Post Modern Art and the Rise of the Digital Age

    Postmodern art is one of the biggest artistic revolutions we've seen to date. With a history heavily rooted in questioning authority and the traditional roles put on society, it exploded into countless homes, reaching people it may have never influenced before. How many of you have listened to music? Watched a movie? Played a video game? All of these things are art, and an amazing example of how it has expanded beyond sculpture and painting. (Kljaich)

    In specific, one of the most interesting changes is the use of technology within artwork. These changes have been very controversial, with many arguing that art has fully devolved, as anyone can now create it. (Gever) I'm sure anyone reading this has heard the drama surrounding these art forms. Whether it be the demonization of video games, or the mockery of creative artistic expression, there is most certainly a lower respect for artists. Today I will be examining video games, 3-D printing, and digitally rendered influencers.

Video Games: The Advent Of Stardew Valley

    The image above is from one of my favorite video games, called Stardew Valley, released in 2016. This video game is notable in particular because it was created by one man, named Eric Barone, also known under the screen name ConcernedApe. Originally a push to learn C# coding, it quickly turned into a 4.5 year passion project. (Turney)

    This man is the embodiment of the modern era. He is pushing boundaries, and the traditional methodology tied to art. Whereas art used to involve expensive materials such as oil paints, canvas, and years just for one still piece, Eric was able to create an entire functioning game that became the love of many. Consider how revolutionary that is. This piece is also a clear example of the influence of technology. I remember my first computer, and first phone. They struggled to keep youtube open for too long, or run any games at all. For technology to so rapidly advance that Eric was able to learn coding and apply it from his personal laptop, is an incredible revolution.

    The first thing I really love about this piece is it's use of form. Unlike many video games released in the modern era, Stardew Valley relies on the 2d animation style of earlier video games. From playing it extensively, this certainly adds an essence of charm to the game, and reminds me of the games I played as a child.

    Secondly, this screencap captures the excellent use of color within Stardew Valley. Although this image includes a lot of brown, it doesn't meld together. The animator was careful to make each color distinct. Some are warm, some are cold, some are neutral. The piece still has dimension, and that's critical, especially when playing through a game.

    Finally, I want to discuss the use of texture. This game is interesting because it relies on a pixilated art style popular when video games first became accessible-think of space invaders, early pokemon, or street fighter-but still maintains an excellent use of texture. The wood has a grain to it, the bushes are distinct, and the hay holds shadows that implies its shape. 

    

       This is the start screen of Stardew Valley. It plays before the game starts, and I think it's really lovely. The first thing that really stands out is the use of value. I like that it uses a gradient to add interest to the background, as opposed to a flat color. I think it was an interesting design choice, especially considering the fact that the rest of the game remains relatively simple. 

    Secondly, the form here is very interesting. Whereas the rest of the game is 2d, the mountains on the bottom have a 3d effect. I think it's a little misleading, only because the rest of the game doesn't match this aesthetic. However, I think the way the mountains are designed in this shot is very lovely, and I think it's quite unique from other video games. 

    Finally, I love the use of line here. Even on the very tips of the mountain, there's a softness. I don't really sense any harsh edges or hard lines, which I love. I find those artistic elements have a place, but they are extremely jarring, and make artwork rather unpleasant for me. I would obviously own any of these pieces, because I have bought this game and played it extensively. 

3D Printing: The New Plastic Frontier

    3D printing is using a specialized printer in order to print sculptures or functional 3D pieces. The whole thing starts with a file, then it's printed by layering material in order to "print" this shape. Generally I've seen plastic used, but many other materials can be loaded as well. ("What is 3D Printing") This is very interesting to me, and really represents the modern art push to use unconventional materials and methods. 3D printing is very novel, and the way it works really strikes a chord in me. Once you have the file loaded, all you have to do is sit back and wait. Additionally, 3D printing isn't something I heard about as accessible to the general public until a few years ago, so it's certainly amazing technological progress that we have achieved.

    This piece is called Crania Anatomica Filigre: Binary, with no specific date, by Joshua Harker. I can't find a specific background on the pieces he creates, but overall he is an artist that likes to use modern technology in order to create new and novel pieces. 

    Firstly, I really love the artist's use of space. By utilizing space, this all-white piece somehow stands out, despite the fact that it has no color. Without perfect placement of the various details in this sculpture, the whole piece may wash out and loose all its complexity. 

    Secondly, the use of line is quite complex and interesting. It reminds me of a sugar skull, and it twists and turns into expected places. Where the artist could have left blank, he fills in with these absolutely beautiful symmetrical designs, while still maintaining the anatomical integrity, and even incorporating a second skull into the piece. 

    Finally, this pieces form is fascinating. The fact that he was able to build two skulls interposed on one another is incredible, and I appreciate the mix between fact and fiction. Additionally, I think that the choice to have a 3D sculpture was crucial to the success of this piece. As a drawing, it would have lost much of it's charm and simplicity. Although it is obviously complex, it doesn't have the shading, tone changes, and other art nuances that would be required to translate it into another medium.

    I am hesitant to say if I would own this piece or not, mainly because I have no clue what size it is. I really love the aesthetic appeal, but this thing could either be extremely small or extremely large, and I am not looking for those sorts of surprises. 

    This piece is simply called "Profile," with no specific date, by the same artist. The first thing that stands out to me here is texture. Whereas the previous piece was very flat, if you look closely at the cerebellum, or the very bottom of the jaw behind the decoration, you can see a very distinct texture. There is the appearance of bone, and brain ridges. This interest me because it's not something you would notice upon first glance, and I'm really curious about how you would program that into a printer.

    Secondly, color is used very nicely in this piece.The bone is off white, the brain is pink, and the decoration is stark white. This really helps to break up the piece into two distinct parts: what is real and what is fantasy. I'm interested as to why these are the only colors used. Why not detail the blood vessels, muscle, or other integral details of human anatomy. What led the artist to choose this effect in specific.

    Finally, I like the artist's use of space. There is a lot of empty space in this work, as the decorative spirals are disconnected from the skull. This leads to some interesting shadows cast, and gives the artwork a layer we wouldn't have if these parts had been connected. I would not own this piece, for the same reasons as previously stated, because space is very important to me, although I do love how it looks.

Computer Generated Influencers: Digital Manipulation

    CGI, also known as computer-generated images, are the new wave of technology, However, it's no longer an art form bound only to film and video games. Recently, there's been a rise of social media influencers, fully designed on a computer. (Dodgson) This is really the pinnacle of post-modern art and technology, as complex computer science combines with a novel new medium: social media. Social media is considered vain by many, and I don't think it's fully reached a level of respect where people view it as a form of artistic expression. The influencer I will be looking at is called Lil Miquela, who premiered in 2016 on Instagram and was created by Trevor Mcfedries and Sara DeCou.  

Note: Due to the nature of Instagram, I'm not able to save the two picture's I'll be discussing, the full resolution post will be linked. I was only able to screenshot the posts in question. I included the comments, because I think they really show how involved this digital influencer has become. It's not just offhand pictures, for some people, this is a living breathing experience. 

    This piece is untitled, created in 2020. The first thing I would like to point out is the artist's use of form. Without that, this entire image would fall flat. Look at how the sweet potatoes are perfectly misshapen and haphazardly balanced, or how her dress curves subtly at her legs and arms. This contributes an excellent sense of realism, and really sells the piece as a whole. 

    Secondly, tone is mastered here. Obviously, in real life there is no harsh line. People don't have black pencil outlines, telling us where they begin and end. Although this causes issues sometimes, it's critical to realistic art. Here, there isn't a single pure black outline when it comes to Miquela. She is simply herself, existing as a person would in a grocery store. Even her dress holds only subtle color shifts, and her skin transitions so naturally it's difficult to tell she's fake at first glance. 

    Finally, the lines are very natural in this piece. When drawing realistically, it's critical that there aren't harsh edges, and everything kind of flows into one another. This is best seen when looking at her dress, and the checkered pattern. Even that isn't rigid and straight, as the fabric moves like it would in real life. These little details really bring the piece together, and sell the image as realistic.

    This piece is also untitled, published in 2020. The first thing that really stands out here is color. When doing digital art, it's really easy to stick to a couple shades of purple or blue, and use it on your entire work. However, real life doesn't operate like that. Because products come from any number of factories, no color will be the same. I notice this specifically when looking at the greens, because they're all very close together, but also distinctly different. 

    Secondly, tone really stands out here. Because of the perceived lighting that this "photo" was taken in, there are a lot of shadows for the animator to worry about. By slightly altering various colors, there's a depth captured by the work. Transitions are very slow into the new color, and all seem to make sense with one another. When looking at the piece, nothing is particularly out of order, or strange.

    Finally, color is masterful here. One of the biggest differences between real life and digital art is that color is never quite as crisp in real life. It's impacted by shadows, by wear and tear, by lighting, and I think that's masterfully captured here. No color seems too harsh for reality, or like it's too crisp for the lighting. That requires a very delicate touch, and an in-depth understanding of how the world around us works.

    I would never own this piece. I really respect the vision, and I respect the effort it takes, but I am deeply afraid of this. I learned really young about something called the uncanny valley, where something is not quite real but not quite digital, and this really captures it. It's too humanlike, but something is still slightly off. I can't put a finger on it, but both these images give me the absolute creeps. 

Citations

Dodgson, Lindsay. “13 Computer-Generated Influencers You Should Be Following on Instagram.” Insider, Insider, 20 Sept. 2019, www.insider.com/cgi-influencers-you-should-be-following-instagram-2019-9.

Gever, Eyal. “Technology and Art: Engineering the Future.” BBC News, BBC, 4 Oct. 2012, www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-19576763.

Joshua Harker, www.joshharker.com/.

Kljaich, Lisa. “Post Modern Influences.” Art 200x, 24 Apr. 2009, art200.community.uaf.edu/2009/04/24/02-influences-6/.

“Lil Miquela.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Nov. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil_Miquela.

“Miquela.” Instagram, www.instagram.com/lilmiquela/.

“The SideQuest March 10, 2016: Stardew Valley, Hitman, Fire Emblem Fates and E3.” SideQuesting, 13 Mar. 2016, www.sidequesting.com/2016/03/the-sidequest-march-10-2016-stardew-valley-hitman-fire-emblem-fates-and-e3/.

Turney, Alexandria. “How Eric Barone Single-Handedly Made One Of The Most Beloved Games.” ScreenRant, 1 Sept. 2020, screenrant.com/stardew-valley-update-development-eric-barone-harvest-moon/.

“Video Game Review: Stardew Valley.” Aav.works, 13 Apr. 2020, aavillagomez.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/video-game-review-stardew-valley/.

“What Is 3D Printing? How Does a 3D Printer Work? Learn 3D Printing.” 3D Printing, 17 Nov. 2020, 3dprinting.com/what-is-3d-printing/.