Reading Response Calvin Lim

In the reading, it talks about how one’s sight affects what he/she believes or knows. As it states in the essay, “We only see what we look at.” People simply block out what they want to see or what they don’t want see. From that, the essay is stating that from an image they are able to either situate themselves in the present or the past. Famous painter Frans Hals did an amazing job in portraying people through his artwork. Not only did Frans Hals paint an image to capture that moment, he did it in a way where one can feel the emotions and he certainly convinces one “that we can know the people portrayed.” As the invention of the camera came along it changed the way people viewed the world. For instance, a painting was unique in the sense that it was painted of a certain object or place; the camera, had the ability to reproduce those same images which ruined the uniqueness. The problem of reproduced artwork was the sense that it was no longer original and since the reproduction was unoriginal, people did’t appreciate it. People look at an image and from that image think what they want; however, if the image has some kind of data that is known, the viewer than see’s the image in a different perspective. For example, in the reading there is a painting of a cornfield with birds flying our of it. We flip the page and the same image is shown except, under the image says: This is the last picture that Van Gogh painted before he killed himself. After seeing this, the image changes; knowing this data completely changes the mood and also changes how the viewer portrays the image. Today, the way we see art is based on what we expect and what we’ve experienced.

The Prophecy of Marshall McLuhan

In his novel understanding media, Marshall McLuhan describes and explains his vision of media and the relationship between society and media. McLuhan was disappointed with the media in general, therefore he wrote this novel to outline the problems that were apparent to him. During his time McLuhan’s writing was disregarded by the people of society, however, the ironic thing is that many of McLuhan’s predictions have come true as the future has unraveled.

Technology has thus become an extension of our being. For instance, The fact that it was once denied that the media was a direct reflection of who we are, whereas now we utilize the media as a tool to extend ourselves beyond our immediate wor ld.

McLuhan’s main point is that the content of the media is less important than the medium itself. Also, the fact that our information delivery has changed changes the culture itself. It alters how people interact and communicate with one another. The new technology provides a platform for the entire population to receive the same information simultaneously. This leads to the homogenization of a group by the creation of pop culture.

With modern technology people are able to pause, rewind, and most importantly share the information with thousands of others. It also says a lot about the individual and where they sit in society. They identify themselves through the media and create their own personal style. They become part of a specific subculture. People now have a voice, and there are actually millions of ears willing to listen.

As with many new contributions to the technological world, there is a certain symbiotic relationship between the individual and the media. The growth of the media is partially dependent upon the individual’s participation and involvement. In modern-day society the individual has become dependent on the media for interaction and communication with others, via inter net networking sites, cell phones, television, etc. We now live in an age where technology truly has transcended from being a tool of convenience to an extension of one’s being.