Robotics +Art
In this weeks lecture,
Professor Vesna discussed how Robotics is in everything that we do that relates
to manufacturing and how they are becoming more and more advanced and intelligent. Mass production is how our society functions. After the printing press was invented, this idea of assembly lines were created evolving into car factories and now leading to robotics. Companies are more interested in the quantity rather than the quality of what they are producing. Furthermore, artists have
been working with robotics to create a new reproduction of art work.
The first assembly line at the Highland Park Ford Plant in Highland Park, United States in 1913.
In “The Work of Art in Age of Mechanical Reproduction” Walter
Benjamin discusses how mass production systems influenced a new age of
mechanical reproduction but this new mechanical revolution lacks elements of quality and uniqueness. Mass production of robots is
continuing to be a new form of mechanical reproduction however, "even the most perfect reproduction of a
work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its
unique existence at the place where it happens to be" (Benjamin 2).
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| Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) |
In Benjamin's essay, he also discusses the example of shooting a film. The film industry has a major
affect with new technology and how the function of art is changing to be more industrialized. Movies for example first that comes to my mind I, Robot have brought more attention to robotics. These movies worry our society that robots can be more powerful than humans and will be able to rule the world. Now the advancement of Robots are becoming more efficient
and equipped in certain types of jobs like industrial tasks or dangerous labor which can affect our society due to the
replacement of jobs by robots. However, in our society we need the jobs that require actual human labor and interaction, which would be impossible
for a robot to be taught or programmed to do to become our motivation.
Resources
1. Benjamin, Walter. “The Work
of Art in Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” 1936.
2. "Ford's
Assembly Line Turns 100: How It Changed Society." NY Daily News,
Web. 7 Oct. 2013.
3. Norman, Jeremy.
"Relating the Rapidly Changing Present to the Distant Past as Far as Book
History Is Concerned. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
4. Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics +
Art.” Lecture 1, 2, 3.
5. "Walter Benjamin: “A Contradictory
and Mobile Whole”." Home. Web. 18 Apr. 2016
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