How Media Technologies Changed Our Experiences of Space - Essay Example

How Media Technologies Changed our Experiences of Space Introduction Traditionally, media plays a significant rolein enhancing representation of thoughts and cognitive patterns through art. During the classical era, paintings were the main medium of representation where artists convey their messages to audiences. Work of painters and other artists like architects were based on autonomous self-interest. The individualistic perception shaped art and representation into an autonomous apparatus. Truths represented by portraits contained values like beauty and virtues that were of significant importance during a given period in the past. Inasmuch as pre-modern art was based on fetish techniques adopted by individual artists, messages contained in each artistic medium did not contradict standards of rationality. Rutsky (1999) mentioned that contents of traditional media represented perennial happiness and perceptive inclination of both artists and audiences. Those perceptive inclinations constrict individuals to adopt a uniform rationality of ideas contained in media channels. However, contemporary media possess substantial difference from its traditional versions. Today, incorporation of technology in media has significantly changed the audiences’ perception of space and time. Media technologies today are constantly evolving. Consequently, contents of media continue affecting audiences’ lives in a complex manner. The media environment together with its representation of space and time causes a substantial impact on social, economic and political aspects of human life. Increasing dynamics within the media’s virtual environment presents temporary ramifications of time and space orientation. According to Frederick and Mast (2007), current contents of digital media throws consumers into a strange environment of ordered and linear coordinates of space and time scales. As acknowledged earlier, traditional media demonstrated uniformity and objectivity in terms of content representation. However, digital media today represents concepts by immersing then into inconceivable spatial dimensions. This creates a situation where consumers are in constant quest for the difference between real and virtual representation of life aspects. Rutsky (1999) added that spatial dimensions in digital media take consumers into environments with contents that cannot be comprehended through simple sensory perceptions. Meaning of digital contents does not result from immediate experience. Rather, understanding them requires mediation between concepts of rationalism and instrumentalism. Marshall McLuhan Media Theory In order to understand the role of technology in media today, it is essential to dissect works of renowned theorists within the field of culture and technology. One of the most renowned authors is Marshall McLuhan. The author introduces medium as a channel of mass communication. According to Federman (2004) media is a tool used in production and distribution of similar information to a large number of audiences. Typical examples of media channels today include television, films, interned and print media. According to McLuhan (2003), the society experience change through communication technologies. Since the inception of printed media, the society’s perception of space and time changed substantially. Mass production and distribution of newspapers and magazines led to wide spread of information. Television and digital film production also causes fast and mass spread of information. The mass spread of similar information caused linear perception of concepts represented in life. Use of technology in production and distribution of media contents caused apparent impacts in social aspects of music and lifestyle orientation. Undeniably, print media falls within the non-digital category of communication channels. However, technologies used in production and distribution of print media are digital in operation. Soft copies of print media are availed through the internet. Traditionally, consumers of media contents saw represented messages through only one sense, sight. According to Herbert, Michael and Linda (2003), consumers perceive both books and paintings through visual interaction. One would follow a given message in a book by discontinuously assimilating headlines and sub-headlines associated with that message. However, technologies employed in production and representation of digital media contents requires utilization of multiple sensory perceptions. Motion pictures in television screens not only require the use of visual senses but also aural perceptions. According to Herbert et al. (2003), traditional medium of communication like books and paintings engaged readers and viewers in a linear translation of its contents. However, contents of movies are portrayed through both audio, visual and motion parameters. This enables viewers to engage their sensory perceptions in a transformation from linear connections to spatial configurations. According to McLuhan (2003), instant transition from linear connections to spatial configurations causes a correspondingly immediate interaction of media contents with human attention. Cumming (1982) asserts that readers of printed messages engage in discontinuous selection of relevant topics and headlines. However, motion pictures attracts human attention; hence causing continuous assimilation of contents. After engaging in continuous perception of visual contents, consumers extrapolate the represented concepts into their real lives. They eventually extend themselves into forming a complex and inseparable interaction with digital media contents. Commonly, concepts of space are more potent in capturing people’s attention compared to aspects of time. Films and other digital media today has converged all corners of the world into a spherical village. McLuhan (2003) mentioned that media has played a significant role in globalization of cultural values. In the past, print media and traditional paintings created clearly demarcated spatial boundaries. However, contemporary media like television and films facilitate manifestation of spatial dimensions in a sequentially logical manner. After visualizing digital contents, consumers swiftly conceptualize absence of traditional boundaries in spatial relations. This explains why the linkage of spatial zones by contemporary media has caused substantial impacts to life today. Representation Theory in Media Technology According to Frankfurt School of Thought, technology is employed as a technical apparatus used in representation of space and time aspects within media contents. In media, representation refers to depiction of concepts through visual images. Traditionally, artists used images in paintings to depict aspects in life like beauty. According to Bernstein (2004), contemporary media uses technological tools like television and films to depict the same aspects in life. The difference between representation of aspects in traditional and contemporary media involves the accuracy of underlying meaning. Traditionally, paintings would have definite meanings with limited flexibility in interpretation. However, contents of digital media may fail to create the intended meaning to different audiences. There is no guarantee that motion pictures in television and films will create exactly the intended meaning. Bernstein (2004) mentioned that there is a considerable distortion of intended and perceived meanings of contemporary media contents. According to McLuhan (2003), the difference between true meaning and distorted interpretation constitutes a gap of representation. Gap of Representation Representation gap plays a significant role in determining the impact of technology in spatial representation today. Primarily, artists used mathematical concepts in creating a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional plane. Such representation of space remained rational since the created illusion fell within the paradigm of sensory perceptions. According to Sparks (2012), rigid architectural standards of classical era forced artists to employ structured representation of scenario. Representation of space always aimed at eliciting a one-direction perspective of both depth and breadth. Consequently, there were little chances of experiencing a gap of representation while viewing portraits from the classical era. Sparks (2012) mentioned that structured use of uniform architectural standards kept perception of space under control of rational sensations. Absence of advanced technology ensured that representation of concepts remained within the realm of human perception. This means that artistic techniques used in production of images from classical era engaged the audiences in guided perception. On the contrary, use of technology as a medium of communication has increased the gap of representation in media contents today. As acknowledged earlier, classical artistic techniques were rigid rather than being in continuous evolution. After development and advancement of media technology, artistic techniques used in media representation underwent dynamic improvement. Currently, technology used in contemporary media represents space in an infinite manner. According to Jannson and Lagerkvist (2009), films and television contents host contents with visual models that create infinite spatial perception. Technology has introduced flexible manipulation of techniques used in creation of architectural vision. Images no longer appear along uniformly directed perceptions. Advanced production technologies keep varying the center and boundaries of space, especially in digital media contents. It is only the viewer who remains fixed in terms of space. According to Georges (2011), contents possess multiple shifts of spatial center; hence causing a perceptual absence of spatial boundaries. Eventually, viewers will have to struggle in understanding the complex spatial conditions, thus causing a big gap of representation. Viewers’ Experiences from Spatial Representation Technologies Technically, media technology has led to a situation where consumers of media content experience a substantial collapse in the limits of spatial boundaries. Georges (2011) mentioned that technology has led to redundancy of classical techniques where media contents had a single immovable point of view. Currently, contents combine elements of spatial illusionism, making viewers to be in dynamic engagement with spatial parameters of depth and breadth. According to Eve and Smith (2010), classical representation created no strange experience of space since images were created with techniques that enable discontinuous and sharp alignment of colors. In this case, sharpness and discontinuity facilitate depiction of definite spatial boundaries. These boundaries marked the contents’ frame. However, media technology today invades spatial boundaries in every direction. The classical frame is currently perforated and synthetically stretched outside the realm of rational sensory perceptions. The impact of that is an experience filled with constant escape of viewers’ perception outside the rational realm. The dynamic elements of space keeps shifting and rupturing conventional borders; hence creating a representation of space continuum. Space in Two-Dimension Contents Technologies used in production of media contents, especially in film production find wide application in Hollywood and other leading motion pictures corporations. According to Watts (2001), computer generated effects enable unlimited manipulation of architectural dimension of sight. For example, two dimensional films contain thrilling scenes where space is represented as an infinite aspect of human life. One scene in the film, “Event Horizon” involves visual representation of a space station. At the beginning of the scene, the camera capturing the station is in a state of infinite zoom. The space station looks like it is in an inverted position. As the camera’s zoom pulls out, the spatial parameters of the motion picture rotates and finds a new center. At this point, the space station appears upright and one can perceive other objects within the vicinity of the camera’s zoom. Finally, the camera pulls out the zoom providing a longer representation of the space station. At this point, one can perceive the station as a massive structure situated within boundless space. After viewing the film’s scene, one experiences a dizzying variation of vision centers and space boundaries. According to Akgun and Yenal (2011), the dynamic variation of an image’s spatial centers coupled with complementary kinetic motions creates an illusion of infinity inside a viewer’s mind. In this regard, technologies used in production of two-dimensional media contents facilitate creation of visual experience filled with extensive spatial disorientation. Space in Three-Dimension Contents Apart from production of two-dimensional films, technologies used in manipulating vision architectures find wide application in three-dimensional media contents. Such manipulation of vision architecture manifest clearly in “Terminator 2: Battle across Time”. This three-dimensional film which features Arnold Schwarzenegger among other actors combines appropriate architectural fiction and realities in creating an exhilarating experience among viewers. According to Derek (2006), new computer technologies engage audiences in deep spectacle of motion pictures to an extent where the same audiences ends up playing a participatory role in the motion pictures. Two-dimensional films create illusion effects which portrays spatial infinity in the viewers’ minds. However, three-dimensional films engage viewers in both theatrical and spatial terms, thus eliciting a participatory experience. Inasmuch as technologies used in early contemporary contents raptures spatial frame, those technologies could not create a participatory experience. According to Angela (2012), 3D technologies facilitate enhanced rapture of spatial frames through swift variation of spatial centers, speed of light and topographic effects. Such technologies cause a perceptual transformation from visual illusions to sensory experiences. Derek (2006) mentioned that normally, the theatrical terms used in production of three-dimensional content match with illusion logic of viewers. This explains why illusions perceived in such content can be easily transformed into perceptual reality. In this case, technologies used in representation of space today causes not only illusion but also a participatory experience on audiences. How Changes in Space Experience are Represented Today Cultural Representation Changes in spatial experiences attributed to advanced media production technologies are represented widely in almost every aspect of human life today. First, changes of spatial experiences are seen within the social or cultural aspects of life. Technically, mass production and distribution of media related contents lead to advancement of social globalization. According to Herbert et al (2003), both people in Europe and in the US could instantly access media contents provided by leading news agencies through the internet. In addition, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional media content gets distributed across major cities in the world. This means that viewers globally experience the same changes of spatial representation created by medial production technologies today. According to Pennington (2014), perception caused by infinite spatial boundaries is experienced simultaneously by viewers in distinct geographical regions. This means that viewers in both regions will represent their spatial experiences in a uniform manner. This leads to a situation where there is an evident uniformity in spatial imagination globally. One practical representation of space in cultural context involves the use of graffiti. Conventionally, graffiti are markings on walls used as tools for communicating illusion or physical experiences of certain members in the society. Graffiti is seen as a visual representation of experiences drawn from diverse aspects of life. According to Pennington (2014), contents of graffiti images do not necessarily carry messages of physical attributes. Some visual representation on spatial infinity conveys political, social or economic information. Undeniably, technologies used in production and distribution of media contents today create significant experiences on viewers. Such experiences can be represented optically in form of graffiti paintings in almost every culture in the world today. Bhatt and Werner (2012) mentioned that graffiti paintings based on three-dimensional media contents are seen depicting absence of spatial boundaries. Usually, representation of spatial experiences is similar in different geographical regions in the world. Similar depiction of infinite space appears in walls across the US and the UK. This means that experiences derived from spatial representation by media technologies leads to uniformity of spatial imaginations across all global societies. Economic Representation Apart from the cultural aspect of the society, the economic aspects of modern societies are fond of visually representing spatial experiences created by media technologies. At this juncture, one can appreciate the fact that film technology plays an instrumental role in driving spatial representation beyond the realm of human perception. According to Thrift (2007), spatial representation remains evident within the economic sector of real estate development. In ancient times, spatial experiences were witnessed in Egyptian civilization, specifically in the ancient pyramids. The pyramids were tall structures representing human conceptualization of space. Classical architecture also developed structures will significant representation of spatial experiences. Today, modern architectural techniques sued in development of economic structures incorporate latest experiences of spatial representation. Architectural design software complements with spatial conceptualization from the media in design and development of buildings with exhilarating spatial orientations. Architecture today tries as much as possible to manifest spatial depiction of structures as represented by media content like three-dimensional films. Fortunately, computer applications like Auto Card allow architects to manipulate spatial terms and test their technical feasibilities when transformed into real structures. One example of a recent real estate development which represents manifestation of spatial experiences is the Toledo Glass Pavilion in Madrid, Spain. The pavilion is primarily made of steel bars and glass panels. From the outside, one can see through the structure. In addition, one can clearly identify persons inside the building because the glass panels are transparent. The Toledo Glass Pavilion is a transparent structure which blurs both the exterior and the interior spatial frames. In this case, the architecture who designed the building wanted to eliminate the spatial boundaries characterizing most buildings made of concrete. Talbot (2007) mentioned that when visualizing a concrete building, one can perceive finite spatial boundaries of a structure. However, the transparency property of glass makes a structure lose its boundaries in relation to its surroundings. Apart from the Glass Pavilion, most business corporations today rent office spaces with glass walls. Such glass structures are representation of infinite spatial experiences created by media technologies today. Political Representation Representation of experiences from spatial depiction by media technologies are not only constricted within the social and economic aspects of life. Since the 1960s when man landed on the moon, politically competing nations like the US and Russia started capital intensive space exploration programs. The US developed NASA, a federal body mandated to conduct rocket launch exercises and collection of extra terrestrial information from space. Recently, NASA landed its first rover on Mars. Allegedly, the rover now feeds researchers with information about the planet which is positioned approximately 40 million miles from the earth. Conception of ideas dealing with such vast distance explorations are usually motivated by space representation by media technologies. Commonly, Hollywood produces sci-fi films insinuating presence of life in other planets. According to Frederick and Mast (2007), experiences developed by media consumers make them interested in conducting real-life inquest into space. In addition, the infinity of space depicted by media content motivates engineers to develop powerful rockets which can cruise vast distances to other planetary bodies. At first, it was the US and Russia. Recently, China has joined the space exploration competition for political supremacy. In future, experiences created by spatial representation through media technologies will dominate politically inclined space exploration programs. Conclusion In conclusion, it is undeniable that media technologies have substantially changed people’s perception of space and time. Theoretical frameworks of spatial representation by the media are adequately postulated by theorists like McLuhan. Such theorists assert that classical representation of space was restrictive in terms of perception. However, digital technologies used in media content production today allow unrestricted perception of space limits. In fact such technologies eliminate the concept of space boundaries. It represents the spatial aspect as being infinite. Consequently, removal of space limits in media contents by digital technologies presents a myriad of experiences among the consumer population. Subsequent experiences of space from these media contents manifest in the economic, social and political aspects of life. At this juncture, one can appreciate the fact that media technologies have significantly changed our experiences of space. References Akgun, N. & Yenal, A. (2011). Perception of Space through Representation Media. Harrisburg: Lambert Academic Publishing. Angela, N. (2012). Architectures of Vision: Neo-Baroque Optical Regimes and Contemporary Entertainment Media. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/papers/ndalianis.html Bernstein, M. J. (2004). 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