Art and Technology

This week we got to hear from Xtine Burrough, a professor at UT Dallas speak to us about her work and her artistic process. She focuses on emerging design and technology using different social platforms, databases, search engines, blogs and so much more to create web communities that promote interpretation and autonomy. Her book, Art as Social Practice, investigates how artists are able to use their creative practices and skills to engage in creating change within their communities using different technologies and digital practices. 

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Each week in this course, my preconceptions on how I define art continues to be challenged. Xtine’s work focuses not only on the technologies that exist in today’s space but also looks to emerging technologies. For example, artificial intelligence can be used to create art. There is a lot of debate within the art community as to the legitimacy of technologically based art projects. Handmade art tends to be viewed more highly and technology is seen as an aid to a craft, not a full replacement. Artificial intelligence’s integration with art has been received with mixed feelings as some continue to believe that human intervention is required to create meaningful art pieces. Xtine’s work challenges this notion by not viewing art solely for its asthetic purposes but seeing it as a means to support communities and garner social change. 

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The root of the art Xtine explores is that it is produced with the intent to raise consciousness and elicit social change within communities. She focuses on using different sites like Facebook and YouTube to create these online communities that translate common experiences into personal arenas for discovery. Her views are very forward thinking and it was so interesting to learn about her motivations and inspirations directly from her perspective. Xtine further explored the ways that we can reimagine physical and virtual spaces through poetry. The One Breath Poem exercise was so simple and made me feel as though I too was capable of creating art. Poetry in my head is always very complex, with hidden images and meanings. High school english classes forced us to deconstruct each letter, trying to decipher why the author used the color blue instead of red and what the meaning of the open window was in the context of the poem. This exercise was so valuable because we were still able to use artistry and hone in on specific messages that we could get across in one breath. 

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The theme of my poem was centered on moving on. With graduation right around the corner, I wanted to spend time reflecting on how far I’ve come since first starting UCLA and reflecting on what is to come after the experiences and obstacles that I overcame while a student in this institution. I was also inspired by Xtine’s focus on our communities and making social change possible. The unknown gripes me and yet I shall hurdle into it’s arms. 

 

It was so wonderful to see how much Xtine clearly cared about the development process and wanted to make this a meaningful experience for each student. I plan on using this practice when I journal, trying to focus on the reflective process so my words are more meaningful and purposeful on paper. Her project with LabSynthE aims to create intimate experiences for the public to participate in and I’m excited to see where it goes in the future! 

 

 

Works Cited

Brown, A. (2021, December 10). Is artificial intelligence set to take over the art industry?

Forbes. Retrieved May 22, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/anniebrown/2021/09/06/is-artificial-intelligence-set-to-take-over-the-art-industry/?sh=2444606033c5 

How technology is changing the Art World. ARTDEX. (2020, July 31). Retrieved May 22, 2022, 

from https://www.artdex.com/how-technology-is-changing-the-art-world-2/#:~:text=From%20AI%20(Artificial%20Intelligence)%2C,shared%20in%20our%20connected%20world. 

How technology is reshaping art to make US rethink our world. Worth. (2020, September 30). 

Retrieved May 22, 2022, from https://www.worth.com/technology-reshaping-art-rethink-our-world-virtual-reality/ 

The growing relationship between art and Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved May 22, 2022, from 

https://education.christies.com/news/2019/may/growing-relationship-between-art-technology 

The serious relationship of art and Technology. Widewalls. (n.d.). Retrieved May 22, 2022, from 

https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/the-serious-relationship-of-art-and-technology 

Xtine Burrough: Professor: Faculty. ATEC at UT Dallas. (2021, October 25). Retrieved May 22, 

2022, from https://atec.utdallas.edu/content/burrough-xtine/