Art & Nature and Technology: Remaking Land and Body

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Recommended: Early 20th century art history

Technology is always advancing; in the 20th century mankind has seen the greatest, most exponential rise in technological advances than any other period of human existence. With this, art forms are also advancing, with the emergence of new mediums, art can be expressed in more ways than we ever thought possible. Computers have been especially beneficial in progressing the movement of art in modern society. With ways of communicating, networking and creating art all through a digital, simulated world, we are slowly substituting the real, with the virtual. Most experiences can already be simulated through video games and other virtual reality software. The internet has become an encyclopaedia that encapsulates the sum of almost all human knowledge; one can find an infinite amount of information through the internet. We are already seeing a decline in the use of books due to the internet’s free and wide availability. It is believed that soon, reality, and living in real life will become obsolete because so much can be experienced so easily and risk free in the digital world. What will become of our society if this is the case? As stated by Peter Halley, more and more people prefer the simulated world over real one. If this is true, then what is to become of our reality? How will we establish the ethical boundary for technology to modify and alter what is real? Such things as human cloning and body modifications are becoming more of a plausible concept, and less of a science fiction fantasy. What place will art have in this digital future, will art become solely a virtual experience, and if so does this mean art will lose its value? From my own experience, I agree with Halley’s comment, and will argue that society will be impacted and...

... middle of paper ...

...imulated communities which are slowly taking over, things like “Second Life” create an entire world in an online environment that allows people to assume the bodies of their avatar and do things that our flesh bound bodies would never be able to perform. It is unclear what the future holds for the society of mankind; however it cannot be denied that the preference of simulations over real life experience in all aspects of life is growing among people.

Works Cited

Dean, Jodi. "Virtually regulated: New technologies and social control." Signs: Journal of

Women in Culture & Society 24.4 (1999): 1067. LGBT Life with Full Text. EBSCO.

Web. 15 Dec. 2010.

Halley, Peter. "Frank Stella...and the Simulacrum." Editorial. Flash Art Magazine Jan. 1986.

Peter Halley. Web. 15 Dec. 2010. .

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