanings’, and often very People construct ‘meanings’, and often very

different ones, from the same symbol. different ones, from the same symbol.

New Media and RepresentationNew Media and Representation

A new signifying practice based on digital A new signifying practice based on digital technologytechnology

New Media offers various ways of New Media offers various ways of representing the world, whether by representing the world, whether by immersing our senses in fictionalised ‘real immersing our senses in fictionalised ‘real life’ or fantasy or by allowing us access to life’ or fantasy or by allowing us access to ‘live’, ‘happening now’ information and ‘live’, ‘happening now’ information and dialoguedialogue

Reading Culture from Reading Culture from ImagesImages Denotation: Denotation: what is denoted by an image, what it what is denoted by an image, what it

‘literally’ refers to‘literally’ refers to Connotation: Connotation: the many meanings that are available the many meanings that are available

from the image, depending on our from the image, depending on our own personal experience, the viewing own personal experience, the viewing context, cultural assumptions.context, cultural assumptions.

Today’s screeningsToday’s screenings

Come to Daddy (Aphex Twin), Chris Cunningham

Elektrobank (The Chemical Brothers), Spike Johns

Come to Daddy (Aphex Come to Daddy (Aphex Twin)Twin)

Elektrobank - (The Chemical Elektrobank - (The Chemical Brothers) Brothers)

Adapted by Tracey Meziane from the original presentation by

Dr. Catherine Summerhayes

Credits:Credits: