Kristin Becker's DTC Classes at WSU

Flight to Seattle. Taken by Hannah Talarico

This photo represents point, line, plane, scale and volume. This phot was taken on my flight from Spokane, WA to Seattle WA. It was an early Sunday morning and the sun had just raised. The photo is broken down into the rule of thirds but has a higher volume on the right side of the photograph, with the scale of the mountain. The photo has a focal point of the mountain, and creates a line, and a frame around the mountain. The point of the photo is also found by the clarity of the mountain.

Palm Canyon. By Hannah Talarico

This photo was taken in Palm Springs California at Palm Canyon. This photo represents scale, volume and the rule of thirds. If you evaluate the photo closely you can see that the focal point is on my father, because it is focused in and the surrounding area is slightly blurred. The photo is divided by the dirt, and the sky which gives the photo lines to divide it, and scale. The volume of the photo is also focused on the bottom area of the rock. It takes up a majority of the photo, and can over take the photo as well.

Orange tree. By Hannah Talarico

This photo was also taken at my home in Palm Springs California. Although It does not only have a focal point, it represents balance, volume, scale, and point line. This is an image of a brick wall, and an orange tree that is pushed up against the home. The contrast in color brings out the distinct line that cuts the photo in half. It also has a focal point of the center of the photo. Due to the distinct color change, it draws your eye to the center of the photo to try and force yourself to see the different in texture.

LS9 Soundboard. Photographed by Peyton Taffe at the CUB senior ball room.

Points are used in design to mark a point in space and can either be very significant or hold little to no importance, depending on the design. To demonstrate point, I chose to take a picture of the one of the soundboards I use at work. Because the soundboard is digital, all of the controls are featured in circles or points on the screen. Each of the points marks a position in space that controls a different aspect of the board. Each point is also the same color as the other points that form a relationship. For example, all of the points that control EQ, or mix, are colored with a light blue and are in close proximity of each other.

Vanessa’ Soundboard. Photographed by Peyton at CUB Butch’s Den

Lines are used to show connection or a movement between two points. In this next picture, lines are demonstrated through a series of points on an analog soundboard. Each line of knobs on the soundboard represents a different EQ for different channels. The lines are all made up of the same dots so that one can EQ each channel in the same way. Along with the columns of knobs, there are white lines that go along each column to show which knows control which channel. These white lines are high in contrast compared to the dark background of the board and also stand apart well from the colors of the knobs. These lines are very significant as they dictate two different types of EQ and that separation is vital for someone who is using the board; it shows the relationship between which knobs belong together.

Datsik at the Knitting Factory. Taken by Peyton Taffe.

Different planes can be seen in this photo of the DJ Datsik. His stage setup was a build of over 200 LED screens and each of these screens could be seen as a plane, as they each are large flat surfaces have distinct outlines behind them. The planes also show dimensions as some of them are angled back in the photo. These LED screens could also be seen as points as during the concert, there were different images displayed on them. The lights extending up above the stage could also be seen as lines as they show the path of moving lines.

This clock was my first alarm clock I had as a child. (Star Wise, Hello Kitty Again, 2016)

Watches have been a trend for almost a century. As a kid, my parents and grandparents always were wearing one around their wrists. However, I have noticed many people in my generation do not wear watches up until recently. Before the apple watch, I never wore or even owned a watch because I just used my phone to tell time. This past year I got the apple watch. I chose to use the apple watch as my technological artifact because I feel it strongly depicts the technology my generation has become accustom to. The apple watch just shows how something as simple as a watch has been digitalized and is an extension of a cell phone. Throughout my childhood most all the clocks I grew up were digital. My first clock I owned was a digital hello kitty alarm clock. I know how to read a basic clock however, it takes me a second to process the time. I’ve noticed this is not uncommon for people in our generation. With the apple watch, everything is digital. This watch has all the aspects my generation has been accustom to over the years. The apple

This is my Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular that I recently purchased (Photo by Emily Burns, August 2018).

watch I have is cellular which means it works as a phone, receives messages, calls and other notifications. Ever since middle school, I have always had my cell phone on me when leaving my house. I feel like that is very common for our generation now. The apple watch is now an extension of this. My generation has grown up in the digital world and it has become a part of our everyday lives. The apple watch has made it so no matter what you are doing, you are still connected digitally. One aspect that drove me to purchase the apple watch is how it monitors your workouts. This watch tracks your workouts and analyzes how many calories you burn in a workout. Along with this, it also monitors your heart rate. Many people argue that millennials have become less active due to the digital era. This watch helps people become more conscious of how active they are in a day. While many people might argue that the digital world we live in has become detrimental to society, it is the world we live in now and the apple watch has made strives to use digital technology in a productive manner.

Technological Artifacts represent where we’ve come from, and can capture our world in a single object. One such artifact is the soundtrack from the blockbuster hit, Shrek (2001). Behind the scenes of the physical CD, lies a movie that was a big part of mine, and our collective generations, childhood. When searching for an artifact that meant something to me, I couldn’t quite find anything. Frustrated and defeated, I gave up. I was cleaning out my car, emptying out mcchicken wrappers, crunchwrap supreme papers, and the skeletal remains of coconut LaCroix, when I stumbled upon a hard plastic square underneath the drivers seat. After some digging, I pulled out the Shrek soundtrack. My frustrations were immediately resolved as I knew in that moment, that this was a representation of my childhood. Shrek has become a cultural icon, and the original has spawned three sequels and a few spin offs.

The open CD of the Shrek Soundtrack (Above). See how the physical CD aligns perfectly with the background ears.

Aside from the content, the CD was something that I found to be interesting. When we think about CD’s, its hard  to imagine them as something of the past. While they are still sold in most retail stores, Its hard to find someone that listens to CD’s regularly. With the invention of the iPod, CD’s began to vanish, and now with the creation of streaming services (Apple Music, Spotify, etc.), CD’s are something almost entirely of the past. Nobody walks around with a walkman and a few albums on them, however most people have a few CD’s lying around their cars. In my first car there was no aux cord, only a CD player, and there were only two CD’s that I listened to, Away From the World by Dave Matthews Band, and A Love Supreme by John Coltrane. Both of these albums have very specific memories attached to them. They remind me of high school and a simpler time. The Shrek soundtrack however, reminds me of my childhood, and being a kid again. This specific CD was very special to me. I remember seeing Shrek in theaters, and later, getting that very CD as a gift.

The MAL in Boulder demonstrates how technology has progressed and aims to preserve older technology. I think it also helps us understand how meaningful a piece of technology can be to society. It’s beautiful how a piece of technology can mean so much to a person. In the mainstream media, people look down on technology, and often times try to revert back to a time where technology was not as advanced. I believe that certain aspects of technological advancement can be wonderful, and looking back, the Shrek soundtrack represents much of my childhood

.

This is a photo of my bed frame taken by Emily Deichmann.

Points, lines and curves pretty much make up every image we see in the world. The three photos I took for this assignment were of items in my room. I took a photo of a bed frame, the carpet and my robe.

In my first photo of the bed frame, you can see many lines. The lines in the wood add texture to the bed frame. I think it is interesting to look at and follow the curves because it brings the wood to life. I think these lines create volume to the wood resulting in shadows. It is fascinating that some lines are darker than other lines.

This is a photo of my carpet taken by Emily Deichmann.

In my second photo of the carpet, you can see many many points. This photo is my favorite I took because I love pointillism. There are so many points that make up the carpet that it makes the carpet look three-dimensional. I like how there is no space between the points. Also, another design choice that makes this carpet stick out is the color choice. Alternating between colors adds more texture. A series of points make up a line and that is very prevalent in this photo. You can see many lines next to each other.

This is a photo of a robe taken by Emily Deichmann.

In my third photo, you can see points, lines and planes. Although all three building blocks are in this photo, planes are the most obvious. There are many blue horizontal lines that make up a horizontal plane. Because these lines end and do not go one forever. There are also points on the robe if you look closely to the stitching.

This is an image from my Artecture application; It is a portrait of an owl that I am working on by using the wide array of media available. (Photo by Emily Bruckner, August 2018)

For my technological artifact I chose my tablet, or more specifically a particular application on my tablet, Artecture. Artecture, and other applications like it, allow for artists and architects to create works of art that can easily be saved and uploaded. This application provides a near endless amount of colors to choose from and many types of simulated media to use, such as spray paint, pencils, and a variety of paintbrushes. Each of these modes of artistic expressions are easily customizable in size, opacity, and affects, all of which can be adjusted individually. I feel as though this truly represents my generation of artists and animators who can utilize such easy to use and free applications to create. Artists can now use beautifully rendered and well-built software to paint, draw, and upload their content to share with others. Before my time, if one wanted to paint one had to go and purchase often expensive paint, brushes, and canvases, whereas now, digital painting works well if not better in its stead. With applications such as these, I do not have to worry as much, if I make a mistake in my painting because I can just press a button to undo it. I also don’t have to worry about my original artwork being damaged by weather or time, it being housed in a digital space exempt from the elements. One downside to using digital art primarily, is the loss of knowledge of how use the real-life media. Using only drawing and animation software can make an artist lazy, for when a mistake is made in an oil painting it cannot be merely deleted, but it must be fixed or completely redone. Both digital and nondigital media should be used in tandem for an artist to truly be skilled in the field.

This is a picture of my tablet; I have used this often for the art applications provided.   
(Photo by Emily Bruckner, August 2018)

The information from the Media Archology Lab helped me to more fully understand how far we’ve come in the world of art and animation. It reminds me of how incredibly skilled artists used to be without any easy help from computers and technology. These artists had to be masters of their craft, perfecting and shaping their style over time to train themselves to never make a mistake on their final pieces. Back then, every painting and sculpture had to be perfectly and meticulously fashioned by hand in every aspect of the work, from matching the colors of the subject to the form. As artists, it is wise to look back and practice the ways of those who come before us, so as to more fully appreciate the new technological art-forms of the future.