Remediation Understanding New Media.docx
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Remediation Understanding New Media.docx
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FROM
DavidBolterandRichardGrusin.
Remediation:
UnderstandingNewMedia.
TheMITPress,2000.
Definitionof'remediation'fromthebook:
DefinedbyPaulLevensonasthe"anthropotropic"processbywhichnewmediatechnologiesimproveuponorremedypriortechnologies.Wedefinethetermdifferently,usingittomeantheformallogicbywhichnewmediarefashionpriormediaforms.Alongwithimmediacyandhypermediacy,remediationisoneofthethreetraitsofourgenealogyofnewmedia.
PartI:
Theory
Chapter1.Immediacy,Hypermediacy,andRemediation
Thetwologicsofremediationhavealonghistory,fortheirinterplaydefinesagenealogythatdatesbackatleasttotheRenaissanceandtheinventionoflinearperspective.Wedonotclaimthatimmediacy,hypermediacyandremediationareuniversalaesthetictruths;rather,weregardthemaspracticesofspecificgroupsinspecifictimes.[N1]AlthoughthelogicofimmediacyhasmanifesteditselffromtheRenaissancetothepresentday,eachmanifestationineachagemaybesignificantlydifferent,andimmediacymaymeanonethingtotheorists,anothertopracticingartistsordesigners,andathirdtoviewers.The
diversityisevengreaterforhypermediacy,whichseemsalwaystoofferanumberofdifferentreactionstothecontemporarylogicofimmediacy.Remediationalwaysoperatesunderthecurrentculturalassumptionsaboutimmediacyandhypermediacy.
Wecannothopetoexplorethegenealogyofremediationindetail.WhatconcernsusisremediationinourcurrentmediainNorthAmerica,andherewecananalyzespecificimages,texts,anduses.Thehistoricalresonances(toRenaissancepainting,nineteenth-centuryphotography,andtwentieth-centuryfilm,andsoon)willbeofferedtohelpexplainthecontemporarysituation.Atthesametime,thepracticesofcontemporarymediaconstitutealensthroughwhichwecanviewthehistoryofremediation.Whatwewishtohighlightfromthepastiswhatresonateswiththetwinpreoccupationsofcontemporarymedia:
thetransparentpresentationoftherealandtheenjoymentoftheopacityofmediathemselves.
Thelogicoftransparentimmediacy
Virtualrealityis"immersive,"whichmeansthatitisamediumwhosepurposeistodisappear.However,thisdisappearingactismadedifficultbytheapparatusthatvirtualrealityrequires.InStrangeDays,usersofthewirehadonlytoputonaslenderskullcap,butintoday'svirtualrealitysystems,theviewermustwearabulky"head-mounteddisplay,"ahelmetwitheyepiecesforeacheye(Figure1.2).Inothersystemsknownas"caves,"thewalls,(andsometimesthefloorandceiling)arethemselvesgiantcomputerscreens.Althoughlesssubtlethanthewire,currentvirtualrealitysystemsalsosurroundtheviewerwithacomputergeneratedimage.Withthehead-mounteddisplayinparticular,virtualrealityisliterally"intheviewer'sface."Theviewerisgivenafirst-personpointofview,asshegazesonagraphicworldfromastationpointthatisalwaysthevisualcenterofthatworld.Ascomputerscientiststhemselvesputit,thegoalofvirtualrealityistofosterintheviewerasenseofpresence:
theviewershouldforgetthatsheisinfactwearingacomputerinterfaceandacceptthegraphicimagethatitoffersasherownvisualworld(Hodgesetal).
Inordertocreateasenseofpresence,virtualrealityshouldcomeascloseaspossibletoourdailyvisualexperience.Itsgraphicspaceshouldbecontinuousandfullofobjectsandshouldfilltheviewer'sfieldofvisionwithoutrupture.Buttoday'stechnologystillcontainsmanyruptures,includingslowframerates,jaggedgraphics,brightcolors,blandlighting,andsystemcrashes.Someoftheserupturesareapparenteveninthesinglestaticimagesthatwesee,forexample,inFigures10.1,10.2,and10.3.Wenoticeimmediatelythecartoon-likesimplicityofthescene,whichnousercouldconfusewiththeworldthatgreetsherwhenshetakesoffthehelmet.Fortheenthusiastsofvirtualreality,however,today'stechnologicallimitationssimplypointtoitsgreatpotential,whichforthemliesinafuturenotmuchfurtherremovedthanStrangeDays.Infact,LennyNero'swordscouldalmosthavebeenwrittenbytheseenthusiasts.Inhisbookonvirtualreality,HowardRheingoldclaimsthat"[a]ttheheartofVR[virtualreality]isanexperience-theexperienceofbeinginavirtualworldorremotelocation"(VirtualReality46).JaronLanier,adeveloperofoneofthefirstcommercialvirtualrealitysystems,suggeststhatinvirtualreality"...youcanvisittheworldofthedinosaur,thenbecomeaTyrannosaurus.NotonlycanyouseeDNA,youcanexperiencewhatit'sliketobeamolecule"(quotedinDitlea97).MeredithBricken,aninterfacedesigner,writesthatinavirtual
environment,"Youcanbethemadhatteroryoucanbetheteapot;youcanmovebackandforthtotherhythmofasong.Youcanbeatinydropletintherainorintheriver"(Bricken372).Alltheseenthusiastspromiseustransparent,perceptualimmediacy,experiencewithoutmediation,fortheyexpectvirtualrealitytodiminishandultimatelytodenythemediatingpresenceofthecomputeranditsinterface.Bricken'spaperisinfactentitled"VirtualWorlds:
NoInterfacetoDesign."
Thelogicoftransparentimmediacyisalsoatworkinnon-immersivedigitalgraphics-thatis,intwo-andthree-dimensionalimagesprojectedontotraditionalcomputer,film,ortelevisionscreens.Digitalgraphicshavebecometremendouslypopularandlucrativeandinfactareleadingtoanewculturaldefinitionofthecomputer.Ifeventenyearsago,wethoughtofcomputersexclusivelyasnumericalenginesandwordprocessors,wenowthinkofthemalsoasdevicesforgeneratingimages,reworkingphotographs,holdingvideoconferences,andprovidinganimationandspecialeffectsforfilmandtelevision.Withthesenewapplications,thedesireforimmediacyisapparentinclaimsthatdigitalimagesaremoreexciting,lively,andrealisticthanmeretextonacomputerscreenandthatavideoconferencewillleadtomoreeffectivecommunicationthanatelephonecall.ThedesireforimmediacyisapparentintheincreasingpopularityofthedigitalcompositingoffilmandinHollywood'sinterestinreplacingstuntmenandeventuallyevenactorswithcomputeranimations.Anditisapparentinthetriumphofthe"graphicaluserinterface"forpersonalcomputers.Thedesktopmetaphor,whichhasreplacedthewhollytextualcommand-lineinterface,issupposedtoassimilatethecomputertothephysicaldesktopandtothematerials(filefolders,sheetsofpaper,in-box,trashbasket,etc.)familiartoofficeworkers.Themouse(andthepen-basedinterface)allowtheusertheimmediacyoftouching,dragging,andmanipulatingvisuallyattractiveideograms.Immediacyissupposedtomakethiscomputerinterface"natural"ratherthanarbitrary.And,althoughthestandarddesktopinterfacehasbeentwo-dimensional,designersareexperimentingwiththree-dimensionalversions-virtualspacesinwhichtheusercanmovein,around,andthroughinformation(Card,Robertson,andMacinlay).Thesethree-dimensionalviewsaremeanttolendevengreaterimmediacytotheexperienceofcomputing.Whatdesignersoftensaytheywantisan"interfaceless"interface,inwhichtherewillbenorecognizableelectronictools-nobuttons,windows,scrollbars,oreveniconsassuch.Insteadtheuserwillmovethroughthespaceinteractingwiththeobjects"naturally,"i.e.asshedoesinthephysicalworld.Virtualreality,three-dimensionalgraphics,andgraphicalinterfacedesignareallseekingtomakedigitaltechnology"transparent."Inthissenseatransparentinterfacewouldbeonethaterasesitself,sothattheuserisnolongerawareofconfrontingamedium,butinsteadstandsinanimmediaterelationshiptothecontentsofthatmedium.
Thetransparentinterfaceisonemoremanifestationoftheneedtodenythemediatedcharacterofdigitaltechnologyaltogether.Tobelievethatwithdigitaltechnologywehavepassedbeyondmediationisalsotoasserttheuniquenessofourpresenttechnologicalmoment.Formanyvirtualrealityenthusiasts,thecomputersofarsurpassesothertechnologiesinitspowertomaketheworldpresent,thatthehistoryofearliermediahaslittlerelevance.Eventhose,likeRheingold,whodoacknowledgetechnologicalprecursors(particularlyfilmandtelevision),stillemphasizethenoveltyofvirtualreality.Theirviewisthatvirtualreality(ordigitaltechnologyingeneral)completesandovercomesthehistoryofmedia.InthefilmStranaeDavs,thewireisthelastandmostpowerfultechnologycreatedbeforetheendofthemillennium.However,thedesireforimmediacyitselfhasahistorythatisnoteasilyovercome.AtleastsincetheRenaissance,ithasbeenadefiningfeatureofwesternvisual(andforthatmatterverbal)representation.Tounderstandimmediacyincomputergraphics,itisimportanttokeepinmindthewaysinwhichpainting,photography,film,andtelevisionhavesoughttosatisfythissamedesire.Theseearliermediasoughtimmediacythroughtheinterplayoftheaestheticvalueoftransparencywithtechniquesoflinearperspective,erasure,andautomaticity,allofwhicharestrategiesalsoatworkindigitaltechnology.
AsAlbrechtDiirernoted,andasPanofskyremindedusinPerspectiveasSymbolicForm(27),perspectivemeansa"seeingthrough,"and,liketheinterfacedesignersoftoday,studentsoflinearperspectivepromisedimmediacythroughtransparency.Theytrustedinlinearperspectivetoachievetransparencybecausebymathematizingspaceitusedthe"right"techniquetomeasuretheworld.MartinJayandothershavearguedforacloseconnectionbetweenAlbertianperspectiveandDescartes'sspatialma
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