Interactive digital media displacement : digital imagery contextualised within deep remixability and remediation

Abstract

Digital image editing is rooted in the analog practices of photographic retouching from the late nineteenth century. This study interrogated how novel contributions of new media practice can inform understanding of the relationship between digital and analog media. The study also sought to explore new conceptual avenues in the creation of digital art that incorporates key aspects of both new and traditional media. This study employed a literature review of selected discourses related to new media studies. Specifically, the work of scholars Lev Manovich, Jay David Bolter, Richard Grusin, and Filipe Pais on the interplay between traditional and new media formed the cornerstone of the analysis. These discourses contextualise an analysis of several contemporary case studies of digital artists, with a particular focus on John Craig Freeman and the Oddviz collective. These works were selected for the way in which they destabilise conventional notions of digital photography in new media and the way digital content can be ‘displaced’ into a physical space. From this analysis several concepts arise that serve as distinguishing markers for media displacement. These themes include embodiment, memory, identity formation, autotopography, and intermediality. The dissertation concludes with an overview of my work that incorporates the concepts derived from my analysis of the case studies. It discusses how my exhibition Digital Tourist, a mixed media installation, makes use of photogrammetry and AR to displace the private connections of an individual life into the public space of the gallery.

Ukuhlelwa kwezithombe zezindaba zedijithali kususelwe emikhubeni ye-analokhu yokuthwebula kabusha izithombe kusukela ngasekupheleni kwekhulu leshumi nesishiyagalolunye leminyaka.. Lolu cwaningo luphenye ukuthi iminikelo yenoveli emisha yokwenziwa kwezezindaba ezintsha zingakwazisa kanjani ukuqonda kobudlelwano phakathi kwezindaba zedijithali ne-analokhu. Ucwaningo luphinde lwafuna ukubheka izindlela ezintsha zomqondo ekwakhiweni kobuciko bedijithali obufaka izinndaba ezibalulekile kokubili kwezokuxhumana nezendabuko ezintsha. Izinkulumo ezikhethiwe ezihlobene nezifundo zezindaba ezintsha zibuyekeziwe. Ngokuqondile, umsebenzi wezazi uLev Manovich, Jay David Bolter, Richard Grusin noFilipe Pais ekusebenzisaneni phakathi kwabezindaba bendabuko nabasha kwakha okuzobhekwa ngqo uma kuhlaziywa. Lezi zinkulumo zigxila ekuhlaziyweni kwezifundo zamanje zamaciko edijithali, kugxilwe kakhulu kuJohn Craig Freeman kanye neqoqo le-Oddviz. Le misebenzi yakhethwa ngendlela yokuthi ingazinzisi imiqondo ejwayelekile yokuthwebula izithombe zedijithali emithonjeni emisha kanye nokuthi okuqukethwe kwedijithali "kungahanjiswa kanjani" endaweni ebonakalayo. Ukusuka kulokhu kuhlaziywa kuvela imiqondo eminingana esebenza njengezimpawu ezihlukanisayo zokufuduswa kwabezindaba. Lezi zingqikithi zifaka phakathi ukwakheka, inkumbulo, ukwakheka kobunikazi, ukuziphendulela kanye nokuzibandakanya. Idezetheyishini iphetha ngokubuka konke ngomsebenzi wami ohlanganisa imiqondo esuselwe ekuhlaziyweni kwami kwezifundo zocwaningo. Ingxoxo ihlanganisa ukuthi umbukiso wami we-Zivakashi zeDijithali, ukufakwa kwabezindaba okuxubile, isebenzisa uhlelo lokuthwebula olusebenzisa ulimi noma ifothogrametri ne-AR ukukhipha ukuxhumana kwangasese kwempilo yomuntu ngamunye endaweni yomphakathi yegalari.

Ukuhlela imifanekiso yedijithali yinkqubo eyendeleyo, nowaqalwa kwiminyaka yokugqibela yenkulungwane yeshumi elinethoba, kwimisebenzi yezifaniso/yeanalogu ekuhlaziyweni kweefoto. Esi sifundo siphonononga ukuba igalelo elikhethekileyo leendlela ezintsha zonxibelelwano lwemiboniso/imidiya lingenza njani ukuqinisa ukuqonda unxulumano phakathi kwemiboniso yedijithali neyeanalogu. Kwakhona, esi sifundo sizama ukuphanda iindlela ezintsha ezisetyenziswa kubugcisa bedijithali neziquka imiba ephambili yemiboniso yale mihla neyakudala. From this analysis several concepts arise that serve as distinguishing markers for media displacement. These themes include embodiment, memory, identity formation, autotopography and intermediality. Kuphononongwe iingxoxo ezithile ezimalunga nezifundo zemiboniso yale mihla. Kuqwalaselwe ngakumbi imisebenzi yeengcali ooLev Manovich, Jay David Bolter, Richard Grusin kunye noFilipe Pais malunga nonxulumano phakathi kwemiboniso yakudala neyale mihla njengesiseko solu hlalutyo. Ezi ngxoxo zifaka emxholweni uhlalutyo lwezifundo zokuzekelisa zale mihla malunga nabazobi bale mihla, kugxininiswa kwindibanisela ka John Craig Freeman nekaOddviz. Le misebenzi ikhethwe ngenxa yokuba iyazichitha iingcinga eziqhelekileyo malunga nokufota ngedijithali kwimiboniso yale mihla nangendlela iziqulatho zedijithali “zinokushenxiswa” zisiwe kwindawo ebambekayo. Olu hlalutyo luveze iingcinga eziliqela nezisebenza njengeempawu zoshenxiso lwemiboniso. Imixholo iquka imifuziselo, ukukhumbula, ukwenziwa kwesazisi, ukuzazisa ngezinto onazo, unxulumano phakathi kwemiboniso eyahlukeneyo Le ngxelo yophando igqibela ngokushwankathela umsebenzi wam ohlanganisa iingcinga ezivele ekuhlalutyeni kwam izifundo ezingumzekelo. Ingxoxo ibonisa ukuba umboniso wengqokelela yemisebenzi yam owaziwa ngokuba yiDigital Tourist, ubusebenzise njani ubuchwepheshe ekuthiwa yifotogrametri (obokufumana ulwazi ngokuhlalutya imifanekiso) ekushenxiseni unxulumano lwabucala lobomi bomntu ibubeke kwindawo ebonwa nguwonkewonke apho kubukwa imifanekiso neefoto (igalari).