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| https://science.howstuffworks.com/10-evil-robots1.htm |
In this week’s lecture, Victoria Vesna points out several ways that art has influenced industrialization and the creation of robots. As I learned in the Robotics pt 2 lecture, the first time a “robot” was mentioned was in “Rossum’s Universal Robots” (R.U.R) by Karel Capek, a theatrical play created in 1921. Capek invented the term “robot” which came from the word “robota” which means “work” in the Czech language. If not for his inventiveness, scientists may have never invested their efforts in the development of cyborgs as they do today.
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| https://www.instagram.com/p/BuU0kC1nHPd/ |
Since the creation of the word “robot” in 1921, the progression of these machines and artificial intelligence has advanced tremendously quick. A prime example of the influence of art in robotics is the creation of “Lil Miquela,” an artificial person who was generated with digital renderings to make her composition look exactly like a real woman. Lil Miquela became an Instagram “influencer” sensation nearly overnight, reaching 1.5 million followers and signing advertising campaigns with substantial brand names like Ugg boots and Prada. Not only was she artistically created, but she also possesses a lot of artistic abilities of her own. Miquela has released several hit singles that have reached over one million views on Spotify and AppleMusic.
As for how mechanical reproduction affects art, Walter Benjamin, a literary critic, and philosopher has an interesting outlook on the subject. In his essay, "The Work of Art in Age of Mechanical Reproduction," Benjamin claims that there has been a loss of an "aura" in film and photography due to the mechanical reproduction of art itself. He believes that original art has lost its "aura" because a majority of the world's population experiences it through mass-production copies. To a certain extent, I agree with his claim. Originality is something you cannot compete with. On the other hand, I firmly believe that mass-production copies are beneficial in spreading art and film to people globally, especially in today's society.
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| https://www.crcpress.com/Walter-Benjamins-The-Work-Of-Art-in-the-Age-of-Mechanical-Reproduction/Dini/p/book/9781912284757 |
Sources:
Online, UC. “Robotics pt2.” YouTube, YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=255&v=oAZ8bo9T_Pk.
Koh, Yoree, and Georgia Wells. “The Making of a Computer-Generated Influencer.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 13 Dec. 2018, www.wsj.com/articles/the-making-of-a-computer-generated-influencer-11544702401.
Kiger, Patrick J. “10 Evil Robots Bent on Destroying Humanity.” HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 8 Mar. 2018, science.howstuffworks.com/10-evil-robots1.htm.
“Walter Benjamin's The Work Of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” CRC Press, www.crcpress.com/Walter-Benjamins-The-Work-Of-Art-in-the-Age-of-Mechanical-Reproduction/Dini/p/book/9781912284757.
Online, UC. “Robotics pt1.” YouTube, YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=775&v=cRw9_v6w0ew.
“The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” (1936) Benjamin, Walter file:///Users/taylorjohnson/Downloads/BenjRepro%20(1).pdf
I also somewhat agree to there being "less originality" due to the ease of mass reproduction, but in a sense, I feel like originality has evolved to not being the originality of the product, but rather, originality of ideas has become much more valued in today's societies. That seems to be why, even for things that seem like a byproduct of machinery/industrialization, there is much depth to the ideas involved so the originality still exists.
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