The convergence of art, design and technology. The Shift Age
Art is the best insight to cultures and society and projection for the future of humanity.
Art began 40,000 years ago in the paleoithic age. The world outside was painted on the inside of the cave walls. Tens of thousands of years later, with very limited technology, Michael Angelo was able to sculpt amazing statues from marble and stone. It is for this reason he is revered among the greatest sculptures to have ever lived. The mid 15th century, Geuttenburg brought us the first portable print press. This allowed information to be spread to the common man from the church and created the middle class, which first appeared in Holland. This meant the end of illuminated manuscript but what was given to humanity instead was literature, which without we wouldn’t have had the art form that WIlliam Shakespeare was infamous for. Photography was born in the 19th century and this enabled artist to explore the different styles of art rather than having to paint realistic scenes and landscapes. This gave artists freedom create abstract pieces of art and helped creativity as a whole become more diverse. With the 20th century this brought creations from the mind and from what the human experience of existence meant to each individual artist.
With the industrialisation of the world after the war, technology merged with art and design. Raymond Loewy, the great industrial designer of the 20th century, designed the first ever locomotive with more than just functionality. To be more aerodynamic from the design. It was at this time that it was prevalent that art and design was creating technology. David Houle says that we are living in the golden age of design, that the 20th century was like the left side of the brain being logical, scientific and mathematical and the right side of the brain represents the 21st centre with creativity, intuition and design. This is because in the 20th century we created the internal combustion engine and implemented it transportation. We also created the atom bomb and the computer. Houle goes onto say the 21st century is all about design, redesign and the innovation of design and creavity in the work place.
Artist like Andy Warhol have shaped the future we live in today. He was the first to come up with the selfie. His famous painting of tins of soup was the first design with branding in mind and today branding is everywhere. Banksy is one of the most influential artist of the 21st century and the most significant aspect of his work is how he has innovated the way art can be displayed. Instead of being hung in and art gallery his art is created in and amongst the problems of the modern day that his work tries to highlight. This makes us face the issues and face the reality of the way we live life today.
The only way we can correct the mistakes we have made and the problems we are making for the planet we live on is through the innovation of the design and technology we have created to be more sustainable, eco friendly and more efficient. I chose this image called Earthrise, which was captured on Christmas Eve 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission to the moon because I feel it represents the innovations that have happened to get us to the point to be able to capture that image.
The Convergence of Art, Design, & Technology, David Houle, TEDxNewCollegeofFlorida, 2016, [online] <https://youtu.be/c1CBpp7oPM4> Accessed 10th February 2021
Catwiki, 5 Ways Andy Warhol Changed the Art World, [online] <https://www.catawiki.com/stories/587-5-ways-andy-warhol-changed-the-art-world> Accessed 10th February 2021
Fine Art Shippers, How Has Banksy Changed The World Of Art, 2019 [online] <https://fineartshippers.com/how-has-banksy-changed-the-world-of-art/> Accessed 10th February 2021