Synopsis

2nd Synopsis

‘The work of art in the age of digital recombination' by Jos de Mul

‘The work of art in the age of digital recombination' by Jos de Mul begins by introducing the idea of media as a ‘means for presenting information’ and talks about the different relationships it creates between us and our world, us and fellow man and us and ourselves. Mul states that he will be examining the way ‘computer interfaces constitutes and structures aesthetic experience’, he then introduces Walter Benjamin’s seminal essay ‘The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction’ as this forms a large proportion of the context to his argument. Mul outlines Benjamin’s theories on the aura, authenticity and the cult value of a work of art. which are all inherent in original works only. Benjamin puts forward the idea that a singular work with has one presence has the strongest aura and he also opens this analogy beyond artworks to nature in general. With the invention of photography the age of reproduction came into being and this in turn reduced the auratic nature of artworks for Benjamin.

Mul then moves to compare Benjamin’s ideas to his theory on recombination, as opposed to the latters reproducibility, which is inherent to media and digital technologies. He introduces the idea of database ontologies within computer technology, which we are now all so reliant on. Mul discusses how this multiplicity and constant reuse as well as reconfiguring of data changes the nature of the artwork in the context of Benjamin’s aura. He also gives examples of this recombination in terms of the genetic modification of animals and also within art and politics becoming manipulating forces on each other.

‘Remixing and Remixability’ by Lev Manovich

In Remixing and Remixability Lev Manovich discusses ideas around multiplicity and the modular. He focuses mainly on the internet as a space for these ideas to take place but also expands to talk about industrialization, culture and society in general. He begins by talking about the growth of the internet and the amount of information flow that is taking place online and introduces the term ‘collaborative remixability’ - describing the trend for borrowing and sampling from other sources to produce your own content. Manovich gives the example of architecture which reused styles form previous periods throughout history and compares this to the methodology of a contemporary artist or designer.

He then focuses on modularity, which is not reliant on remixability but both work very well together. Manovich gives examples of stocks of images and music files available for remixing and puts forward an idea of all content in the future being treated this way. He describes modularity as providing a fluidity of movement in which ‘cultural bits can move around more easily’. He gives examples of specific spaces online for remixing and sharing such as flicker, RSS feeds, blog posts etc.

Manovich then contextualises the idea of modularity within industrialisation and Fordism, as this was the ultimate modular and cheap mass produced system. This has lead to our current society of globalization and connectivity, in which the internet is at the center. However he also makes an important case for the individual within the modular, in that no one wants to be exactly the same and generic so there needs to be a consideration of the ideology of the individual.

Synopsis

Jealousy Alain Robbe-Grillet

Jealousy is a short novel written by Alain Robbe-Grillet in 1957. Robbe-Grillet is a French author and film maker born in 1922, he is known for being a key figure in the Nouveau Roman movement of writing – a new, experimental form of novel. Jealousy is Robbe-Grillet’s fourth book.

Jealousy is set on a banana plantation and traces the lives of a couple who live on the plantation. The narrator of the book is anonymous in that his identity is unknown to the reader and all we learn about him is implied through other statements rather than being explicit. The narrator’s wife, who is also anonymous to degree being just referred to as ‘A…’, is suggested to be having an affair with a neighbor, Franck. Franck frequents the house most evenings and they all dine together.

The novels structure is based around this one location, which is described by the narrator in great detail. The book begins with a floor plan of the house, allowing the reader to build an image in their mind of this space from the outset. Robbe-Grillet’s writing uses an obsessive style of description focusing on shape, light, size, form, colour and texture which builds a detailed image of the house for the reader. Geometry is used as a descriptive tool, for example he describes the flies as ‘orbiting’ a light at various angles and degrees. Robbe-Grillet also uses the houses formal structure as a way of giving a sense of time passing by, for example, referring to the shadows moving across the veranda; using the house as sundial.

One of the most striking aspects of Jealousy is the anachronistic sense of time that Robbe-Grillet creates. There is a constant looping and repetition of events and scenarios that begin to step out of the normal chronology of time. For example breakfast is followed by the evening meal which then returns to midday and an event such as ‘A..’ and Franck visiting the local town together are endlessly repeated. The effect of this constant cyclical structure is one of an extremely hermetic and claustrophobic space.

Although the narrator’s personal emotions and opinions are mainly repressed it is implied to the audience through observation that his wife is having an affair with Franck. As such an atmosphere of suspicion, distrust and resentment is suggested within this central relationship. Through objective description it is also implied that the narrator may be spying on his wife through window blinds and doorways within the house.

The killing of a centipede becomes an important symbol within this repeating narrative as it creates a form of symbolic closure within an agonizingly cyclical structure. The centipede is squashed and killed by Franck on the wall of the house at ‘A’s…’ request, and this image becomes a haunting reminder of a creature that was once living.

The book concludes with no clear resolution, the endless cycle of dishonesty and the repression of emotions is continued from the looping structure established at the beginning.