8 Spring 2012 Applegater
TRENDS AND OBSERVATIONS
Painting with pixels
BY rAuNo PErttu
Our accelerating technological space ships or as evil entities seeking to rule
revolution is continually changing our or destroy our world. With the creation
lives. We all see it happening, but we of personal desktop computers with
rarely stop to recognize and appreciate automated programming, PCs quickly
the fundamental nature of many of became a necessary tool and toy for many
these changes. I want to comment on a people. Soon, computer games and online
couple of obvious areas of technological communication moved many kids from
advancement that have changed our world outdoor activities to the depths of their
and our daily routines, and to touch on a bedrooms, and many relationships evolved
change that may not be as obvious.
from face-to-face to screen-to-screen. PCs
We all recognize the changes that also changed the way we receive and seek
have occurred over
out information,
hen i was young, computers
the past century, not
replacing many
were strange wall-sized
just in music, but
traditional roles
machines with blinking lights...
also in how we listen
of libraries while
to music. A hundred years ago, if you creating new ones for them and opening up
wanted to hear music, your only practical the world to all of us in ways not possible
options were to find a live performance before. We can judge for ourselves which
or learn to play an instrument or to sing parts of this are for the better or for the
yourself. By the time we “graysters” were worse.
growing up, we had other options. We
Researchers are already working
heard our music on phonograph records, to replace the laptop, which I thought
radio and television. By the mid-1960s, was just invented yesterday, with one
technology started replacing our records small lightweight device that will replace
with tape cassettes, which were replaced everything we used to carry or ever even
by CD players 25 years later.
thought about carrying.
Compact discs have now gone the
One early victim of this technical
same way as the cassette and vinyl records. change is the wristwatch. While I, as a
On my last birthday, my daughter Emily “semigeezer,” would feel slightly naked
told me I should join the modern age and without my wristwatch, a large and
gifted me an iPod digital music player, growing number of younger people don’t
which is just a bit smaller and much even own a watch. They use their phones
thinner than a deck of cards. Most of my to tell time, and also to check the weather,
previous CD library is already uploaded send and receive e-mails, check the stock
to this tiny device, and with more time market, catch the news, etc. Small wonder
and effort digitizing, all of our old vinyl printed newspapers are disappearing.
records will fit on it as well. As novel and
While not as obvious as these other
impressive as this still is to me, I expect our changes, I see another change in full
methods of storing and playing music to bloom.
continue to evolve and improve.
I’ve recently rediscovered my long-
Another, perhaps more fundamental neglected passion for oil painting. When
way technology has changed and continues I was young, I almost chose to major in art,
to change our lives is in our use of but fell in love with geology, and decided
computers. When I was young, computers geology would provide more certainty of
were strange wall-sized machines with eating. Being a starving artist didn’t really
blinking lights, used mostly by IBM for appeal to me. After years of not making
mysterious calculations and by science the time, I’ve recently started setting up
fiction writers and moviemakers as my easel again.
wondrous aids to launching and operating
I’ve always felt strongly that the
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development of the camera profoundly new devices for
impacted art, and painting in particular. music that are
Before the development of the camera, easier to use and
paintings were the primary visual way more flexible have
Rauno Perttu
to preserve people, places, events and replaced earlier
memories. I don’t think it was an accident devices on a continuing basis, I believe
that Impressionism and all of the non- similar changes are happening to art.
representational art movements that Digital art allows people to create their
followed coincided with the development visions on a computer screen without
of photography and film. Photography the need of a brush or paint. Although
provided a more efficient and visually different skills and tools are used, the
accurate way of preserving faces and results can be more precise, varied and
events. Artists conceded much of their striking than can ever be accomplished
former role as recorders of visual history with a brush.
to photographers, and expanded into the
Technology is changing the art world,
new realms of modern art. They went but I think even more profound changes
through a crisis of trying to redefine their are yet to come. I am impressed with the
relevance to the modern world. I think we art coming from the growing community
are culturally richer for that artistic crisis of digital artists. They have the ability
and what it triggered.
to incorporate movement and sound
As a result of new technological into their visual images, expanding their
advances, the art world may be going options further. It’s clear that continuing
through another crisis. The new challenge technological advances will allow artists to
is coming from the impressive advances in blur the boundaries between art and other
computer graphics. Hopefully, when the media, and eventually even between art
pixels settle, we will again be culturally and what we consider reality.
enriched.
If you are unfamiliar with digital art,
When I look at the spectacular effects you can get a feel for the variety of this
achievable using computer graphics, art on your computer by googling “digital
whether in modern
art” or “CG art”
hile i, as a “semigeezer,”
films, in visual art,
and exploring from
would feel slightly naked
or even in the new
there. Alternatively
video games my son without my...
(and don’t be scared
shares with me from
off by the site’s
time to time, I recognize that traditional name), www.deviantart.com is perhaps
artists are being challenged. I personally at the core of this new art culture and a
think we old weekend painters—and even great place to start looking. The cliché “It’s
professional painters—could become a changing world” is an understatement.
novelties. At some near-future time,
Meanwhile, I will continue to use my
paintings may be replaced by digital oils and brushes. It’s what I learned when
artwork, some of which is very good. It I was young, and recently rediscovered.
may not be very long before we replace There are moments, however, when I look
paintings on our walls with flat screens, or at the dramatic effects those digital artists
their next technological descendent. These can create and wish, “If only I could do that
screens could change their images as often with a brush.”
as desired, and could incorporate motion,
Rauno Perttu
sound, and much more.
541-899-8036
It’s clear to me that digital art has
jrperttu@charter.net
become a new mainstream of art. Just as
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