Week 1 Questions and Discussion - Spring 2018

[michaelmusick]

Questions about Creative Technology

Please respond to this issue, discussing at least three of these questions. As your classmates respond, you should come back, at least one more time, and respond directly to them!

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1. What is "creative technology" or "creative coding"?

2. Is Creative Technology or Creative Coding an 'art form'?

3. What is a Media Artist? And, what is the difference, if any, between a media artist and creative technologist?

4. How do you see Creative Technology fitting into the larger trends and flows of art?

5. What is the relationship today between science and art?

6. What is the historical relationship between science and art?

[BeauSutton]

@rileymoser I didn't even think about VR or video games when thinking about creative technologists and what they could do. You are undoubtedly correct to say that creative technologists are responsible for many great films using CGI and other computer based technologies!

[iballs]

3. A media artist is someone who uses a digital medium to explore art. I think there is a difference between a media artist and a creative technologist because media artists don't necessarily have an end goal. Creative technologists have an end goal; they want to create something for a reason. Media artist don't necessarily have a purpose or meaning to the medium they are working in; they are exploring more than they are shaping something purposefully.

4. I thing art has always been a form of creative technology. Some art is meant to hang in galleries and be wowed at, while other art is utilitarian. The same goes for creative technology; it is just a different medium of art.

5. Science and art are two different sides to the same coin. Both have always been different means of exploring the world around us. They are two different halves of the brain, but they both are lenses through which we understand the outside world. Both are something that help make us human: the ability to think and to reason.

[iballs]

@zkoostra I think we might have landed on the same link after googling this question, haha, or at least you had a similar train of though to the info I found. I think both science and art are needed to be able to understand the world around us. We treat them like they are so different and we are forced to lean towards one when we are getting an education. (After all we go to an "arts" school not an "science and engineering" one). Science and art aren't that different from one another, in fact they are both ways of exploring and understanding the world around us.

[apilskalns]

@mabonmoon Science and art have always been connected. Throughout history famous artists like Da Vinci created tech devices that are considered both art and science. Art seems like a projection of the real world (science) onto some type of medium. I think art is actually a subset of science.

[iballs]

@apilskalns You could take this even further by saying that there is art in the natural world. There is a lot of crossover between natural occurrences in nature and math and science. Take for example the fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio, both are "scientific" concepts, yet they appear everywhere in the natural beauty of the world.

[YewTreeDesign]

@zkoostra

I really liked your description about science and art are not so different by giving examples of Greek and renaissance philosophers. In medical science, it is important to have a blue print of the human body and bringing in the aspect of art into the mix of it gives people of many cultures to understand it because humans are visual people and it serves as a functionality.

[JoelThayer]

What is the relationship today between science and art?

Science and Art have a coexisting relationship that is evolving more and more as time passes. Science and art are both used as a way to express ourselves. Artists use science and technology every day to create and expand what art is capable of becoming. Science and technology like 3D Printing and programs like Photoshop keep expanding the relationship between the two.

What is a Media Artist? And, what is the difference, if any, between a media artist and creative technologist?

A media artist is someone who uses a technology program to create art. They use programs likes illustrator or photoshop as their canvas to make their artwork. They have a very similar title, and much of their programs overlap, the biggest difference is that a creative technologist use coding as their main form of art.

What is Creative Coding?

Creative Coding is a type of programming where the creators goal is to make something expressive instead of something functional. It is not used to make a functional website or anything like that, but to show off the capabilities of coding in an expressive and artistic way.

[mabonmoon]

@katholmgren Look into David Eagleman. He talks about Sensory Substitution which feeds information into the brain through various channels like vibrations on the torso through a vest. He's got a TED talk called "Can we create new senses for humans" which doesn't specifically address coding the senses of taste and smell, but does go into some interesting places where I think there's room for neurology and creative coding to make friends.

[ghost]

What is Creative Coding? Creative coding/technology is coding or technology used in the production of art or design. I would argue that there's not much coding that one can do that couldn't, by some stretch, be considered "creative coding." All technology utilizes some form of art or design in order to be usable and understandable by humans.

Is Creative Coding art? I would say creative coding, like many other things, could easily be considered an art form. An art professor of mine once defined "art" as anything made with the purpose of making art-- and then some. As the subjectivity of art allows for very broad definitions of what constitutes art, certainly creative coding could easily be considered art by many.

What is the relationship today between science and art? Although many STEM-focused individuals seem loathe to admit it, science and art are both equally important and dependent on each other in order to exist. Without art there is no form, and without science there is no function. They are more closely linked than most seem to realize, especially with the relatively recent advent of digital art and the internet. Art and science drive each other forward, and become more and more closely linked as time goes on.

[ghost]

@kur19 I love your observations on the close relationship between art & science! I don't think I'd ever considered the arbitrary nature of labeling the two as separate, and the implications (logic vs. emotion) of those labels. I agree that the two are more closely linked than anyone seems to acknowledge, and will continue to become entangled as the two fields progress further.

[daylinscott]

What is "creative technology" or "creative coding"?

Creative coding is essentially a language between a computer and it's user that is utilized with the intention of creating something artistic. Creative coding allows for art with sound, movement, light, etc., things that would not be accessible without technology.

Is Creative Technology or Creative Coding an 'art form'?

Honestly, when I signed up for this class I wasnt even really sure what creative coding was, but after watching all of the videos on the course website, I have a much better understanding of it, and I have to say that creative coding is deffinitely an art form. People can create beautiful things through code, just as they can with paints and brushes.

How do you see Creative Technology fitting into the larger trends and flows of art?

As society progresses I see creative technology becoming a big part of the art world, perhaps even overwhelming it. There are so many things to explore artistically within technology that have not yet been discovered, and I think that is going to have a major impact on the overall trends of art.

[daylinscott]

@kya-hover I really like that you touched on advertising a little here, I could go on rants for hour about all of the terrible billboards in Missoula that could potentially attract so much buissness if the person who made them had knowledge on computers and design.

[ghost]

@Esquirethesquire I absolutely agree digital art will become the most prominent art form in the future! With the furthering accessibility of technology and the advent of more and more digital tools, physical art may even become a novelty more than anything else.

[Franklinsamson]

What is "creative technology" or "creative coding"?

Creative coding is a computer programming term that focuses more on expressive arts rather than functional. An evolving art form that is somewhat new but as we know growing rapidly in the world we live in today. Creative coding produces art installations, projections, program mapping, advertising, sound art, visual art, design products and so much more.

Is Creative Technology or Creative Coding an 'art form'?

These are the type of people who love to express their creative skills with their imagination through technology. So I can honestly say yes. I definitely think creative technology and creative coding both are a form of art.

What is a Media Artist? And, what is the difference, if any, between a media artist and creative technologist?

A media artist is a person that creates art by using technology. utilizing apps like illustrator and Photoshop to create stunning photos, illustrations, graphics, and art. I don't think there really is a big difference between the two. All I know that coding is the main art form for a creative technologists while media artists express their art through video editors, illustrator, and Photoshop. All in all have the same goal at hand as they both use technology to create art.

[Franklinsamson]

@norarector I couldn’t have explain it better. Thank you for sharing the historical relationship between science and art. It's like they say, we learn something new everyday!

[Bridger-Sanders]

1. Creative coding is an expressive form of computer programming and can be utilized to create many variations of art.

2. Creative coding can be considered an art form, it's used to create things such as visual art, sound art, projections, etc.

3. A media artist uses media technologies to manifest their ideas. Media artists focus on the visual art aspect and creative technologists focus on the creative process, such as the code that helps make the art.

4. Creative technology is an ever-evolving art form, I expect it will flourish and grow. People still paint and draw, they even combine it with creative technology. It's just another art form that takes practice and time in order to convey someone's ideas.

5. You can separate and combine science and art, you can make art into science or science into art, the relationship today is that we dare to be creative with the two.

6. Historically, I would say science and art were regarded as two separate things, but maybe people didn't really understand that without science you wouldn't have art and vice versa.

[Bridger-Sanders]

@Franklinsamson Would you consider coding to be a tool or art?

[Bridger-Sanders]

@iballs Why don't you believe a media artist wants to create something for a reason or have an end goal? I think creative technologists explore just as much as media artists, I'm sure they have to mix things up with each project they have.

[Drakklin]

6. Science and Art have always had a sort of symbiosis, the first man to carve a block of stone was pioneering a new science however as soon as he polished the stone and made it aesthetically pleasing to himself it became his art. Without science fueled by the thirst for knowledge much of the art we know today would never have been. Just try making your own paints without any outside input or reinventing carving chisels.
7. Creative technology and creative coding are just outgrowths of new tools being available to the artist. In the case of creative coding this is the use of coding languages to create. Really the use of any technology is creative technology, however this generally is applied to the use of computer or robotic technologies applied to humanity and or aesthetically driven projects.
8. The relationship between Art and Science today is much as it has always been however, the current age openly embraces science in ways that previous ones simply did not. This leads to a more active fusion between emerging sciences that may have no intended artistic application and artists with a vision to employ them for their own mindscapes creations. Interactive art for instance has been created in the past few decades the like of which was entirely absent from the world beforehand.

[Drakklin]

Certainly Coding is a tool. But the code written with it can certainly create art. No different from a line of graphite.

[Bridger-Sanders]

@Drakklin Use that @ sign :P

[af248058]

1. Creative technology is a tool artist can use to create their art by using code and programs. A tool in which a person can use to express their opinions, views, or emotions.
2. Creative coding can be used to create art and is considered to be media arts.
3. Art and science are closer today because of the increase in technology has given artist new tools for producing and sharing their art. Since technology has connected more people together, we as artist are able to create and share via social media allowing artist to have a larger audience then just the people in their surrounding area.

[af248058]

@Esquirethesquire I really like how you explained the difference between a media artist and a creative technologist, I honestly didn't see them as being different.

[kur19]

@mabonmoon Nice comments! I think you actually took it a step further in pointing out that the performer can often times feel isolated. The interactivity definitely creates an environment where the coding/visual and digital sound elements foster a relationship between the performer and performance space that imbues the technology in the performance with the sense of being a live character in and of itself. Almost like a Mickey Mouse/dancing mops/_Fantasia feel. It's an exciting time for artists!

[alexk2313]

Is Creative Technology or Creative Coding an 'art form'? I believe creative coding is definitely an art form of its own. There are works of art that can be created by coding that are entirely unique. Coding can be used to create visual art and geometric patterns and art by using processes and not having to actually draw them. (PBS) Due to the ability to create art through processes and not physical actions this opens the world of art to many more "artists".

What is the historical relationship between science and art? The relationship between science and art has been a very large separation historically. I feel like scientist have refused to acknowledged artist and their work because there was no connection between the two things.

What is the relationship today between science and art? This gap between science and art is slowly closing in our modern society due to things like video games, virtual reality, and other mediums that allow the advance of technology and art to collaborate and connect. In the past their has not really been a connection between science and art, but the more technology advances, the more oppportunity there is going to be for the two fields to mix.

Citation: “The Art of Creative Coding.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, Mar. 2013, www.pbs.org/video/-book-art-creative-coding/.

[jlemarr]

Coding is most definitely an art form as the modern world often uses it to express themselves because now a days that is the most prominent art to be seen. Artist often crave for their artwork to be seen and this is one of the only mediums left that will be seen by mass amounts of people. So many people that would be doing other things to get their ideas out there can turn to a relatively easy and simple art form.

Science is linked to art in a way that it can never be separated. Science is a way for humanity to gain a deeper understanding of the world and art is our way of interpreting that understanding. Art is many more things than just that, but many people just use it to express an understanding.

Historically science and art have always gone hand in hand. Art always flourishes when science is at its peak. The Renaissance period is a great example of this. Look at one of the greatest artists in the world, Leonardo Da Vinci, he was also one of the greatest pioneers in science.

[jlemarr]

@alexk2313 I disagree with the thought that Science and Art have been separate historically speaking. Just think about the greatest minds in science throughout history. Not many of them have been in periods with a lack of artistic influence on society

[jlemarr]

@daylinscott I agree with you completely about how coding is an art. I did know what coding was before this, but like you I guess I didn't fully understand the beauty of it.

[cloninger-carrie]

What is “Creative Technology” or “Creative Coding?” Creative Technology, or Creative Coding, encompasses a wide range of disciplines including, but not limited to: Computing, Design, Art, and the Humanities. It is the successful marriage of art and science and manifests in more immersive, artistic experiences like performances requiring user input and interactive installations. Creative Technology encompasses all media created on a software based engine. The creative technologists and coders themselves take a more “strategic and tactical approach to creativity.”

What is the historical relationship between Science and Art? Art and science have existed hand and hand for centuries and will continue to do so for centuries more. Both disciplines function as a means of exploration and are tested in places where creative power of the hand meets the logical engine of the human mind. The Ancient Greek word for art is techne—from which “technique” and “technology” are derived. This illustrates the vast history the two subjects enjoy together. Generations of artists utilized science to inform their art: Leonardo da Vinci’s works were enlightened through scientific investigation at the height of the Renaissance; late 19th and early 20th century Impressionist painters studied color and light—specifically their physiological and psychological effects on viewers. Today, artists combine art and technology to create, not just a viewable, pleasing object, but a full and immersive experience.

[cloninger-carrie]

@Franklinsamson Do you think creative coding is solely a programming term, or is it also an artistic one?

[cloninger-carrie]

@FinnVreugdenhil I love the comment your professor made, about anything made with the purpose of being art is art. It emphasizes the subjective nature of art depending on the audience.

[phearsomm]

@MannyS92 "Creative coding vs "normal coding" is the same as the difference between using concrete for construction vs sculpture" Agreed! couldn't have said it better its a different view of the base a different use of the base and a different skillset. great response.

@mabonmoon "The creative part of technology is what is absolutely essential to the future and essential to the outpourings of great new art and gathering receptive audiences" A great way to put it, I agree that the creativity in it is essential to keeping it growing with where society is right now! We are becoming an overly digital age.

[niedermansam]

3. A media artist is someone who uses technology to enable the creation of their art. It's a broad term, including those who use the Adobe Suite, work with video games and virtual reality programs, create websites, and code data visualization programs. As the capabilities of technology grow, so does the scope of the media artist. I see the term "creative technologist" as a much more specific description. Media artists often use programs to facilitate their artwork, while creative technologists create code and programs to realize their vision.

4. Creative technology is in the interesting position of pushing remaking art generally while being on the cutting edge of computing technology. Some creative technologists are trying to incorporate art into our everyday lives through things like smartphone displays and augmented/virtual reality apps, while others design code for room-sized displays. One particularly interesting (and out-of-the box) example of a creative technologist at work was the woman who programmed an algorithm to 3D print sculptures; those little sculptures bring creative technology out of computers and into the physical world. This is all to say, creative techonology fits into the larger trends and flows of art in wonderful and complex ways.

5. Art and science are very much dependent on each other in the 21st century. Art needs science to stay relevant in a world that is dependent on technology, and science needs art to communicate ideas that are too important to be confined to the pages of a research journal. Artists use the products of the sciences to create new materials and mediums, and find inspiration and relevance, while scientists depend on artist depictions and the general artistic act of storytelling to communicate their ideas to the public.

[alexisgood17]

What is "creative technology" or "creative coding"? Creative technology or creative coding is, in my understanding, the practice of utilizing programming to create something expressive. I don't think that creative coding must exclude functionality, but the purpose of it is essentially creative. Not only does it require discipline and understanding of programming principles, but creative technology also demands a level of artistic expression.

Is Creative Technology or Creative Coding an 'art form'? Following my last answer, I think that creative coding must be considered an 'art form'. Any practice that involves expression can be considered an art form. Furthermore, the disciplined skill required for creative coding elevates it to the status of art. Creative coding/technology requires enough understanding of the principles of technology to successfully create an expressive work.

How do you see Creative Technology fitting into the larger trends and flows of art? I see creative technology becoming an important part of art in the current era. Creativity and ingenuity are often praised in art, and these same traits are desirable in the field of creative technology. Programming is becoming more prevalent in every day life, and the ability to implement creative principles into coding should become even more appreciated as time goes on. I expect creative technology to become more present and appreciated as both an art form and utility.

[alexisgood17]

@niedermansam I really appreciated your response about the relationship between science and art. The idea that the two disciplines are interdependent is very interesting to me. While "art needs science to stay relevant" and "scientists depend on artist depictions", would the two even exist without one another? Culturally, art and science seem to be regarded as very different things. When one looks closer, though, we realize that each would not be the same without the influence of the other.

[alexisgood17]

@ReadReedRed I found your analogy between art mediums really interesting. Some may see programming as simply functional, like clay bricks or paint on the outside of a house, but all of these things can be used expressively to make art. Your comparisons helped me to see the ways in which modern technology can be used for artistic purposes.

[kya-hover]

@cloninger-carrie I like your point on the Greek word techne...very interesting! It is a good way to illustrate how technology and artistic technique can go hand in hand.

[mcpengilly]

1. Creative coding is the practice of utilizing the technical skills associated with writing code for the purpose of self expression. Creative coding straddles the gap between practical applications of technology and art; creative coding is similar to an artistic field such as sculpture, as a sculpture uses techniques associated with architecture and engineering, but for the purpose of self expression, in the same way that creative coders use the skills associated with practical computer science in order to create art.

2. Defining something as an art form is exceptionally difficult, as every definition of art is somewhat vague and nebulous. In my opinion, creative coding is an art form because the fundamental purpose of it is to express one's self, as opposed to improving or affecting the world in concrete, measurable ways.

[ragsdalejohn]

Creative technology is pushing technology to experimental thresholds. any combination or any any combination or any singular usage of sight, sound, visual effect, 3d effect, just in general utilizing technology in order to give us another medium for artistic expression. When working within that digital realm we have this code system that doesn't always have to return the same effect every single time. We're wanting different effects different returns different outputs based on are varied form of input. We don't always want that one or zero, that black or white or yes or no. Sometimes we want to maybe in the see what that maybe does.

Is creative coding an art form? Absolutely it is an art form. We are finding new interesting and creative ways to input data into the computer and process it and have it kick us out something wonderful, something interactive, even something stationary and beautiful. I mean the word art itself as a broad-spectrum term and pretty much anything could be classified as art in any process classified as an art form.

[ragsdalejohn]

@mcpengilly

I agree that it is hard to define what an art form is but recognize what one is when experienced is much easier. Amazing how expression and interpretation are so similar but couldn't be more worlds away.

[ragsdalejohn]

@alexisgood17

With the advent of technology and this integration of computers, coding, and digital format, do you feel this is a growth or hindrance as a medium for expression? Take a painting, you can make a stationary picture, but the more paint you use and the type of canvas can create a texture on top of a picture.

If you paint enough picture in a sequence and photograph then and then assemble those pictures in sequential order and use as a flip-book, have we changed the format of what we were doing or combining new mediums for expansion and growth of expression?

[dafredichini22]

@ragsdalejohn Totally agree with your creative technology definition. I never really thought of it as a way of "pushing technology to experimental thresholds" but I like how your phrased that! Also agree with you on creative coding. Definitely is art because we are creating new ways of using code.

[dafredichini22]

@mcpengilly I like your analogy of creative coding to sculpting. Creative coding definitely allows one to express themselves, so long as they can code! Also, I agree that art is a very vague term and you can put almost anything into terms of expressing one's self. Makes me wonder if there is a limit to what we can consider art.

[DelaneyW]

Is Creative Technology or Creative Coding an 'art form'? I certainly view creative coding to be an art form. Though it may not always have been viewed as so. Many people have tried to label what is or isn't art (or an art form) for thousands of years, and I'm sure that still now some are skeptical about coding being defined as an art. Coding has a connotation of being cold or impersonal. That's why it is so effective when it's done well. It both in evokes emotion or thought and simultaneously challenges these false narratives about what is and isn't art. In the art world there has always been an undercurrent of creators redefining the definition and boundaries of art and how it's made. I would even argue that creating something meaningful or beautiful in a radically creative way is what "good art" is.

How do you see Creative Technology fitting into the larger trends and flows of art? We see art formed through creative technology everywhere. We see it in galleries and museums through large installations aimed to shift perspectives and create a social commentary. And of course we see it across the board in media and computer graphics. The amazing thing to me is the way it's being integrated into the scope of more traditional art forms and creating really significant and immersive art experiences for the viewer.

What is "creative technology" or "creative coding"? To my understanding creative coding is the use of coding for the purpose of expression, discovery, and artistry. This broad description really speaks to the massive range of possibilities and flexibility allowed through coding. This is a relatively new field of art, though it is growing fast and producing exciting, beautiful, unique, wildly creative and vastly different bodies of work. Creating is perhaps the most messy and human thing that one could do so creating through code, a task previously considered sterile or rigid creates a really compelling dynamic which perhaps contributes to why the art form is effecting art culture so drastically.

[dafredichini22]

The relationship between science and art is that science is opening up doors for artists that they could never have imagined to walk though. Things like VR, video games and even music videos are all types of art that would not have developed without the help of technology and science. I don’t think there is a lot of influence the other way around, however. Science is a process of finding out information and art doesn’t really help science in anyway that I can think of. But they do pair up nicely to give us great works of art.

Historically, as technology advanced, so has art. Well art has been changing throughout the ages and doesn’t need science to help with that, but we can see that art has been so to speak ‘upgraded’ with new advanced platforms like computers and cameras. Historically, science and art have been very separate. Science back in the day was slow and very there wasn’t a lot of care for it since religion and agriculture, to name a few, were more important to the average person. And historically, it has only been pretty recent as far as recorded human history that we even have a relationship between art and science.

Creative coding is definitely an art form. It allows one to not only create beautiful works of art but the coding itself could be considered an art. They say language is an art, and well coding is a language. Everyone has a unique style to their coding which makes creative coding in a way very different in the world of language. But all in all, I would say creative coding is an art form, just like photography and painting are both art forms.

[laurenfordham]

What is "creative technology" or "creative coding"?

Is Creative Technology or Creative Coding an 'art form'? Absolutely. Anyone who creates is an artist. Whether its a physical, digital, or mental art. Technology is one of the biggest art forms of our world today. We have so many different ways to express ourselves and create digitally. I think that without technology art would be at somewhat of a standstill. Our access to the internet and programs help teach us other ways to be expressive other than using a paintbrush or pen.

What is the relationship today between science and art?

I think this topic can be taken in different ways. I think science is art. Although, art is considered an expression of ones self through whatever is desired. Whereas science is based on facts and research. I think that there are many places art and science come together to create the best type of expression. Using science to create art physically or digitally is one. The science of computers varies from the science of the world. That meaning, you may use a chemical reaction or you may use code to create art.

What is the historical relationship between science and art?

Historically I think art and science were looked at as completely different beings. Art was philosophy, fiction, imagination, everything but facts. Science was believed in a more educational light rather than using it for any other manner. That is until people started to create. Using math, science and art, people began to come up with ideas, inventions on how to make life better. These uses of art in the midst of science eventually created, creating. The process of making an idea a reality with the help of imagination.

[Daniellechard]

What is the relationship today between science and art? I believe the relationship between science art in modern times is pretty fluid and becoming more and more so as new technology continues to be developed. Science and art are slowly becoming more intertwined and less separate than they used to be. Some wonderful examples of the current flourishing relationship between art and science are Eve Reaven's scarves which feature patterns based on subcellular structures and Michael Peres' macro photography of various snowflakes are truly breathtaking. Is Creative Technology or Creative Coding an 'art form'? I would say that Creative Coding is definitely an art form. Anything that uses creativity in order to create something would qualify as an art form. Coding in and of itself may not necessarily be an art form because I don't know that it takes much creativity to code in general other than the obvious problem solving but creative coding is most certainly an art form.

[mprimeau1]

1. What is "creative technology" or "creative coding"? Creative coding to me is when an artist creates a code that expresses themselves through art and digital media. This could be anything from fancy scroll work to the latest VR technology.
2. How do you see Creative Technology fitting into the larger trends and flows of art? I see creative technology getting bigger and bigger, especially with VR and video games. As technology expanses it only makes sense that artists will push technology to new horizons to problem solve creatively. With smart phones getting better every year and VR technology getting better I can't wait to see what creative coders have to offer.

[mprimeau1]

@Daniellechard I agree with your view of art and science intertwining. When art and science mixes the results are amazing.

[EmileeK]

2. Is Creative Technology or Creative Coding an 'art form'? Yes, creative coding is an art form that always a form of expression through what you create and your imagination, and can be enjoyed not only by you but others as well.

4.How do you see Creative Technology fitting into the larger trends and flows of art? We are in a age that technology is always increasing and developing in to new trends. Virtual Reality is the biggest trend that I see creative tech being used with apps, and allowing people to become immersed in way that would not be possible without creative coding and art.