Unit 3 - Robotics and Art

A cyborg is a combination between humans and robots

This week we focused on the convergence of technology and art, and I was specifically interested in the personification and human connection with machines. On a base level it is incredible to me that we can see a bunch of metal and wires and bolts, and assign emotions, feelings, and values to them. This can be met with fear, as we seen in many movies and in pop culture, like robot revolts or nefarious cyborg half-humans. On the other hand, robots are portrayed as helpful, efficient, and even adorable. This dynamic view of robots fascinates me.

One of the most interesting ideas about mechanization and art entering the digital world is how originals can be copied so easily. In his article, Douglas Davis discusses this idea and explains various sides of the issue. The issue cruxes on the value one places on originality. He explains, "often the forger - of Rembrandt, of Vermeer, of classical Greek and Roman art - argues that his work brings pleasure in the same measure as the copied master." (Davis 383) To me, much of the value that I find in art (when I've visited art museums around the country) comes from its originality.

Walter Benjamin expands on this idea when he states, "even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be." (Benjamin 1) He goes on to explain how the intersection of these two disciplines doesn't always induce creative achievement, and explains how sometimes they can even work against each other. For example, one can see that mass-produced paintings and photographs, sold at places like Target and Walmart, are essentially value-less (monetarily, but most would say creatively as well). In art, creative uniqueness is highly valued, whereas in disciplines like mathematics and robotics the same formulas and theorems are repeated in new ways.

Wall-E is a perfect intersection of
robotics and art

The other concept that interests me about robotics was personification and how humans can attach to them like a living being. As robotic science becomes more and more advanced, scientists can make them approximate humans and animals more closely, which allows humans to assign emotions and relationships to them. This can be seen in the phenomena of robot dog funerals in Japan, because people have become so attached to their robotic canines that they feel the need to mourn through having actual services. This can also be seen in how much people love and adore the Pixar lamp in the opening credits of Pixar movies. Audiences laugh and adore this inanimate lamp, which conveys sheepishness and cuteness.

One of the best examples of personifying machines is the Pixar movie Wall-E, which is a marvel of robotic humanization and creating art out of machines. First of all, machines are used in the production and creation of the movie, and secondly the plot and main characters are focused on machinery and artificial intelligence. The themes of love, loneliness, and survival are present in this movie, which resonate with human viewers and somehow engage viewers to see this box of metal as an adorable and sympathetic character. Wall-E takes a dramatic stance on industrialization, by portraying the future of mechanization as essentially a spaceship with a bunch of overweight people.

Citations

Benjamin, Walter, and J. A. Underwood. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Davis, Douglas. "The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction." Leonardo 28.5 (1995): 381-86. JSTOR. The MIT Press, 20 Oct. 2007. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

Funeralwise. "Japan Embraces Robot Dog Funerals." Digital Dying. N.p., 27 Feb. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

"In Japan, Robot Dogs Are for Life -- and Death." YouTube. AFP News Agency, 24 Feb. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Kac, Eduardo. "ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF ROBOTIC ART." ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF ROBOTIC ART. N.p., 1997. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

McGovern, Bridget. "Wall-E: Pixar's Lasting Tribute to the Power of Art." Tor.com. Tor, 19 June 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Munkittrick, Kyle. "On the Importance of Being a Cyborg Feminist." Humanity+ Media. Humanity+ Media, 21 July 2009. Web. 18 Apr. 2015.

Osborne, Peter. "Walter Benjamin." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, 18 Jan. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Scott, A. O. "In a World Left Silent, One Heart Beeps." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 June 2008. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Vesna, Victoria. "Robotics Pt1." YouTube. UC Online, 15 Apr. 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Walker, Lauren. "Japan's Robot Dogs Get Funerals as Sony Looks Away." Newsweek. Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

"WALL·E." IMDb. IMDb.com, 27 June 2008. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.