Statement of inquiry.

What is the difference between commercially created design and for profit fine art? Motivations are equal. What is the difference between advertising with a message of hope and advertising with fear? Desired out comes are the same. What is the difference between the television and a mobile device? Group versus individual. What is the difference between a digital image and the physical item? Is it experiential? Is it scale? Is it texture? Is it place? The outcome is not the same. How do You answer these questions? The more I look the less I know. My work asks what do you know when it comes to visual communication. I know that it is evolutionarily the most powerful way that we as a species on this planet communicate. The tools for visual communication evolve, but have the tricks we use changed? No. The tools change, but the game is the same.

White out

This is what happens when we have intense focus on a certain thought activity or object. The event where everything around us becomes nonexistent because of intense focus. Technology has in some ways amplified this occurence. How can this be experimented with and recreated. What and how will this phenomenon manifest itself in the future? 

Russian Influence 2016

 

http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/06/media/facebook-russia-ads-2016-election/index.html

Russia used our addictions and division against us. This is an example of regressive thinking that creates the wedge that divides. They used the same fear strategies that were used by our current presidents campaign. Doubt and loss of personal identity. Why must we suppress others identity to protect our own fragile sense of self. For instance I encountered an unfortunate occurrence where a student was pulled from a program by the parents because of unfounded fear that their child would become gay through osmosis. Capitalizing on ignorance to influence. Its like Milton Glaser says in the linked video below. The role of the designer is not to persuade but to inform. To think otherwise is pigheaded, selfish and ultimately destructive.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEpmVNVBmlA

So where does this fear of change come from when we talk about new products or ideas why do we push back against some and accept others? Is it to protect our status quo? Is it just a fear of loss why? Why? What happened in our evolution that makes us rebel and kick against the goad of change? Is it as simple as perceived value? How does it enrich your life or your perception of survival?

Milton says inform don’t persuade but how can you create to inform without realizing that the way you inform will persuade. He brings about a very good point but maybe the distinction is that if you are informing to manipulate to your own goals that may not be in the influenced parties best interest then you are on the wrong side of things. The correlation to when I critique if I am harsh to you the distinction is where is my heart when I do it so this should be considered when I create to inform or persuade it should be for good. Although then we are back to how do we quantify this. I think it should be why are you doing it. If money or fame are your goals then you are empty. I am empty. When did we become so empty wrapped up in the illusion of intelligence, pursuit of success and hot air? If we do not change we will always be chasing this unattainable goal and die an unsatisfied individual that never accomplished enough. We need more HOPE and less fear. We need to hope to make the world a better place and stop being afraid that we will never be successful. The fear of failure in conjunction with the self perception of being not good enough will be our undoing. Your job is to inform not manipulate. Although be aware of the way in which you inform will persuade influence or manipulate.

AI and storytelling 

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/08/14/arts/design/google-how-ai-creates-new-music-and-new-artists-project-magenta.html?referer=http://m.facebook.com
If a computer can identify a drawing of a pig as the animal that the drawing represents, then how is that different than our ability to identify non literal representations of objects? Some of our earliest recorded storytelling as humans was through the non literal representations of animals. What separates our ancient organic mind from the mechanical minds being created today? The answer is emotion and a self awareness with an overwhelming interest in self preservation. We can influence these mechanical minds through code and mathematics we can not make them fear or hope. 

Critique 1 week 1

Experimentation was successful new insights were found. Now walking within the in between, right were I want to be. I need to be cautious with the use of the word manipulation in my vernacular, unless I want to trigger people’s emotions intentionally. Some good advice was to actively play the game that is social media which reinforces my previously identified project goals.  A substitute word possibly could be influencer instead of manipulater. At the very least I should sample the artists suggested and see what they have to offer. I believe there was some confusion between manipulation and deceit based on a few suggested sources. I am not interested in deceit. I am more interested in subtly shifting perceptions and thought patterns. Also interested in using the power of narrative to connect people emotionally to a cause or shared goal. 

Don’t be smug people hate it. 

How do I maintain a comfortable disconnect while maintaining control of the project without becoming overly emotionally invested? Find the middle for your own personal emotions in relation to your education.

Narrative 

Communication, storytelling, transfer of information survival manipulation of an interconnected species. Gestures body language, grunts, oral communication words language, image. What is it that drives us to communicate? How much time we spend trying to be heard. How our evolution as humans mirrors our evolution as individuals. All communication is based initially on survival. The fetus in the womb initially unconsciously communicates with its mother through body movement and then at birth with a cry or scream. The need to be heard to be seen, pay attention. The first primal roar. The evolution of this roar to a steady stream of 140 characters illuminated by the light of digital devices can win an election? How is this different and simultaneously the same as the stories told in the firelight of ages gone by? Once communication has moved beyond survival what is its purpose? It connects us manipulates it informs. Manipulation for good or evil the creation of common goals. When the  space is flooded with an overwhelming amount of communication and individuals all roaring for attention how do we create moments of clarity within the collective roar. What is the most effective way to capture minds and hearts in the midst of the information storm that we have created?