Art 1201 · 2018. 10. 30. · Art Technologies 1201: Perception, Art and Technology iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS T he Department of Education, Newfoundland and Labrador expresses sincere

Art 1201

Curriculum Guide

Art Technologies 1201: Perception, Art and Technology

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FOREWORD

To evoke in oneself a feeling one has experienced, and havingevoked it in oneself, then by means of movement, line, color,sounds or forms expressed in words, so to transmit the samefeeling - this is the activity of art.

- Leo Tolstoy

rt Technologies 1201 is designed to expose students to the relationships amongAperception, art and technology. It seeks to enhance their awareness of how these threespheres of knowledge interconnect, and to assist students in becoming morecomfortable when manipulating the conceptual tools of image making. Its principal objectivesare to help students develop a greater awareness of the relationship between art andtechnology; to help them understand the importance and implications of images andimage-making in our society; and to increase their fluency in creating and using visual images.

This guide was designed with the classroom teacher in mind. It can serve as a generalreference for specialists, or as a practical guide to delivering Art Technologies 1201 for thosewith less experience in art or design. Because of the broad focus of this course, teachersexperienced in a variety of disciplines, including art, will be highly effective. Whereverpossible a variety of ways of exploring topics are suggested. This was done to ensure thatschools with different types of equipment, and teachers will different combinations of skills canparticipate, while ensuring that students receive a meaningful exposure to the topics beingexplored.

The development of this course was driven by several priorities. One was to introduce studentsto the complexities of human perception, with the artistic process as the focus. Another was toexamine artistic activity from the standpoint of technology. How does technology influenceartists, craftspeople and designers, and how does the presence and use of technology influenceour perceptions? The third was to introduce students to the process by which art, design, andcraft objects are made. This course fosters a thoughtful awareness and understanding of theprocess by which ideas are developed, given physical form, and subjected to critical analysiswithin the context of human perception and technological development. The skills developedby students in this course will provide them with the background they need to succeed inmedia-based art programs in later years.

Students will come to Art Technologies 1201 with different aptitudes, experiences, andperspectives. This course has been designed to be flexible, and to encourage students to be


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creative, independent thinkers. The course requires students to be accountable and responsiblein their actions, but in return, encourages self-expression and individual solutions to problems.

The committee wanted to ensure that this course could be modified to suit local needs andperspectives. They want to encourage local schools, teachers, students, and the community todevelop new ideas and approaches that meet course objectives. Extensive project ideas havebeen included, but teachers should feel free to develop their own ideas, projects, and resources.

The art world, like almost all other aspects of the emerging “global village”, is influenced bynew technologies. A few years ago, the dominant tools of art making were the pencil, brush,hand printing press, and the camera. Now, video equipment and computers must be added tothe list. Artists, designers, and craftspeople today are using new technologies in startling andinnovative ways. In the process, they are redefining the role of those professions in our society,and are challenging old definitions of art and craft. Art Technologies 1201 encourages a broadand inclusive approach to art media. Project suggestions will include ideas for using bothtraditional and new tools. However, students must have access to these new computer-basedtechnologies to ensure that the full scope of this course is available to them.

This guide has been designed to give teachers every possible assistance in the teaching of ArtTechnologies 1201. Wherever possible, simple, straightforward descriptions have beenoffered. Specific projects have been suggested, and objectives and evaluation methods havebeen clearly defined. The committee members hope that this guide will become a useful toolfor teachers of Art Technologies 1201.


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

he Department of Education, Newfoundland and Labrador expresses sincereTappreciation to the following members of the Senior High Art Curriculum Committeefor their contribution to the development of this handbook.· Jay Barry, Visual Art Instructor, College of the North Atlantic, St. John’s

Campus

· Alex Hickey, Program Development Specialist - Fine Arts, Department ofEducation, St. John’s

· Caroline Bungay, Art Educator, Clarenville High School, Clarenville

· Heather Moore, Art Educator, Mount Pearl Central High, Mount Pearl

· Anne Marie O’Leary, Art Educator, Father Berney Memorial High, Burin

· Angela Baker, Visual Arts Instructor, Grenfell College of the Fine Arts,Corner Brook

The Department would also like to express thanks to Ms. Rosalind Priddle, Word ProcessingEquipment Operator II for typing and preparing this document for printing and all of theteachers who either reviewed or piloted this course during its preparation.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viiIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

The Importance of Visual Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xTeaching Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiiiThe Art Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvCurriculum Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii

Essential Graduation Learnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviiVisual Art Education in Newfoundland & Labrador . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviiiSpecific Curriculum Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix

Section 1: Perception, The Eye, Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.1 Perception and Sensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.2 The Biology of the Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91.3 The Visual Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131.4 Perceptual Biases of the Eye/Brain Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191.5 Optical Illusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231.6 Perception and Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Section 2: Perception, Art, Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372.1 Art as Illusion: Space and Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392.2 Art as Illusion: Motion and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452.3 Art and Perception: Art Movements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492.4 Technology and the Visual Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

2A The Vocabulary of Image Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632A.1 Dot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 652A.2 Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 692A.3 Shape and Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 732A.4 Texture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 792A.5 Tone or Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 832A.6 Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 872A.7 Colour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

2A.71 The Visible Spectrum: Additive Colour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 932A.72 The Subtractive Theory of Colour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 972A.73 The Vocabulary of Colour: Hue, Value, Saturation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1012A.74 The Use of Colour to Create Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1052A.75 Objective and Subjective Colour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1092A.76 Colour as Symbol; Colour as Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

2B Manipulating the Tools: The Principles of Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115


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2B.1 Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1172B.2 Proportion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1212B.3 Composition: Harmony and Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Section 3: Perception, Culture, Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1313.1 Culture and Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1333.2 Perception and Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1373.3 Perception and Cultural Bias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1413.4 Style and Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1453.5 Cultures and Subcultures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1493.6 Cyberspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155


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OVERVIEW

rt Technologies 1201 was developed so that students could learn about the process byAwhich images are perceived, created, and evaluated. It will give them an historicalperspective on the close relationship between perception, technology, andimage-making. It will introduce students to a working method that can be expanded andelaborated upon in studio courses at further grade levels. It will consolidate explorations begunin previous grades.

Art Technologies 1201 is divided into three sections: CC Section 1, entitled Perception, the Eye, and Technology, deals with basic principles

and concepts vital to the creative process. The function of the human eye, interactionbetween the eye and brain, and the basics of visual perception are covered.

CC Section 2, entitled Perception, Art, and Technology, has a focus on technology and itsrelationship to image-making, as well as, the basic perceptual tools artists use to createimages.

C Section 3, entitled Perception, Culture, and Technology, explores the influence thatvisual imagery and new technologies is having on our culture. By the end of thecourse, students should possess a broad and informed understanding of therelationships between perception, technology, works of art, craft, design, and culture.

This guide is not intended to be a static text. It was designed to be used as a reference, aresource, and as a workbook. Teachers may find it helpful to work through some of theexercises to experience the creative process for themselves. Some exposure to the creativeprocess is essential in order to convey the excitement of creating, or understand the pathcreative people take to move from concept through to completed object.

Each section is divided into a number of specific topics, each of which includes:

C a general explanation of the sectionC discussion topicsC suggested projects

Teachers are encouraged to expose their students to new technologies. Computer-basedtechnologies are becoming the new tools of the art world, and are just as relevant as thetraditional tools and materials of the art classroom. Exposure to these new approaches benefitstudents. In addition to classroom-based technologies, students will access Internet as aninvaluable learning and reference resource for this course.


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Tod Machover, “On Information Overload,” in Cyberarts: Exploring Art and Technology, ed. 1

Linda Jacobson (San Francisco: Miller Freeman, Inc., 1992), p.5

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INTRODUCTION

“Our art, and our aesthetic visions, serve to convey our truestknowledge of the world we live in, of our own times, and ofour hopes for the future. Therefore, technology must beacknowledged as a primary shaper of our contemporaryexperience, and as a fundamental tool for the interpretation ofour world.”1

rt Technologies 1201 addresses several issues central to an understanding of theAcreative process, and to the perception of images in society. Art Technologies 1201investigates the relationships between human perception, technology, and the creativeprocess. It seeks to clarify the complex web of connections that exist between these threefields of knowledge. The significance of visual and technological literacy, as critical skills intoday’s information- and image-saturated society, are implicit in all of the activities containedwithin the course.

Our changing world brings the ability to make and understand images into an ever-greaterprominence. Imagery, as a communication tool, and as a social phenomenon, now plays agreater role in our society than it did a few decades ago. All evidence suggests that this trendwill continue. Few suggest that imagery will replace our written languages of communication. However, it is now apparent that the “languages” of image-making are growing in importance,reaching a level of significance in, and penetration of our society that has not been seen before.

In this new world, our “literacy” in visual imagery will allow us to differentiate between whatis important and what is not; what we are shown versus what is really happening. To acquirethis knowledge, a thorough grounding in theories of human perception, coupled with anawareness of technology, and an understanding of the creative process, is essential.


Donis A. Dondis, A Primer of Visual Literacy, (Massachusetts: Massachusetts Institute of2

Technology, 1973), p.x.

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The Importance of Visual Literacy

Literacy means that a group shares the assigned meaning of acommon body of information. Visual literacy must operatesomewhat within the same boundaries....Its purposes are thesame as those that motivated the development of writtenlanguage: to construct a basic system for learning,recognizing, making, and understanding visual messages thatare negotiable by all people, not just those specially trained,like the designer, the artist, the craftsman, and theaesthetician.2

The twenty-first century is here. Transformations did not occur, like clockwork, at thechanging of the millennia. This metamorphosis began slowly, long before the appointed hour. The world we are in now, and will soon be living in, is very different from the one it replaces.

Every generation believes that the one before, and the one that follows, is different. We use theterm “generation gap” to describe the feelings of alienation these groups of people feel fromeach other. As time passes, we often discover that the differences that appeared so great werenot as substantial as we had imagined. Style, more than content, was the measurement. Freedfrom the constraints of the moment, we discover more similarities than differences. In thisinstance, however, the changes are real. If we survey the world around us, we will discoverthat forces are already reshaping our society. To prosper, even to survive, will demand newskills, and new perspectives.

Human history is marked by a desire to expand the limits of our abilities. Many of ourdiscoveries have involved extending our sensory, physical, and intellectual capabilities. Someinventions augmented our physical skills. Basic tools and weapons greatly expanded people’srange of physical abilities, and therefore, their chances for survival. Other inventions, such asthe telescope and the microscope, enhanced our sensory capabilities. Still others improved ourability to store, retrieve, communicate, and manipulate information.

Technology, the inventions that are born from the tension between imagination and necessity,has expanded our abilities beyond our biological heritage. Even though we have acquiredremarkable abilities, our awareness and understanding of them are often limited. In the daysbefore digital technology, bodies of knowledge were often thought of as distinct from eachother. Today, we are beginning to realize that insights are to be found in the relationshipsbetween those distinct bodies of knowledge. Nowhere is this lesson more pertinent than in thevisual arts, design, and craft.


Ibid., p.23

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Today’s young people need strong visual skills. All of our communication tools are becomingmore visually based. The ability to communicate using technology requires advanced languageand visual communication skills. Already we have seen the office computer evolve from atext-based device to an image-based tool. Computer programs offer greater ease of use by theaddition of “icons”—symbols that stand for complex actions or groups of actions. These icons,when effectively designed, can convey meaning faster, and with less confusion than text. As aresult, how information is composed, arranged, and structured becomes increasingly important.

More information is being presented in visual form than ever before. All of us are immersed invisual imagery. It is present in entertainment, such as films, television dramas, or video andcomputer games. It is found in professional information such as reports, profit and lossstatements, or presentations on business performance. One sees it in general information, suchas during news and weather reports, or advertisements for products or services. Travelinformation such as flight schedules, vacation “hot spots”, or directions on how to get the mostout of your visit to the Louvre are conveyed visually. Instructional videos, computer programs,and books that tell you how to do everything from cooking a shortcake to building a planter todiagnosing illnesses utilize visual imagery. More and more information is being presented invisual form. But, what lies underneath what is being said? Does the six o’clock news tell thewhole story? Is the sales picture more believable because it is visually enticing? Does life reallyresemble a beer commercial? Awareness of visual “language” is an important defense againstbeing overwhelmed by a sea of visual information. A skilled understanding of visual imageryand contemporary media can provide necessary skills to discriminate among competinginformation in the visual world.

Donis A. Dondis, in A Primer of Visual Literacy, described the importance of the visualsense:

A bias toward visual information is not difficult to find inhuman behavior. We seek visual reinforcement of ourknowledge for many reasons, but primary among them is thedirectness of the information, the closeness to the realexperience.3

Art Technologies 1201 is an investigation of the world of our primary information-gatheringsense. It is an inquiry into the basics of human perception, an exploration of the technologies ofart and design, and a call to awaken the inner creative voice of students. The world of thefuture will be a world awash in images, both good and bad, instructive and manipulative,liberating and constraining. Art Technologies 1201 begins a process of learning essential to anunderstanding of this powerful new reality.


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TEACHING STRATEGIES

his course was designed to be taught by either a non-specialist or a specialist teacher. TIts focus is on the individual student, engaged in the art making process. The role of theteacher has been carefully considered in the design of the course. Whenever a conceptis introduced it should be experiential, involving a minimum level of skill. The teacher willthen bring to the attention of the students examples of how artists have used this concept. Students should be faced with explorative, open-ended activities to make sense of throughdiscussion, research, and comparisons. Assignments should be open-ended, and have aninteresting “hook” to get them started.

Cooperative learning strategies should be employed in the delivery of this course. Discussionand reflection should be an integral part of every activity since problem solving from a personalperspective is always at work.

Students in this course will need to access as many different sources of information as possible. This may mean traditional research from books, through the use of CD-Rom, the Internet, orthrough doing primary research in the local environment. It may entail creating objects orproducts through which they learn from the process of doing. They may assemble displays orexhibitions of primary artifacts to support the topic under study. They may experiment withconcepts in other disciplines. For example, in the section on optics, a joint initiative may beundertaken with the science teacher, the technology education teacher, or the physics teacher. Resource people from outside the school should also be considered to lead discussions or act asfacilitators in dealing with issues. One of the first things students could become involved in, isestablishing a visual file, which all might draw upon as a resource. This could include stillimages clipped from print sources, videos, computer graphics, or images generated bystudents.

Whenever possible, structure the exploration of topics or themes to events or situations that thestudents can, or have experienced. Information will be retained if a connection can be drawnbetween the concept being explored and the students’ lives.

DiscussionsAt the beginning and end of a topic, the group should be involved in discussion. Students’ perspectives on the topics and themes should be solicited, and encouraged. Students should be allowed considerable latitude when discussing topics.


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Challenging PerspectivesEncourage students to look at familiar things in new ways. Challenge them to becritical in their evaluations and observations. Compare reactions, draw parallels, andsearch for new examples of the topic under discussion.

Learning by DoingAlthough this is not a media exploration course, students will learn more about theissues and concepts being discussed, if they are able to work with their new knowledgein an experiential way. It is recommended that a broad range of art media be madeavailable to students, both traditional and contemporary. Students should beencouraged to explore, and experiment with different art technologies in the completionof assignments. All forms of visual media are acceptable.

CollectionsStudents should be encouraged to develop “image files”, which include any items ofpersonal visual interest. These collections can be used as source material forassignments, and as alternative visual material for class discussions. Students shouldbe encouraged to keep their work in a portfolio. Their work should be displayedwhenever possible.

Sketchbook/JournalStudents are required to keep a sketchbook as well as their “image file”. The sketch-book should function as a visual journal. A sketchbook and image file may containcomputer disks, cassette or video tapes, slides, photographs, or digitally generatedimages in addition to traditional art or design media.


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THE ART ROOM

ow is teaching art different from other subjects? How is an art class different fromHmathematics or biology?The art class should be an exciting and organized environment. While it is true that informalitycan be beneficial, too much, damages a student’s ability to focus, concentrate, and learn. Mostprofessional artists are highly disciplined people. Their studios are usually well organized andclean. The same should be true of art rooms. It is primarily a work place, regardless of howmuch fun can be had there! Communication between students is important, but too muchtalking disrupts the high level of concentration necessary for productive and creative work. The art room should not become the social “drop in centre” for the school. The art room is aplace of serious academic and technical study, as well as a place where students can exploreand experiment.

What should an art room be like? It should be well laid out, to minimize congestion aroundspecific tools or equipment. It should have a good source of natural light, because makingcolour decisions with fluorescent light is difficult, and working under them exclusively can betaxing. It needs to provide a large working space for each student. The ideal art room willhave areas available for students who need a quiet space in which to work, and it will beflexible enough that large spaces can be created for group activities. Tools and equipment willbe stored away carefully, so that they are not subject to damage through accident. A sinkshould be in the room, as large quantities of water are often needed.

Traditionally, art rooms featured technology that had its origins anywhere from 100 to 30,000years ago. Aside from the problems that dust and dirt cause to photographic darkrooms, orprinting equipment, few art room tools had special needs. Now that artists’ tools include videocameras, scanners, and computers, the specific environmental needs of this equipment must beconsidered. Compared to traditional art media, the new technology is often more fragile, andmore sensitive to the milieu in which it is located. Where this type of equipment is located inthe art room, great care must be taken to protect it from accidental damage, or fromcontamination by other materials. Liquids and computers do not mix! Almost all electronicequipment is sensitive to humidity, temperature, dust, static electricity, and direct sunlight.

Successful art classes have an atmosphere that is immediately recognizable. The students areactive and enthusiastic. The teachers facilitate, rather than dictate. Everyone has a sense ofpurpose. There is a feeling of openness, where students are encouraged to experiment andexplore, and where their feelings and ideas are respected and encouraged. Discussionsbetween teacher and students are frequent, both individually and in groups. Topics discussedinclude both technical points, and broader philosophical, psychological, or spiritual issues.


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Much of this atmosphere is facilitated by the teacher. Enthusiasm is contagious. A teacherwho perceives artistic activity as inherently worthwhile will be highly effective.


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CURRICULUM OUTCOMES

Essential Graduation Learnings

he Essential Graduation Learnings describe the knowledge, skills, and attitudesTexpected of all students who graduate high school. Achievement of these will preparestudents to continue to learn throughout their lives. They confirm that students need tomake connections and develop abilities across subject areas to be ready to meet the shiftingand ongoing demands of life, work and study, today, and in the future.

The Essential Graduation Learnings:

AESTHETIC EXPRESSIONCITIZENSHIPCOMMUNICATIONPERSONAL DEVELOPMENTPROBLEM SOLVINGTECHNOLOGICAL COMPETENCEMORAL DEVELOPMENT

Graduates will be able to:

Aesthetic ExpressionC respond with critical awareness to various forms of the arts and be able to

express themselves through the arts.

CitizenshipC assess social, cultural, economic, and environmental interdependence in a local

and global context.

CommunicationC use the listening, viewing, speaking, reading, and writing modes of

language(s), and mathematical and scientific concepts and symbols, to think,learn and communicate effectively.

Personal Development C continue to learn and to pursue an active, healthy lifestyle.


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Problem SolvingC use the strategies and processes needed to solve a wide variety of problems,

including those requiring language, and mathematical and scientific concepts.

Technological CompetenceC use a variety of technologies, demonstrate an understanding of technological

applications, and apply appropriate technologies for solving problems.

Moral DevelopmentC demonstrate understanding and appreciation for the place of belief systems in

shaping the development of moral values and ethical conduct.

Visual Art Education in Newfoundland and Labrador

Visual Art education in this province builds itself around three strands:

1. Creating, Making, Presenting2. Understanding and Connecting Contexts of Time, Place and Community3. Perceiving and Responding

Visual Art education in Newfoundland and Labrador is described in terms of thirteen GeneralCurriculum Outcomes. These outcomes relate to the entire art education program fromkindergarten to level three and are connected to the three strands around which art education inthis province is organized. These strands are not intended to separate the domains which areintrinsically intertwined, but to help clarify the curriculum.

The general curriculum outcomes for art education are:

Creating, Making, PresentingStudents will be expected to· explore, challenge, develop, and express ideas in and through the arts.· present and/or perform creative products in the arts.· use the necessary skills, language, techniques and processes of the arts.· create collaboratively and independently in the arts for a range of audiences and

purposes.

Understanding and Connecting Contexts of Time, Place and CommunityStudents will be expected to · demonstrate critical awareness of the arts and cultural production in daily life.· understand and value the influence of the arts in creating and reflecting culture.· respect and value the contributions of cultural groups to the arts in local and global

contexts.


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· understand and value the arts as a record of human experience and expression.· examine the relationship between the arts, society, and the physical environment.

Perceiving and RespondingStudents will be expected to· respond personally, creatively, and critically to their own and others’ expressive works.· understand the role of technology in creating and responding to expressive works.· apply critical thinking and problem solving strategies to understand and respond to

their own and other’s expressive work.· analyze the relationship between artistic intent and the expressive work.

Curriculum Outcomes - Art Technologies 1201

1. Creating, Making, Presenting

By the end of this course the student will be able to:C demonstrate facility in working with a variety of technologies in image/object creationC apply the visual structures of design to art makingC use visual structures in art making to communicate a personal viewpointC discriminate between additive and subtractive color theoriesC demonstrate an understanding of and facility with the use of space/depth perception

and image constructionC demonstrate the ability to manipulate ideas, materials, and skills when making visual

imagesC apply planning strategies which guide them through the artistic processC show technical competency in carrying out decisionsC demonstrate a working knowledge of the elements and principles of designC show an ability to use the elements and principles of design in creative waysC demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the elements and principles

of design, and the creation of visual imagesC articulate the functional relationships of the elements and principles of design as they

are used in an art workC demonstrate increased ability to imagine as an integral part of the creative processC understand the relationship between design and visual communicationC demonstrate an increased ability to distill thoughts and ideas into succinct visual

messageC demonstrate the ability to make decisions about the appropriateness of a technique in

achieving their creative/communicative/expressive intentionsC create visual structures that communicate intentionsC demonstrate the ability to work creatively C distinguish between the physical side of seeing (sensation) and the conceptual side of

seeing (perception)


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C describe how we see; the physical nature of sight (sensation) and the conceptual natureof sight (perception)

2. Connecting to Contexts of Time, Place, and Community

By the end of this course the student will be able to:C demonstrate an ability to reorganize information, materials and ideas to arrive at new

configurationsC apply research skills in acquiring information to build a knowledge base from which to

make decisionsC evaluate the context of images they produceC demonstrate an understanding of and sensitivity to cultural bias when creating imagesC understand the role of cultural bias in the depiction of spaceC show empathy towards other people’s ways of seeingC identify point of view in their own work and the work of othersC assess the impact an image might have on a given audienceC evaluate the context of images they produceC anticipate the impact the use of particular tools might have on an image

3. Perceiving and Responding

By the end of this course the student will be able to:C demonstrate an understanding of the value of looking for alternative solutionsC review the entire artistic process from beginning to end each time they engage in

making artC show the ability to make appropriate decisions among alternative choices about how to

visually construct or present ideasC demonstrate facility in evaluating the degree of success of an outcome in relation to the

makers intentionC demonstrate the intellectual and verbal ability to articulate intentions in light of

outcomesC demonstrate the ability to continuously assess their progress throughout the creative

processC demonstrate the ability to assess the degree of knowledge, skills and abilities necessary

to carry out a projectC display a willingness to experiment with ideas and test out possibilitiesC use analytical skills to creatively assess their own work and the work of othersC conduct a comparative analysis of intention versus outcomeC use analytical skills in assessing the impact of color on communicationC assess/ speculate on the impact a new technology might have on art and on societyC recognize visual forms in the physical and built environmentsC understand how visual illusions function


xxi

C examine both internal and external influences when creating visual imagesC conduct both formal and informal self-evaluationC accommodate previous and current experiences in decision making for future initiativesC understand the visual process and its relationship to art makingC evaluate the relationship between technology and art makingC apply knowledge of how vision works in creating effective visual imagesC appraise the role of optical technological aids in image creationC recognize the significance of the relationship between the technology used in the art

making process and the look of the final visual objectC show the ability to make informed judgements about the presentation of visual imagesC discriminate between one-of-a-kind images and machine reproductionsC demonstrate the ability to scrutinize visual forms to determine how and why they are

effectiveC use skill in visually discriminating between works produced with different technologies

of image making


xxii


1

SECTION 1: PERCEPTION, THE EYE,TECHNOLOGY

All the mighty world of eyeand ear, both what theyhalf create, and whatperceive.

William Wordsworth Lines Composed a Few MilesAbove Tintern Abbey [1798],l. 105

Introduction

lthough eyes are part of our sensory equipment, perception is a process that occurs inAthe complex interactions between eye and brain. Perception is not static–it changes inthe individual over time, and within society. People are born with sensory tools suchas sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch. There are many others too, from the sense of balanceto the ability to sense temperature. Perception, or the process of perception, is partly a learnedskill.

Over the centuries, perceptions of reality have been transformed by technology. Tools such asthe telescope, the Claude Glass, the daguerreotype, the camera, and the computer have openednew visual worlds, fostered a new range of perceptual skills, and encouraged the growth ofnew perceptual preferences in society. New technologies help to create new ways ofperceiving the world around us, and shape the way we interact with our environment and eachother.

Human perceptions change in relation to our visual and cultural environments. People oncelived in small communities for their entire lives. The world around them was familiar, andremained relatively stable, for long periods of time. Today, people are bombarded daily withhundreds or thousands of changing visual images. Our complex, visual environments cannothelp but influence the way we experience the world around us.


2

In this section, students will explore human perception from three different, but relatedperspectives: from the point of view of biology, optics, and technology. It begins with humanvision, and the complex interrelationships that occur between the eye and brain. Fromobserving and studying these relationships, people have formulated theories of perception. Those theories, and related concepts, are the keys to understanding how to interpret and createvisual images. Our perceptual abilities change as our visual environment is changed byadvances in technology.

Students should be encouraged to explore many of the ideas presented here through individualor group projects. Since human perception is learned, students should be aware that their ownexperiences of perception are highly relevant to this section of the course.

Hint: At the beginning of this section, much of the information presented could be“team-taught”, involving the biology and/or physics departments.


3

Figure 1.11 The eye is often thought to be the primarysense in humans, but many other senses are involved inproviding a complete picture of the world.

1.1 PERCEPTION AND SENSATION

Every man takes the limits of his ownfield of vision for the limits of the world.

Arthur SchopenhauerStudies in Pessimism [1851]. PsychologicalObservations

Specific Curriculum Outcomes

Upon completing this section, students will be able to:@ explain and illustrate the differences between sensation and perception@ describe, through examples, the process by which humans sense, and then perceive

objects in their environment@ describe and illustrate the relationship between works of art, style and perception@ create images which incorporate the concepts associated with perception and sensation@ demonstrate an ability to reorganize information, materials and ideas to arrive at new

configurations@ apply research skills in acquiring information to build a knowledge base from which to

make decisions@ evaluate the context of images they produce


4

@ demonstrate an understanding of and sensitivity to cultural bias when creating images@ understand the role of cultural bias in the depiction of space@ show empathy towards other people’s ways of seeing@ identify point of view in their own work and the work of others@ assess the impact an image might have on a given audience@ evaluate the context of images they produce@ anticipate the impact the use of particular tools might have on an image.

Introduction

s we begin to explore perception, it is important to understand what perception means,Aand how it is different from sensation. Human beings both sense and perceive. Knowing the difference helps us to make sense of our understanding of the worldaround us, and the incredible diversity of human, creative expression.

Sensation is the beginning of our ability to understand the environment. Before we canperceive, we must sense something. Our senses equip us to gather information from and aboutour environment.

Sensations are the result of the activities of our senses. The ones we are most familiar with:sight, hearing, taste and smell, are not the only senses we possess. Others include what arecalled somatic sensations - touch, heat, cold, and pain. The receptors for these sensations lie inthe skin. We also sense hunger or thirst; those receptors are located within the body.

A sensation is a response to something. A stimulus activates a receptor. For example, thesmell of a baking pie activates receptors in your nose. The smell of fresh-baked pie is thestimulus. But being aware of the smell of pie is not so simple. Several things are needed. Oneis the smell itself. Another is the sense organ–a nose–that can react to the smell. A third is theability to transmit an impulse from the nose to the brain–what is called a nerve pathway. Andfinally, an area of the brain that can convert the message from the nose into a sensation. Without everything working together, you would not be aware of the smell of a fresh-bakedpie.

Human senses can be quite different from those possessed by animals. Few creatures can seein colour, but many can see better in the dark than humans. Some animals possess acutesenses of touch, smell, or hearing. In humans, the sense of sight is primary. It is estimated thatwe receive more than 85% of the information about the world around us, using vision.

How does sensation turn into perception? Sensation and perception are closely related. A sensation occurs when one of yoursense receptors, like the ones in your nose, are triggered by something...a smell. Once


The American Heritage Dictionary and Electronic Thesaurus, 1987. Houghton Mifflin4

Company.

Compton’s Encyclopedia, Online Edition, Downloaded from America Online, April 15,5

1994.

Compton’s Encyclopedia, Online Edition, Downloaded from America Online, April 15,6

1994.

5

you are aware of a sensation, your brain is involved. Your response to a smell mightbe something like this:@ What is that smell? @ How strong is it? @ Is it pleasant or unpleasant? @ Does it make me hungry? @ Should I do something as a result of this smell?

(Is it dangerous? Should I tell someone, like my parents or the police?).

PERCEIVE1. To become aware of, directly through any

of the senses, esp. To see or hear. 2. To take notice of; observe.3. To become aware of in one’s mind;

achieve understanding .4

It is your brain that interprets the signals sent by the receptors in your nose. Perceptionis “...a process that takes place in the brain, not in the eye. Information from the eye,like the piece of a puzzle, is analyzed in the brain and fitted into meaningful forms. ”5

But how does all of this happen? How does the brain know which impulses are which?No one is quite sure. An individual “...does not hear light, taste sound, or smellpressure. How the cerebral cortex converts virtually identical nerve impulses intospecific and distinct sensations is still a mystery...” . All we know is that perception6

occurs in the brain. We also know that perceptions can be learned. Many of theconclusions your brain comes to, in the course of a day, are things that you havelearned over many years. You look out the window, and see that it is raining. Is it agood idea to put on a raincoat? How do you know? You learned many years ago thatwhen going out in the rain, it makes sense to put on a raincoat. You were not bornknowing about the relationship between rain and raincoats. In a similar way, many ofyour perceptions about your environment, people, and things were learned. As peoplemature, they learn the behaviour of their society, their culture, their community, theircircle of friends, their families. Their perceptions are shaped in part by theserelationships.


6

Perception and the Visual ArtsIn the visual arts, we might think of works of art as examples of an individual’s or asociety’s perceptions. Throughout history, cultures and civilizations have come andgone. Their art works reflect their beliefs, their ideals, their fears, and their desires. From their images, we can learn about their perceptions of the world.

Western society has a long tradition of image-making, spanning many different placesand cultures. In the study of art works, images are grouped according to the place andtime they were produced, and by the technology used to produce them. A general termfor these groupings is style. Styles of art show that people from similar places andtimes shared similar perceptions. The images they produced had much in common, somuch so that a person experienced in the study of art history can accurately place anunfamiliar image within the context of a particular civilization or culture.

The study of works of art shows that, over time, people looked at the world in verydifferent ways. Their perception of their environment was influenced by their beliefs,and by their society. The images produced by our society tell a lot about our beliefsand perceptions too.

Hint: Students could study images from all time periods and cultures for this section. Other resources could include the slides of Newfoundland art for the Intermediate Artprogram, images located at various sites on the Internet, and images from the massmedia.

Discussion

1. What do contemporary images tell us about our society? How are our society’sperceptions of the world shown in our visual images? Select images from a variety ofsources, and bring them to class for a discussion. Sources could include art works in avariety of traditional and contemporary media, magazine and newspaper photographs,advertisements, movies, and music videos.

2. What can we tell about other cultures’ perceptions from their visual images? Studentsshould research art works and visual images from other cultures, and present theirfindings in class.


7

Projects

1. Think of as many examples of perception as you can. Think of unusual ones as well ascommon ones. Write your answers on a piece of paper, and then discuss them as aclass.

2. What is your perception of a red stop sign? What do you see besides an octagonal redshape with some writing on it? What does it mean? How do you know? Is there anyrelationship between its colour and its meaning?

3. What do you see when you look at a family photograph? What if you look at a familyphotograph of complete strangers? Of cousins, aunts or uncles that you have not seenin many years or have never seen? How does your perception change in each instance?How much of what you see was learned?

4. Using any one of a variety of media, create an image on the theme of Perception.

5. Using a photographs and magazine advertisements, create a collage on the theme ofour society’s perception of the environment.


8



Company.

The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, 1991. Columbia University Press.8

9

1.2 THE BIOLOGY OF THE EYE

Figure 3: A cross-section of the eye.7

Imagination is the eye of the soul.8

Joseph JoubertFrench essayist, moralist


Upon completing this section, students will be able to:@ describe the structure of the human eye@ describe the process by which the eye functions@ describe some of the conditions associated with vision problems@ demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between human vision and technology

designed to enhance the sense of sight@ create images associated with the physiological characteristics of vision.


10

Introduction

nderstanding human visual perception begins with the eye. The working relationshipUbetween eye and brain is a key aspect of how and what you see. The eye has specificstrengths and weaknesses. These aptitudes evolved over millions of years, to assisthumans to survive. One of the special features of human vision is our ability to see colours. Few other creatures have the ability to do so.

The human eye is not large. In adults, it is approximately 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) in diameter. It sits in a special cavity in the skull, which protects it from injury, while providing a broad fieldof view. The basic components of the eye can be seen in tissues.

The human eye works in a manner similar to a camera (or perhaps it is more accurate to saythat the camera was modelled after the human eye). It uses a single lens to focus an image. The lens on a camera is usually made of glass, and is a fixed shape. The lens in your eye istransparent like glass, but it is flexible—it can change its shape to help you focus on objects atdifferent distances. The lens in a camera focuses light on special film made to be lightsensitive. The lens in a human eye focuses light on a group of light-sensitive cells, calledphotoreceptors. They consist of two types: rods and cones, and exist in an area at the back ofthe eye called the retina. Cones are used for colour vision, while rods help you to see at night. Rods are only capable of transmitting information in black and white, which is why you cannotsee colours when there is very little light. The amount of light entering a camera is controlled by an opening in the lens that can bechanged in size. In your eye, the opening is controlled by the pupil. Another mechanism usedto control the amount of light entering a camera is the shutter. A light meter in the camerameasures the amount of light needed to produce a picture, and then adjusts the shutter speedand the size of the opening in the lens. In your eye, your eyelid functions like a shutter,controlling the amount of light that enters the eye. The eyelid and pupil work together toensure that enough light for proper vision is allowed to hit the retina.

Images are focused through the lens in your eye onto the photoreceptors in the retina. It createsan upside-down image composed of minute dots, much like the dots used to create anewspaper photograph (only much smaller!). Do you see an image made up of dots when youlook at things? No, you see a continuous image. And you see it right side up, too! Why?

Once the photoreceptors in the retina of your eye react to light, they send a signal from your eyeto your brain. There, the brain changes the image in a variety of ways, including turning it rightside up. No-one is sure exactly what happens, but it is known that the image you “see” hasbeen strongly modified by your brain. The modifications can take many forms, fromadjustments of contrast, to subtle cultural and psychological interpretations.


11

Common Vision ProblemsIn most people the process of visual perception is similar but there are situations, aswith colour blindness and night blindness, where the ability to perceive is influenced byother factors. Others may be caused by damage to the eye, such as looking directly atthe sun. Although people with these conditions can see, what they see may be verydifferent.

Colour blindness is a term we use to describe a condition in which a person hasdifficulty distinguishing between some colours. A common form of colour blindness iswhere people have difficulty distinguishing between the colours red and green. Colourblindness is hereditary—it is passed from parents to their children. Men are morelikely to have colour blindness than women.

People who cannot see well in low levels of light are said to have night blindness. It isbelieved to be caused by a vitamin deficiency. People who see well close up but havedifficulty seeing objects at a distance are nearsighted and those who have difficultyseeing objects near to them but see well at a distance are farsighted. Both of theseconditions are caused by defects in the shape of the lens which cause difficulty infocusing. Other problems can include damage to the rods and cones caused by lookinginto the sun, a laser, or an eclipse of the sun.

The Technological EyeHumans have created technological “eyes” to perform specific jobs. Satellites, like theHubble telescope, relay pictures of our planet, and the vast distances of space, back toEarth. Remote controlled devices equipped with stereoscopic cameras such as thePathfinder vehicle which landed on Mars, send us back 3-dimensional images makingthe experience of viewing them almost like being there. Underwater cameras transmitinformation on life many hundreds of feet below the surface. Special tools like nightvision goggles allow people to see in very low light. Telescopes and microscopesassist in seeing objects far away, and objects too small to see. Special films make itpossible to “see” images outside of the visible spectrum. Cameras andcommunications technology make it possible to see things happening many thousandsof miles away. People have used technology to enhance vision, to make it possible tosee much better, and in different ways, than eyes were designed to do.


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Discussion

1. How many things can we see that our eyes were not designed to do? Research variouskinds of vision extending and enhancing technologies, and discuss the results of theresearch in class.

2. How do human eyes function differently than other species’? Research vision in theinsect and mammal worlds, and report back to class with your findings.

Projects

1. Find a partner. Hold a pencil or finger in front of your partner’s eyes. Move it slowlyback and forth to observe the tracking motion of the eyes, and how they work inparallel. Move the pencil or finger in and out to observe how the eye tracks objects atdifferent distances from the eye. Notice how someone will appear cross-eyed when anobject is close to the face.

2. Work with a partner. Using a weak light source such as a “pencil” flashlight, observehow the iris of your partner’s eyes contract in the presence of increased light, andexpand when the quantity of light is decreased.

3. Examine the lens of a camera. Compare how it is similar to, or different from the eye. Create an image that explores the differences.

4. Investigate how technology is being used to help people “see”; to simulate vision.

5. Virtual reality relies on “tricking” our eyes into believing we are seeing threedimensions (height, width, and depth), when only two dimensions (height and width)are present. Find out how this works.

6. Using a camera, take pictures of a number of familiar scenes. Compare them to yourview of those scenes with your eyes. How are they different? Are the differencesobvious or subtle?

7. Using any media, create two images on the theme “What My Eyes Can See”. Use oneimage to express the properties of human vision, and another to describe thecharacteristics of insect vision.

Hint: Conduct a search of the Internet to locate resources about the Eye, colour theory,and perception.


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Figure 1.31 A stylized impression of the visual field

1.3 THE VISUAL FIELD

`Tis distance lendsenchantment to the view, And robes the mountain inits azure hue.

Thomas Campbell Pleasures of Hope [1799], pt. I,l.7


Upon completing this section, students will be able to:@ explain and illustrate binocular vision, the visual field and the cone of vision@ describe and demonstrate the processes by which the eye perceives depth in the visual

field@ describe the process by which the eye scans images@ demonstrate an understanding of some of the psychological and cultural factors

affecting scanning@ create images which utilize knowledge of how the visual field functions.


14

Figure 1.32 Cone of Vision

Introduction

hen people look at the world, they see two similar, but slightly different views. WThat is because human vision usually involves both eyes, working together with thebrain. This is called binocular vision. If you close one eye and then the other, youwill see that your left eye gives you more information about things to the left and in front of

you, and your right eye gives you information about thingsto the right and in front of you. The total area that you cansee—from the far left to the far right, and from top tobottom—is called the visual field. It is extensive. If youwant to test its outer limits, try looking straight ahead, andholding your left arm out straight in front of you, graduallymove it to your left in a horizontal arc. You should find itdifficult to see your fingers somewhere at right angles to theside of your face. If you think you cannot see your fingersor hand any more, try wriggling your fingers. Human eyesare sensitive to movement.

There is a space in front of you where the vision from yourtwo eyes overlaps. That is where your vision is mostaccurate, and your ability to perceive depth is greatest. It iscalled the cone of vision. Your ability to distinguish shapes,detail, colours, texture, and depth are sharpest there. Because this area of your vision is so important, most oftenyou keep whatever interests you within it. You move your

head and eyes to make sure that whatever you want to look at stays inside the cone of vision. The muscles surrounding your eyes work together, so that when you have to move your eyes tofocus on something, they move at the same time.

The image you see in the visual field is not all in focus. It is only the relatively narrow cone ofvision where sharp, clear images are maintained. In order to gain an accurate picture of animage in front of you, your eyes must be continually moving, building a picture piece by piece. Your brain works to assemble this information into a stable view of the world.

People from Western society tend to look at bland visual information the same way they readbooks: they scan from left to right, and from top to bottom. There is a bias towards images,and large images are preferred over small ones. This pattern may not be the same for peoplefrom other cultures or backgrounds.

Interest plays a large part in how a person scans images. Someone with an interest in cars willpay more attention to them than someone who cares little. A person interested in dance willpay attention to a performance of Swan Lake, while someone who finds it uninteresting willnot. When we are motivated, we see more. It is also true that when we have seen something


15

Figure 1.32 The general patternof scanning a page of informationin Western cultures

repeatedly, or for a long time, we lose interest. This meansthat visual interest declines over time, and with familiarity.

Scanning done by people works differently than the scanningdone by machines. Scanning by humans is highly dependenton subjective factors like culture, or interest in the subject. Scanning by machines is an objective process that is alwaysthe same, regardless of subject matter.

Depth Perception

In order to move around in, and interact with the world, it isimportant to be able to perceive depth. Depth perception relies heavily on a variety of sensesbesides vision, including hearing, and touch. When you move through space, all of your sensesare working together to provide you with information about the world. Your perception ofspace and depth does not rely on sight alone, although your visual sense, is by far, the mostdominant. Your ability to perceive space is formed by a complex interaction of senses. Yoursense of scale in any space is partly derived from your sense of hearing. Your perception of thesolidity of objects is, in large part, due to your sense of touch.

People have several ways of perceiving depth. Several exist because we possess two eyes thatprovide slightly differing views of objects. Others compare views of two different objects.

One of the tools used, is called accommodation. Your eye can see only one thing, or a smallgroup of things, in focus at any one time. When you look at something close to you, distantobjects appear blurred. When you focus on something distant out a window, the windowframe appears blurred.

Another depth tool is disparity. This means that each of your eyes produces a slightly differentview of the world. Make a circle with your thumb and forefinger, and look at an object withboth eyes so that it is within the circle. Now close one eye, and then the other. Did the objectseem to move? Did it move more when you closed one eye than another? Did you know thatyou favour your left or right eye, just as you can be right or left handed? That experiment ispossible because of disparity.

The third tool used by binocular vision is convergence, which involves the relative angle of theeyes to each other when focusing on an object. Try holding a pencil at a distance fromsomeone's face. Notice that their eyes are almost parallel while focused on the pencil. Nowmove it toward their face and carefully watch their eyes. As the pencil moves nearer, their eyeswill converge, or move closer together, in order to stay focused. This eye movement providescues to the brain for depth perception. Although not noticeable most of the time, it is a subtledepth cue of great importance.


Tom Porter and Sue Goodman, Designer Primer, (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons,9

1988), p. 6-7.

16

Motion parallax is a depth cue that you have encountered many times. When you move yourhead and eyes, those objects nearer to you will seem to move further and faster than objectsfurther away from you. You experienced this when traveling in an automobile. When you lookout the side window, the scenery nearest you seems to rush past. The scenery in the distancehowever, seems to move much more slowly . Motion parallax creates problems for perceiving9

depth in two dimensional images. Although many depth cues are present, the effect of motionparallax is not. If you move your head back and forth, different parts of the picture do notmove at different rates. This helps to defeat the optical illusion of depth in the image.

Although the traditional still image of a painting or a photograph contains some, but not alldepth cues present in the visual field, movies and videos include the effect of motion parallax. Some film technologies, such as the large-screen IMAX systems, have screens high and wideenough to encompass a very large part of the visual field. Even in this case though, a simplemovement of the head to the left or right will reveal the image to be an illusion. Newtechnologies, such as virtual reality, will take the optical illusion of spatial depth within thevisual field to new levels of accuracy. Head movements will result in changing views of theenvironment, just as in reality. What will then happen to our definition of reality, and ourperception of what is real?

Discussion

1. What is real? If the visual field can be accurately duplicated with the advent of newtechnologies like virtual reality, how can anyone tell fact from fiction? Students couldresearch new technologies and how they affect our conventional ideas of reality anddiscuss the results.

2. How does the human visual field differ from those of other creatures? Students canselect an animal or insect to study, and report to class on the results.

3. How do people react to the rapid image changes of music videos, and somecontemporary television programs? Is it easy to follow what is happening, or doesinformation move too rapidly?


17

Projects

1. Using any one of a variety of media, create an image of the visual field. Include all ofthe information that a person could see within his or her visual field.

2. Have one student stand in the middle of the room. Have two other students stand ateither side, a few feet away. Have those two students move until the student in themiddle can just see them at the edge of her peripheral vision. Mark their position onthe floor with chalk. Then have the two students move by, waving their arms. Canthey move even further back and still be seen by the student in the middle? Their newposition should be marked with chalk too. An arc, representing the total field of view,can then be drawn on the floor.

3. Using a camera, take a number of pictures of a scene in the community. Take thepictures so that parts of them overlap. When developed, assemble the pictures togetherto represent all of the scene that would be in a person’s visual field. A panoramiccamera will reduce the number of images necessary to do this.

4. Using any one of a variety of media, create an image that reflects the way people scanthe visual field.

5. Try to identify as many different technologies of scanning as possible. How does thescanning of the human eye compare with that done by scanners for digitizing visualimagery? How do they differ from the human eye? Do they scan for the same kinds ofinformation?

6. Try to discover how many ways you can describe an environment. Can you describe itthrough touch, hearing, smell, sight, taste. Are there any other ways to describe it?

7. Try to discover how many parts of your body help you to know that you are in amoving car.

8. How do technological inventions describe space? Do they provide different kinds ofinformation? Consider various forms of technology such as a camera, a microscope, atape recorder, a smoke detector, radar, and an x-ray machine. Can you think of othertechnological devices that describe space to us? How many of them capture or expressmovement?


18


The Concise Columbia Dictionary of Quotations, 1990. Columbia University Press.10

19

Figure 1.41 What and how we see can be influenced by both biologyand psychology

1.4 PERCEPTUAL BIASES OF THEEYE/BRAIN RELATIONSHIP

[Man] does not see the realworld. The real world ishidden from him by the wallof imagination.10

George Gurdjieff Russian mystic, author


Upon completing this section, students will be able to:@ describe the biological and perceptual biases of the eye/brain relationship@ describe the subjective nature of sight@ demonstrate an understanding of the psychological and cultural factors affecting

perception@ create images which utilize the perceptual biases of the eye/brain relationship.

Introduction

hen you see, you cannot help but be involved in perception; an act that involvesWyour brain. But what you see can be affected by several factors. One of them isbiological. There are some things your eyes cannot see, such as gamma waves,x-rays, radio waves, infrared waves. Your eyes are capable of seeing only those wavelengthsof light that fall within what is called the visible spectrum. You see images only when they arepositioned in front of the face; some species can see in front and behind at the same time. People do not see well in low light, but owls, cats, and dogs do. Some of the things yousee—and do not see—are the result of the unique physical characteristics of human vision.

Another consideration is psychological. Some of the things you see—and do not see—are theresult of the interaction between your eyes and your brain. You might pay more attention tosome things than others because you are interested in them. You might find black depressing


20

because you associate it with funerals. Many perceptual biases exist that depend on thesociety, culture, or group to which you belong. Some of those biases may be unique to you,depending on your own personal history, background, and experience.

What impact do these perceptual biases have? They influence the way you look at the world,and the sense that you make of it. They direct your attention in some areas, and reduce it inothers. They may lead you to different conclusions about things than someone from a differentculture, society, or group. But they are perceptions, and perceptions can be learned—orchanged.

Sometimes, all of society can share the same perceptions. These can be due to people’sbeliefs, such as their religion, or faith in something, like their political system. In Westernsociety, technology has become one of the most important transformers of perception. Beforemass communications media such as radio, television, the telephone, and the computer,people’s way of looking at the world was different. As the result of familiarity with television,and its constantly changing images, attention spans are shorter now than ever before. With theadvent of new media such as computers, computer networks, and high-speed communications,how will our perceptions change in the future?

Discussion

Students should be engaged in a discussion about the ways in which people’s view of theworld has changed over the past hundred years. Does living in an age of instantcommunication mean that they look at the world differently from their parents, or great-grandparents?

Projects

1. Look at music videos, either individually or in groups. What contributes to their style? Consider lighting, editing, and camera angles.

2. Using a stopwatch and a notepad, follow television programs and commercials. Countthe number of times images are changed (a new image, or a change in cameraposition). Record how long the camera remains in the same position. Now rank thethings you saw in terms of your interest in them. Is there any relationship between thefrequency of change and your level of interest?


21

3. As a group, discuss your attitudes towards a variety of visual issues. Does a politician,or a policeman look honest and competent to you? How much of your opinion is basedon fact, and how much on appearance? Name people you think are role models. Why? How much of your admiration for them is based on what you know to be true aboutthem, and how much is based on appearance? Do you base some of your opinionsabout others on the way they dress? Why? Try to examine how much of youreveryday opinions are based on perceptions, rather than reality.

4. Create a series of images, in any one of a variety of media, on the theme of perception. Some ideas include writing a performance with costumes, and recording it on video;the creation of an animated film using a computer animation program; a series ofcollages using images from the media; or a large mural in the hall.


22


Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 1980. Little, Brown and Company, Inc.11


Company.

23

Figure 1.51 Optical illusions fool the eyeand brain into believing that depth - forexample - is present on a flat page

1.5 OPTICAL ILLUSIONS

What is called a sincere work is one that isendowed with enough strength to give reality to anillusion.11

Max JacobArt Poétique [1922]


Upon completing this section, students will be able to:@ illustrate and describe how optical illusions occur@ provide examples and demonstrate common optical illusions in the environment and in

art works@ create images which demonstrate an understanding of optical illusions.

Illusion1(a). An erroneous perception of reality. (b). An erroneous concept or belief.2. The condition of being deceived by a false

perception or belief.3. Something, as a fantastic plan or desire,

that causes an erroneous belief orperception....12


The Academic American Encyclopedia, online edition, Grolier Electronic Publishing,13

Danbury, CT, 1993.

The Academic American Encyclopedia, online edition, Grolier Electronic Publishing,14

Danbury, CT, 1993.

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Figure 1.52 Two examples of closure

Figure 1.53 Figure 1.54A figure/ground illusion The Necker Cube

Introduction

hat are illusions? According to the Academic American Encyclopedia, “illusionsWare systematic, characteristic errors in perception” . In other words, illusions13happen again and again. They are fundamental to your perception of the visualworld. It is the nature of your sight, and the relationship between your eye and brain, thatcause optical illusions to occur.

What are the types of optical illusion? One of themore common can be seen by holding a stick half in,and half out of a bucket of water. If you hold it at aslight angle, you will see that the part of the stick thatis under the water, and the part of the stick you areholding, do not seem to meet. This illusion is causedby the bending or refraction of light.

Another common illusion is your eye and brain’s ability to fill in the missing details of animage. This is called closure. The ability to fill in missing details accounts for our ability tosee movies as continuous motion, rather than a jerky series of still images . 14

Figure/ground is another common optical illusion. Init, the difference between an image and itsbackground are ambiguous. Your eye can jump backand forth, sometimes seeing the figure as the figure,and sometimes seeing the background as the figure. A classic example of this is the figure 1.53. If youlook at it one way, it appears to be two faces lookingat each other. Looked at from another perspectivehowever, it appears to be a vase.

There are many other common optical illusions. One is the famous Necker cube (figure 1.54). With a little practice you will find it easy to see the front of the cube as the back and vice versa.


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Figure 1.55 An example of convergenceand divergence

Figure 1.56 An exampleof the use of linearperspective to create theillusion of depth

Figure 1.56 An exampleof Simultaneous Contrast

A common illusion of size is based on the opticalprinciples of convergence and divergence (figure1.55). The two lines seen below are the same size,but the arrows at each end of the two lines fool youinto thinking the lines are different sizes. The linesat each end lead your eyes either inwards oroutwards, modifying your perception of the length ofthe lines.

The use of linear perspective in works of art is another example of a powerful optical illusion.When you see a road or train tracks receding into the distance, they appear to get narrower, thefurther away they are from the eye. By duplicating that phenomenon on a piece of paper orcanvas, an artist can fool your eye into thinking that there is depth in a picture, even when youknow it has been produced on a flat surface. Figure 1.56 is a good example.

What about other kinds of illusions? Brightness contrast occurs whenyou go from sunlight into a dark room. After the brightness ofsunlight, the dark room will appear darker than it actually is.

Simultaneous contrast is an illusion involving the perceived tone,value, or colour of a figure and ground in an image. If you surround aneutral grey square with a black square, it will appear light. The samegrey square suspended within a white square will appear dark. Placethe two enclosed squares beside each other and the centre greysquares will appear different, even though they are the same. Asimilar effect occurs with colour. A neutral grey square placed in alarger red square, takes on a slightly greenish tint (the opposite colour

of red). The same grey square, in a larger green square, will take on a slightly reddish tint (theopposite colour of green).

A negative afterimage is a similar illusion. If you look at a colouredsquare, such as yellow, for approximately one minute, then look at awhite wall, you will see a ghost image of the square you were justlooking at. The colour of the square will not be yellow, it will bepurple. Again, purple is the opposite (or complement - see chapter2.6) of yellow.

It is important to remember that optical illusions are everywherearound you. The television screen is flat, yet, through a variety ofmeans, it appears to have depth. Movies and television programs appear to have continuousmotion, yet are made up of a sequence of still images. Paintings, posters, magazine covers,advertisements, all operate at one time or another on the basis of illusion. It is almostimpossible to look anywhere in the world without being subject to some kind of illusion at


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work. Special effects in the movies and on television fool our eyes into thinking thatintergalactic space flight is possible, that people can fly, that magic is real, that robots made ofliquid metal can exist. All of these are illusions, but are so skillfully created that they appear tobe real.

Illusions are common, but that does not make them ineffective. They are useful forcommunication and entertainment. Learning how to create and manipulate optical illusions isone of the key skills of the artist, craftsperson, or designer.

Discussion

What kinds of optical illusions do we encounter every day? Students should investigateoptical illusions on their own, and bring examples of what they have found to class fordiscussion. What kind of illusion is present? How does it work? Is it effective?

Projects

1. Search out different kinds of illusions in both still (newspapers, magazines, etc.) andmotion (commercials, videos, etc.) media. Create a collage of illusionistic images fromyour collection.

2. Use a computer drawing program to create an image made up of several shapes. Usefeatures in your drawing program to create the illusion of depth. Create severalvariations in the organization of these shapes. Use overlap to make one shape appearas though it is in front of another. Change the order so that other shapes are in frontand behind.

3. Using any one of a variety of media, create images that incorporate some or all of theoptical illusions presented in this section.

4. Create an image, in any one of a variety of media, entitled “Life is an Optical Illusion”. Interpret the title in the finished work.


The Concise Columbia Dictionary of Quotations, 1990. Columbia University Press.15

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Figure 1.61 What will the future hold asthe human imagination interacts with newtechnology?

1.6 PERCEPTION AND TECHNOLOGY

The virtue of the camera is not the power it has totransform the photographer into an artist, but theimpulse it gives him to keep on looking.15

Brooks AtkinsonAmerican critic, essayist


Upon completing this section, students will be able to:@ demonstrate an understanding of the historical relationship between perception and

technology@ provide examples of how optical devices and technology have influenced human

perception and explain how this has occurred@ create images that explore the relationship between perception and technology.


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Introduction

p to this point in the course, human perception has been the focus, and some of theUspecial characteristics it possesses. Now it is time to examine perception from anotherviewpoint—technology.Technology is, above all, a human method of problem solving. For good or ill, humans inventtools to solve a variety of problems. There are many examples of technology in the visualworld. Whether you realize it or not, most of them have changed the way you—and society atlarge—perceives the world. The following is a list of significant visual inventions.

Inventions and Discoveries

105 Paper Lun Chinese1447 Type, movable Gutenberg German1590 Microscope, compound Janssen Dutch1608 Telescope Lippershey Neth.1609 Telescope Galileo Italian1611 Telescope, astronomical Kepler German1758 Lens, achromatic Dollond English1780 Bifocal lens Franklin U.S.1792 Gas lighting Murdoch Scottish1816 Photography Niepce French1817 Kaleidoscope Brewster Scottish1829 Braille printing Braille French1835 Photographic paper Talbot U.S.1835 Photography Talbot English1835 Photography Daguerre French1838 Pen, ballpoint Biro Hungarian1838 Stereoscope Wheatstone English1845 Printing press, rotary Hoe U.S.1847 Lamp, arc Staite English1852 Engraving, half-tone Talbot U.S.1865 Printing press, web Bullock U.S.1867 Typewriter Sholes, Soule, Glidden U.S.1878 Cathode ray tube Crookes English1879 Lamp, incandescent Edison U.S.1884 Linotype Mergenthaler U.S.1884 Pen, fountain Waterman U.S.1884 Photo film, transparent Eastman, Goodwin U.S.1887 Monotype Lanston U.S.1888 Camera, Kodak Eastman, Walker U.S.


The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1992. Pharos Books.16

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1889 Kinetoscope Edison U.S.1892 Photo, color Ives U.S.1893 Photo film, celluloid Reichenbach U.S.1894 Movie machine Jenkins U.S.1908 Lens, fused bifocal Borsch U.S.1909 Lamp, neon Claude French1911 Lamp, Klieg Kliegl, A.&J. U.S.1912 Lamp, mercury vapor Hewitt U.S.1913 Lamp, incand., gas Langmuir U.S.1913 X-ray tube Coolidge U.S.1923 Television, iconoscope Zworykin U.S.1923 Television, (mech. scanner) Baird Scottish1924 Lamp, incand., frosted Pipkin U.S.1927 Movie, talking Warner Bros. U.S.1927 Television, electronic Farnsworth U.S.1928 Teletype Morkrum, Kleinschmidt U.S.1931 Microscope, electronic Knoll, Ruska German1938 Lamp, fluorescent General Electric, Westinghouse U.S.1944 Computer, automatic sequence Aiken et al. U.S.1948 Camera, Polaroid Land Land U.S.1951 Microscope, field ion Mueller German1952 Movie, panoramic Waller U.S.1955 Fiber optics Kapany English1960 Computer, mini Digital Corp U.S.1969 Cassette, videotape Sony Japanese1972 Disk, video Philips Co Dutch1972 Video game (“Pong”) Buschnel U.S.1973 CAT scan Hounsfield English1975 Video home system (VHS) Matsushita, JVC Japanese1979 Disk player, compact Sony, Philips Co Japan, Dutch16

Technology does not change just the things you see. It changes the way you see. Much of theway you perceive the world is learned—from your parents, friends and community; from yoursociety and culture; from your moment in time. One of the most important technologicaldevelopments that has helped to shape the way we see is the lens.



Company.

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Figure 1.62 The basic operation of a lens

Optical Devices and Lens Technology

Although technology in the visual world is thousands of years old (brushes, pencils, paint andpaper are all examples of older technology), much of the technology that has shaped ourperception of the contemporary world began in the 18th century.

LENS1(a). A carefully ground or molded piece of

material with opposite surfaces either orboth of which light rays are refracted sothat they converge or diverge to form animage.

(b). A combination of two or more suchpieces, sometimes with other opticaldevices such as prisms, used to form animage for viewing or photographing.17

People have been curious about looking at the world in different ways for hundreds—orperhaps thousands—of years. Most of the early experiments were to extend the capabilities ofour senses. In the case of the visual world, it was to make distant objects appear nearer (thetelescope), and small objects to appear bigger (the microscope). All of the optical devices,such as the telescope, the microscope, and the camera, use lenses.

The image cre

Art 1201 · 2018. 10. 30. · Art Technologies 1201: Perception, Art and Technology iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS T he Department of Education, Newfoundland and Labrador expresses sincere

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