What do we mean when we use the term digital media?

To me digital media is like any other media, and each media has its own advantages, disadvantages and limitations. When I choose one media over another it is based on, choosing the one that suits my needs. For instance, if I want to have a realistic and accurate source of printed visual material related with a place, moment or situation I will choose photography.

On one hand, the advantages of choosing photography are accuracy, multiplicity of reproduction, and instantaneity. In addition, capturing the essence of any subject matter by pushing a button is a very good option because it avoids time-consuming process creating sketches, drawings or paintings.
On the other hand, the biggest disadvantage of this media is that I will know if the obtained material is good or bad almost by the end of the photographic process. Further more the limitations of this media are, the required access to digital equipment (computer and printer) or photo studio, and the knowledge and skills to master the photographic process, including software and hardware if it is involved or required.
Since the invention of personal computers, digital processes, and Internet became available and accessible to almost everybody, digital media is unique in that it allows people to express their ideas, concepts, thoughts, and situations with almost no limits including geographic location.

In my experience, the use of digital media in education has changed the way of thinking inside and outside of the classroom. Because we can create, edit, share and deliver the final material with high standards of presentation worldwide.

I would like to learn in the Digital Media for Art Educators class about the use of digital tools (software and Hardware) to improve student’s process of learning and have a better understanding of digital media as related to Art.

I had the chance to teach different art classes to students from six to fourteen years old. Some of the class curriculum required us to use traditional material and the skill building process based on them. However, I found that I could introduce multi and digital media to deliver the content in a better way for all the groups. As a result, their response to this new approach to traditional art techniques was very well received and profitable for all of them.
Unfortunately, the classes were just 5 days long and we could not delve into the approach to digital and multimedia very far. However, after the course they learned the content and experienced great feelings thanks to multimedia presentation (animations, music, video, etc)

Performing arts

In 1958 a lot of artists and composers and other people who wanted to do beautiful things began to look at the world around them in a new way. When they saw that, it turned their minds on. They began to ask questions like: "Why does everything I see that's beautiful like cups and kisses have to be made into just a part of something fancier and bigger? Why can't I just use it for its own sake? When they asked questions like that, they were inventing Fluxus.
They did "concerts" of everyday living; and they gave exhibitions of what they found, where they shared the things that they liked best with whoever would come. Everything was itself, it wasn't part of something bigger and fancier.
These people were: In America George Brecht, Dick Higgins, La Monte Young, Jackson MacLow , Nam June Paik. In Germany Wolf Vostell, Ben Patterson and Emmett Williams, and plenty of others.

In my opinion Fluxus had a life of its own, apart from the people in it. It is simple things, taken for themselves and not just as part of bigger things. It is something that many of us must do, at least part of the time. It is inside of us, it is part of how we are. It isn't just a bunch of things and dramas but is part of how we live. It might be more than words.

Performance

In class each one of us had to take a piece of paper with a line on it and copy it on an eight inch square, keeping the same orientation that it had originally. After made the copies, we placed them on the wall three squares per line, top to bottom, and right to left. After repeating the same process several times, the final composition turned out very interesting.

As a result, the individual different pieces were connected to each other creating a very well organized and geometric composition. In addition, when the activity was over I realized that this is a very creative technique of working with simple shapes; not only because it has a lot of potential regarding the compositional matter, but also the final piece after the activity is performed is always different.

Changing the perception of space( Video)

Changing the Perception of Space

The experience required to put a mirror of about 8x4 inches in from of your eyes and walk watching the reflection of the ceiling instead than the ground. What happened is that even though you kind of know how your environment looks like, you experience being in another type of space that is the result of the changes in what you know and what you see.

Playing With Behavior

The playing behavior of everyday life was actually find a partner, stand back to back and walk away in the mean time I was watching my partner making face in her mirror on my mirror.
The sensation of seeing her face separated of her body was quite new and different if you see it this way. It is like you are losing the connection physically because the bodies walk away but you are still connected by the look. In fact this look connection gets more intensive and I was trying to keep see her against of the fact of increasing distance.

the bride by Marcel Duchamp

When Marcel Duchamp created the bride (1923) Painting were necessarily static; instead his project offers
multiples conceptual views, but with a completely new approach. Duchamp was able to give to this project a
new perspective for his time not only because it appeal to the eyes but also he wanted to create a new kind of
art, that would engage the mind.

He used this piece of art as a form of expression of feeling and thoughts that needed to be materialized in a
new and different way. Consequently, this masterpiece reflects the way of thinking of a specific moment in
time in one place of the world.

As a conclusion this work of art opened a completely new universe of thinking about art.