What is Digital Abstraction?

Blackwing - Dan Mascari - 2009

Abstraction is open to interpretation. The better question: What is art? There are numerous books devoted to this topic but none professes to have the answer. Every art critic and historian will tell you that this period, or that technique exemplifies the best of art. And they will all be right, at least in their own minds, within their own personal definition of what art is. Are the missing arms of Michelangelo's David more or less mysterious than Mona Lisa's smile or the Latrine as Art. Today art is interpretation and reinterpretation. Every great rock song has already been written, the parts are just being rearranged and the lyrics changed.

Any attempt at understanding art today will lead one to try and create their personal art by showing that they are connected to the world through this or that social network. Life today is performance art. Check out what I am doing on this site...Look at my bands photos here...Buy my t-shirt here. Our own lives have to some extent become a visual art where photos and videos chronograph the progression of our existence, and a written art through the use of blogs and social networks. All made possible through the digitization of our lives and communication developments enabled by the internet.

Any true catalog of the progression of art will lead one to believe that the next movement in art cannot be possible. Postmodernism has killed the possibility of a next step because it has chewed up and spit out all the previous possible combinations of content. Where do you progress from a thought that art can be a blatant rip-off and/or nonsense. In a time where the most famous art outsider and vandal (Banksy) has also become the prized collectible for our most influential media darlings (Brangelina) can you really say that there is any authenticity to contemporary art. I love Banksy so I will stop giving him crap for his fanbase and trendlike influence. What about Marla Olmstead, the little 4 year old who sells her "abstract art" for thousands. Not to discount the emotional authenticity of her work but what does the recognition of her work say about art as more of a fashion manipulated by marketing and positioning?

At the other end of the spectrum, hyperrealism has extended far beyond the early paintings of Chuck Close, 3-d graphics have evolved to a point that you really cannot tell if that is a person on your screen. Increases in digital realism will only be incremental over the next ten years. A possible next step is to take the tools of digital image manipulation and create a new type of art where we abstract reality through completely digital means. No sampling, completely original digital material creating abstract compositions: DIGITAL ABSTRACTION.

Blending Modes in Photoshop

One of my students asked me for a list of how the blending modes each function in Photoshop. I found a pretty good one (with visual examples):

http://www.freetimefoto.com/photoshop_blending_mode#vivid_light

I typically use the drop down selctor at the top of the layers palate in Photoshop to scroll through blending modes. The most often used blending modes (for me personally) are multiply, screen, overlay, color and luminosity. Multiply can really be usefull in creating realisitc shadows and lighing effects.

My least often used blending modes are dissolve, color dodge and color burn. The effect that each of these usually create is very harsh and intense.

Just like any other tool in Photoshop, blending modes should be seen as a means to accomplish your vision. Expecting to find the magic plug in, filter, or special effect that will make your work great is not really possible and is not what a real designer or artist does. First, solidify your vision, by researching your subject. Once you have a deep understanding of the problem attack the design issues using the resources and tools at your disposal. Without clarity of vision even the most special of effects fail to satisfy.

DESIGN RESOURCE
Here is a link to the Graphic Design Dictionary a resource for designers looking for clarification on a term. The list is certainly not complete but has most of the core terms defined.
http://www.graphicdesigndictionary.com/

Japanese Robots Rule

The Japanese are making some of the most advanced robots in the world. If this is where they are at now how long until we are living in a society where robots assist us in our everyday lives? Ghost in the Shell as a template for the near future - maybe?

Click here to view video.
Check the video out after the jump.

Gas Prices

With Gas prices falling more and more people may be planning holiday road trips. I just found a really cool service provided by AAA that will calculate gas prices for your trip. this allows you to compare the different travel options and see which is most cost effective.

http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com

Enjoy.

GM CEO says more digital advertising. Chrysler linked to Cerberus, not necessarily Hades

The grilling continues on Capitol Hill. Yesterday it was the U.S. Treasury daddies, today it is the CEOs from the big three automakers. We just got done listening to the Senators from both sides of the aisle grilling the CEOs for flying to the hearing on a private jet. The argument being that if they are going to start restructuring their business and cutting costs that they should start at the top.

At one point the CEOs were asked to raise their hands if they had flown to the hearing on commercial flights, none did. Then they were asked if they would consider selling their jets today and flying back to Detroit on a commercial flight, not one raised his hand. The congressional panel just gave these CEOs a great oppotunity to demonstrate their leadership, and no one stepped up. Not one had the salt of Spartacus. How did they become CEOs?

The star of the hearing is Nydia Velazquez (congresswoman from the 12th district of NY) who just asked Waggoner, the CEO of GM, if they would be running a $3 million dollar (for a 30 second spot) Super Bowl ad next year to which he replied, "No we are not going to do a Super Bowl ad this year ...but we will be moving more of our advertising to digital which is less expensive and more efficient."

After more questions from Velazquez, Chrysler CEO Nardelli confirms that 80% of Chrysler is owned by Cerberus Capital, a company whose members include former Vice President Dan Qualye. As you probably know Cerberus is a figure from Greek Mythology. Specifically, Cerberus is the three headed dog that guarded the gates to Hades and was killed by Herakles (Hercules).

Is this strange to anyone else? Why would you name your company after the guard dog of Hades? Shouldn't an investment firm sound secure, innovative and strong. Not scary. Whoever developed their corporate identity must have been watching too many Keanu Reeves movies, or banging their head against the ceiling too much, or maybe it was just Dan Quayle's idea.


Here is a link to Cerberus Capital's homepage.