The transition from drawing/painting to using technology as a medium for art was an interesting transition. Personally, I believe that it was an easy transition to make. We really do live in a digital world, and having to use it as a material to create art only extends on the lifestyle that we carry out each and every day. One could even go so far as to say that it is a ritual that our culture has adopted. Each person’s life is saturated with technology, and accessing it daily has become part of a pattern that is ritualistic in nature, almost as if we feel we should pay homage to the technology in our lives. Therefore, using digital media for creating art was simply just using skills from everyday life and applying it in a new paradigm. One very striking realization was when I recognized that as I was observing the candlelight vigil, the access that I had to my camera made me look at the event in a different way. I wasn’t being there just to be there, to soak in the moments, to make mental notes and images of what was happening. Instead, I was constantly looking for the perfect “shot.” The ability that I had that with one click of my finger I had a perfect picture, frozen in time, changed my entire perspective on the event. The access to this media changed the amount of power that I held in that situation. Instead of creating my own perspective, molding the art into something that was individualistic, the digital camera captured all of it. Does the technology that saturates our lives almost dictate how we live it? However much this might be true, the beautiful thing about using digital media as a new medium in art allows us to regain that power we might have lost in other areas of our lives. Taking a picture might be concrete and general, but deciding what pictures to take, what moments to capture at an event, allows our own personal beliefs and perspective to come back into the picture. To completely reject digital media in the realm of art would not make sense, because it is only growing in our culture in lives. It is important to acknowledge its power and use it as a new personal expression of art.

Situational Tour: Candlelight Vigil

As the candlelight vigil begins, individuals gather
across from the White House. As the sun sets, this
building is the backdrop of the scene.


The crowd collects around a small number of people
telling stories of the war. A sense of unity unfolds
as people come to the realization that they are not
alone.


As dark engulfs the people, only candles and signs
remain to be seen.


A woman wearing a peace flag is seen
among the crowd. There is no shouting,
beating of drums or arrests, yet this
statement is just as strong.


The presence of the American flag gives a stark
sense of hope. It is a reminder that the freedom to do
such things as protest is the ideology that
this country is founded upon.


Emotions rise as each person recounts a story of a
soldier's experiences, their fears, and the time that it takes
to heal the wounds of war.

The beauty of the night comes in
the understanding that each person has
their own reason for being there.


Even a child.


At this moment, security isn't found in presence
of police or authority. It's found in the hearts
of others and the soft glow of the candles.


And soon, the candles are all that are left. But
they too will die out, and only the unity and solace
provided by the vigil will remain.

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A candlelight vigil will be held at this location on Wednesday March 19th. I believe that this is a very powerful way to make a statement about the war. I think it will be a beautiful sight to photograph because of all the people gathered together holding candles in the dark. I want to focus on the faces of the people only lit by candlelight. The faces show not only the specific people effected by the war but the pain and emotion that can be seen.

A candlelight vigil has been a ritual for many years to express remembrance of an event or people. The beauty of such an event is that is allows for each individual to have their own reason for participating. There is not one specific ideology that drives this event, but many. Security and authority go hand in hand, and I believe that a vigil is a peaceful way to defy such institutions.

The computer and art

The revolution of the computer has impacted the world of art in many ways. It has allowed anyone, anywhere in the world, to share their creations with others. Art has always been an outlet for people to express their opinions, defy cultural constraints, make statements and amplify their beliefs. Now, the computer provides a new source of media for the arts. Individuals can take previously created pieces from any point in time and modify it to make it their own. It brings the world of art on a personal level, making it more accessible to the general public and allowing anyone to participate and create something new.