New media and Visual Culture

Emergence of new technologies and the effect on visual culture.

'late age of print' Marshall Mcluhan: 'prophet' of electrical age. Foresaw the 'digital age'- different methods of communication, TV, radio, internet, mobile etc.

'Age of print' around 1450: Gutenbergs printing press- abled writing to be reproduced. Start of mass reproduction of literature. People can become educated, newspapers start.

Literate/ computerate. Important to be educated in 'computeracy'.

Computers- vehicle of consumption and product of communication.
The electronic book- reader takes on the role of the author. Challenges the power of the author. democratic, allows us to shape how we recieve information.
Reading newspapers online- different takes on the news by being read through different media.

Computer media: superficial style of reading. Lost in hyperspave. the illusion of not being able to get back to where you started.


Mass media. Small group of people controlling what everybody sees.
Not all of mass media is of low quality. Democratic potential- theatre, gigs, exhibitions can be accessed by millions, youtube. Mass spread.

John A Walker- Art in the age of mass media.

Superficial uncritical machine is alwaus standing between the audience and communicator- distanced. Audience is disempowered. Encourages the status quo- illusion that your'e part of a collective.
Phone ins- illusion of control. Encourages apathy, no control, cant change it.
Encourages escapeism, seen as a drug that aneasthetises us. Bland... Opium of the masses.

Benneton ads. Trading on images of death, horror- exposed AIDS.
Doing more than advertising, more political- not mindless- concrete effect.

Media and Art- Richard Hamilton.
Modern of mass culture.

Roy Lichenstein- showing comics ('trash') as something important. Mass production.

Critics dismiss media and pop art just the same- missing the point. Challenging superficiality, commercial essence of it all.

Warhol- Marilyn.
Celebrities are constructed and reproduced in the media.
Colours of product design, not art- anti-aesthetic.

Shocking images, once repeated lose shock value, disensitisation. Repetition causing numbness.