This
week I will be discussing the topic of robotics and art. Karel Capek was the first to coin the term
“robot,” which comes from robota
meaning work. We see the idea of
robotics start to creep up along with the advent of the assembly line at Ford
Automobiles. The workers of the assembly
line were treated like parts of a machine, as depicted in Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times, and from here, we start to
see how the idea of robots to do our work came about (Pontefract 2015).
Charlie Chaplin as part of a machine in Modern Times.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/ModernTimes
With
the advancement of technology, some people react negatively. For instance in the realm of art, quality may
be sacrificed in favor of quantity (Benjamin 1936). Negative reactions to industrialization are
also depicted in film. The robot movie
of 2004, I, Robot, depicts this divide
with Will Smith’s character having an anti-robot view and the rest of society
uses robots for daily life (Scott 2004).
Turns out, Smith had the right to be skeptical when the robots have a
plot against humans, which is quite an advancement from the Turing machine,
created by the father of artificial intelligence, Alan Turing (James
2013).
Will Smith in I, Robot.
http://scalar.usc.edu/works/kevintoghiairobot/index
However,
society doesn’t always respond negatively, and some artists have embraced industrialization
and technology. Ken Rinaldo is one such
artist. His work is inspired by the
“intersection between natural and technological systems” (Rinaldo 2004). Enteric
Consciousness, by Rinaldo, depicts a robotic tongue (complete with
artificial stomach), a bowl of chocolate, and a dopamine molecule model. Rinaldo is exploring the idea of the
conscious stomach by embracing the technology of his art and the biology behind
the piece.
Enteric
Consciousness
http://www.ediblegeography.com/gut-control/
References:
Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in
the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. 1936.
James, Mike. "What Is a Turing
Machine?" What Is a Turing Machine? 14 Jun. 2013. Web. 19
Apr. 2015.
<http://www.i-programmer.info/babbages-bag/23-turing-machines.html>.
"Ken Rinaldo | Interactive Installation
Intersecting Organic and Technological Cultures." Ken Rinaldo |
Interactive Installation Intersecting Organic and Technological Cultures.
Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://kenrinaldo.com/index.html>.
Rinaldo, Ken. "Ken Rinaldo - Robotic
Sculpture, Interactive Art Inspired by Natural Systems."Ken Rinaldo -
Robotic Sculpture, Interactive Art Inspired by Natural Systems. 1 Jan.
2004. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ylem.org/artists/krinaldo/>.
Pontefract, Dan. "What CIOs Can Learn From
Charlie Chaplin's Film 'Modern Times'" Forbes. Forbes
Magazine, 15 Apr. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/danpontefract/2015/04/15/what-cios-can-learn-from-charlie-chaplins-film-modern-times/>.
Scott, A.O. "I Robot (2004) FILM REVIEW;
The Doodads Are Restless." New York Times 17 July 2004.
Web.
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