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1BPUBLICACI6N DEI- POSGRADO EN COMUNICACI6NUNIVERSIDAD
IBEROAMERICANA
Prcgentad6n
Semi6ti(a de la histofia. Historia de lo5 sktemasremidti(ot
ljna (onrtru(d6n remi6tica de la hkto a: el lugar de lor
maqinadoten lo5 festgor del @ntenado de la indapendenda
(onmem0laddn e imagen: una renexi6n del (entenario de la
independencia
[xporidonery desfilesi reprerentacioner neo azte(ar y rercadoner
hist6dcasde lo mexi(.noen 1389 y l9l9
Retlexioneg te6d(a9 pah la fomulacidn de una rerridtiro de lo
aultwo en to''|toa la obra de l. M, lotman
G.fting in lo t.h: MoRholl Mcluhon, Augnenting the Hunon 0nd the
ltoptk khte
ZA\
PRIMAYERA"VERANO 2OtO
UNIVERSIDADIBEROAMERICANA ilililtI
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Getting In Touch:Mars h all M c Luh an, Augmentingthe Human and
TIte Haptic SenseCarolvn Cuertin
Cadi - nris las iorerlises de las computadorls nos permiren
Lrnacccso directo r ftx darx dc la nisnrc mauera qut
nucstroscucrposlurciomn corb iftcrfNses con el nundo. Los "modcs
v,n pm lrconpuLr
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Rrv6r l3 to,Lv,rdlN^,)r (bM,JN(r.(tN
98
o tre.o k' rhe ncrr bjg dr irg. Ll ing drkc strch if rerPrccs
t5-^t J.,jaSli"ttilna k Lib,'r).s exihplcs. this pifei sill cxfldc
rhetltinking ofNlrrshall Mcluhan b undesmnd rhe nrUicrtiorN
ofLrctile engrgencrt on ru roles rs comrners and crertors
olncdja,rrrd l p.rformcn olrnJ rv l',nitrfo,mJriorsp.rc.
lG_r, iaor* TacLllc recllnology, lnr. ;ces, Sixrhseosc,
Nl.Luh.n
arshall McL han mainrained rhat the contenr of one nldium
\\,asalways anorhr mcdium. lhe meclia themselves rhcrcb)'
bccame
the mcssagc or, as hc later quippcd, rhe mcdiurn also became the
zar,rrgc, an imnlcrsive cnvironmcnt or cataloguc of ellicts on drc
humanbody. As extenshns ofthe human sensorium, the'nrcdia rvork us
overcolnplercl/' .lnd immrsc us in thc acousric space ofrhe
globalvillagc, aspacc ofsinultaneous h.ippcnings (1967,63). As a
rcsuh. rouch becomc'sotll irtcrl:cc for the scnses in Mcluhan's
electric ege. He says,
Outle,yword gLrsp' or 'rpprehc nsjon' poin $ tu (he p.occss ofgr
ingironethnrg through anorhea ofhandlirg and scDsing trr.nl facers
ar a rime dnn$hmrLc tban onc sense at r time. L tregins ro be
evidcrr rhrr'touch is not rhe
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(l('MriN,c\(:(',\
skiD, L'trr rhcinr.rph),oltbescnsd,,Dd keepirrg in rouch
or'gerring in ru'cLis r rrtlcr ofthc firLirfirl nreeilrg of rhc
sen$, of5igl,r i,.nsl:rcd iDro nnrD.tind n nd ino Drovem.dt, ind
usc i d sncll (19('4: 89)
Any rcchnolop5ies thar cxtenrl tlre hand Mcluhan secs as bcing
syo-onynous with touch (1964: 158)1 and rhc new insrrntancous
clcclrictechnoloeics rhar are born of thc fragmcnratio[ that came
wirh rhepriDring press and i$ clesccndNn$ specd up tire worlcl so
nruch rhatthcy l>lul the boundaries bccween the rcnses.
Mcl,uharr argued drat " B;.irnposing onvisualizablc
rlarionships..., clccric technology dethLoncsthe visualsclse and
resrorqs r$ ro rhc dominion ofsynaesrhcsi:r, and rhcclose
inrcrinvolvemcnt ofrhc othcL senscs" (1964r I52). lr is in rhis
vcryinterplay that the visual ir unssrrcd and a comningling ofthe
scnses canonce again inlornr our interaction with our cnvirl)nment.
Thc clectrooictredia provoke what Mcluhan r:rlls *al ourering"
an
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Rlvrsa^ IRHoaL'ENcaNn DE CoMrJNrcAcroN
desktop inrerhcc rvith its revolurionary concept oflayered
windo*s hcactively soughr to cnlist the senses rhrough the click of
r mouse rharcollapses modaliries in this case metaphor, acrion and
mcaning-intoa deceprivcly simple state ofmodclessness.
More reccnt app liances like the iPhone a nd especi.rlly the
iPad iircral-i7.c gesture as an irtujtivc modewithin rheir
inrcrficcs. Augmented realirythc laycring ofvisible dara ovcr our
perl3prion of rhc rtal world, is thencyr srcp oward maki[g thc
computer interface disappcar altogether-
Erasing modalities privileges altcrcd subjective experienc and
fosters an increased scnsory engagement on our part, for this
mera-srarofmode-lessness is what wc call synaesthesia. "Litcrally,
the word svn-esthesis mcans 'joined sensariorii.... Synesthesia is
a condirion wherethe perception olan external object ol cxpelience,
triggers a perceptualcxperienceinadditional scnsorymoddiries."
(Parcrson). Ourperceptionis dcpendent on our scrrscs and we engage
wirh rhc wollcl through ourown multimodal interface: our bodics.
Touch is our inrerhcc drh rheworld, orrvhat Mcluhan called tommon
se"se'and the 'meerilg-placcofthe senses" (1964, 89). The arrival
ofnerv intcrhccs, like mobile aug'nrcnted reality rpplicatio ns,
andvirtLLJ mobile inrerfaccs likc Patti Maesand Planav Mistrv'.s
SicllSrnsaand Chris Flarrisol's Slllzpar rctuln us toembodicd space
in profbund ways. Firsr rhough, an explorarior ofhowdigital
technologics havc altered our conceprion and use ofpublic andpdvatc
space will help clarifr how our senses ofborh nrcctirrg place
androuch havc been irremediably alcc'cd.l)uBLlc vERsus
PruvATr,,
MaLshall Mcluhan died rycar bcfoic thc invention ofrhe 6rsr
perconalcomputer,1-et rnuch ofwhat he hLrd ro sav is as rclevant to
electronic cul-
mrclind and a vrt di8ital library in in cm when the indd|
.isrhesis = to p.rccil.d.
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CoMUNrc^cro\
ture as it was tu d1e elcctric (rnd people likcAlan Kav have
wrirren:rbouthow inffucntial Mcluhan rvrs on rlreir $inking). One
of Mcl.uhurtcarrlinallaws is ftara'hcw mcdiurn docs not displace
orreplacc anothcrso nruch::s corrplicrtcs its opcrarion" and
obscLLres I mcdiLrm's efrict(Gorlon xv). J.rv BolrcL and Richard
Gllin call this proccss rcnrediation-V/ithout a doubr thcrvolld has
changed dramarically in rire irrtervcningdecades since N4cl.uh.rn's
deadr, but his larvs holl:rnd mrny ofhir predictions have come
rrue. Ve cannor k,row wlrat h( would make ofrhingsas divcLse as
re.rliry telcvision and real rimc, but he did sce telcvision asa
cool, par.riciparory mcdiur rhrt cxtended orLr sclse of touch
(1964:443). Tclcvision has now heated up and ir is Intcrnet,
compuring andmobilc technoiogies in oLLr lives rh.rr are cool.
Some ofthc ne*, media for insnnce arc erodilg rhe vcry norions
ofpublicand privare in our rcchnological agc. In "Blogging
lhoughrs" lbrillMolrenscn rnd Jill Valkcr idcrti rhe l8rh cenrLrry
saloD as somcrhingthar "cxisted ol dre borderline betwcen rhc
privatc and dre public; ir wassituarcd in privarc hornes. but part
ofrhe pLrblic sphcre bcing rhe sirc ofrhe pcrformance that was thc
salon-expcLience" (257). Similarly, rheysa1-, rhe popular firrm
ofneb rrotation, blogs, which unire corTversationwith thc clarity
ofprint,
nxnd whffe thc st on did bctwe.n privxi rnd publjc. A bl(s is
w.irrcn ry rnindiridud and cxp,esscs rhc afti[de and couvi.rion
ofib wrireri ir h sfficrlrsLrbje(ivc though nor rec.ssarily
intim.rre. lhi\docsoisrop ir iroh bciigin theprblic donatu, rnd
bcing coi cched .bour quesrionr which ik in rhe dontaiolpublic
authorio. Eech ildn idml cl, us. weblogs is h or slk iecls fit,
drseis o tvriDnr of ic\"s lahes io dcidc whaL is {orth writins
rborr o., as rhetcrm ls: what is worth blogglng (258).
'lhe implications ofthe ncrv uscr-gcneratcd mcdia are cnormous,
norju$ for our consumprjon h.tbirs, llur in rcrms of everyrhing
from po,etry to politics to pcdato61,. lhis pcrsonal rcvolLrtion
inclLLdcs rhe likesofblogs, podcrsdng, wcarable computing, sociai
rnedia likc facebook,googlc rn.rps, alld wikis, and
augmentcd-re:rliry,capablc nrobiie interlaccs
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llE\rsri lBrRo^M rr( ^NA rE (irNfli\r(i,\cro\
as the hxrbingers ofrhc larcst wave ofchaDgc callcd V'eb 2.0.
Renrixes,nrash ups, and data visrraliaet io n arc sorne of rhe mosr
rcll ing hallnarksofho*'wc arr now rnediated ir cvcry aspecr ofour
lives. Thc \(cb andthe Internet havc consistentlv eroded rhc gap
bcrween publicand plivatcspace, lor rherc is no notion of'public
and priv,rrc crn the net.rt all. lt isall simultaneously public and
plivate. It is a rew kind ofglobal vilhgerhar gocs bcyonrl
Mcllfian's conccprion ofthat space.
The conccpr and pracricc ofprivare spacc was born with rhe
prinrcdbook. Prior to public cducariuu ancl widesprercl lircracl,,
all reeding wasnot simplv visil>le as an ixrcnsiorr ofthe eye.
as Mcluhar argrrcs, butit was also crrllcctively visible: donc in
public and.rloud. As rhc bookbecame m aliordablc comrnoditv,
ho*evcr, rcaclinlr*,as trarslared inrox private, silellt Acr. ln
rhc sanrc way drat noise was born ofthe rechno-logical age, so
silence and privatc space bloomec{ Lrehind thc innovarionofglass
rvindows. R. Mrrrrav Schafil says:
Thc glud windo* ws an nNaDtioo of grar i'nFrbn.c fi)r
rhceundscapc.&xdnrgcxtchilcven$ in rn un nrr unl phen ro*likr
'silen.e- Thednninurionofsound uinsmksion, while not innredhtc and
oL:curring onlv g.r.Luilly wi(hdre thickcrirg ofglazing,,mr only
crexted rhc rorio| of a herc'aDd0 d)edora brlord. bur also
inr.oduced a tission ofrhc sciscs (212).
Vhcn thcre were no windows to close, rhe conlntrnir) $?s invired
inro lisrcl; irwas private snsory spxccwirh irs glass l;arriers
rhat cteatcd aneecl lorsilcncc and privacy lhis is ofcoursc a
Mcl.uhanesque mec{iatedenvironrnent. Dcl jck dc Kcrckhove argres
rhar books crcarcd rhc senseof public and private spacc in tcrms of
d)nsrrucrs of rhe self' as well(1995,206). lhe interior wolld
houscd our 'private' self and our'innermosr droughrs aod
privileget{ subjective and inrrospective rhotLghts,slicing orLr
senscs up inro scpararc units. The eJ
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(hn(rNrc^cr6N
how the privatc inforrrrs rhcpublic and vice vcrsai (hev do nor
overwrirc,,.h orl-.'. hl lnnn,r di;le. r i..rl rj. r ion.l-rp.An is
the 6rst h,rrbinger ofrhis massive charrge and, as Susan
Sontagnoted, "'Ite basic unir ofconrcnporaru arr is not rhc idea,
but the ex,
tension ofsensations." Thc nature ofarrhas cle y changed in
dramaticrvays-nruch as we hrrvc wiLh drc aclrent ofdigitizdtion.
ArL And $-courselvcs have tlcen Lcmediated by technology. Thc ficr
that infbrma-tion lus also been rcvolutionizrd jusras4:57), trLrt
notallnedia arc createrJ cc1u.rl. Ilcompurcrs are pclcepu:,rl
systcms, rhcrr thcyr. riv.ly enli' m.r:rphnr ro.rg.rge,'.r . crrivc
rr r(. or ro rJ'iv.rr( ou,crcarive response. Metaphor,like
synacsdresia, is a milgling ofrnodali-ties. Likcqise, rr ultimcdia
in parricular with its inherent pcrfornrativegesturc, sceks to join
rnetaphor', action and meaning inro a perft)rmcror intcractor'.s
subjccrive expcrince, rhcrcby tr.rnstilming drem in theprocess. As
a multimedia pcrfornrer, wc are lewly aware ofourcnrbodiedsel,es
inhabiring a simr:lation. Vhcn our senscs are rotall]' cDgaged
likenever bcfore, we hnvc not just rn imrnersivc experiencc, bur a
mctasynacsthetic onc as well. rvc bcconrc sensitized to our
senses'inrcrac-rions and horv they functiont w arc rransported
bac.k nrro a rcalm of
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RLg6rn lrri
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CoMU\..'c^c,oN
(Badrillard, I983: I25). Thcse networks further crodc thc real,
rcsultnrgin a loss ofputrlic and prirate space. lhc public and
privrre disappearin vilrual spacc lusr as rhc shifting 'oles ofrhe
arris aod (hr browscand rhe workofarr and its irrteractor call into
quesdon "the site of rt"nself(Virilio, 2000: I30).l cluhan said
that cnviron menrs rerc alwayselusivc: (hey "xrc invisible. drcir
ground rulcs, pcrvasivc structure andoverall pattcrns elude casy
perceprion' (Massagc, 84-85).Movrvr^_-tNo mattcr how hard a browsr
rries, she cmnot reduce this new digiralmedium to the
three-dimcnsionality of prinr-lor should shc want to.Thc
infbrmational conrent has been trxnsformcd ilto anew
crpcriencc.McLuhan nrairrmirrct thxr 'nvironmcn$ arc not passivc
wrappinss buracrivc processesr (1964: 12). \7hat we rake away from
rhe browsing ofalr onlin work in rhc ncw clecrronic cnvironmcnt
rhet is rhe \{orldVide Veb is notprimarily information, Frct ol
sory; what wc t.rke rw.ryfrom the texrually unfolding event is our
embodied pcrfonnance andemotional rcsponsc. It is dynamic subtext
and context dr pm?liocePtiwetpqiences tl:;.. ^re ernctgclt
properties ofou r b rowsirr g. Proprioccptionis rhe abiliry to fecl
our body boundarics, and to sense the movemcnt,location. and
orienrarion ofall our l:ody p.rns.
The now familiar hypcrlinked, online tcxt is not so much
anrlin-lbrmarion as it is oursidc of this classificarion altogethcr
Mthout ahicrarchy, we as readers must bodily explore rexrual spaces
in ordcr todecidc what is imporrant. Howevcr, rhe rcal information
in rhe web-na-dve tcxr-as in rhe glow from rhc ligh$ulb-is thc
performance of thestructural cxperience thar our movcmcnr drrough
these r.irtual spacesentails. The link makes the parh ofour reading
visible through orir im-mcrcion ilr the experien tial herc -.rnd
now Linking is xlways a subjccrivemovcment and a visual
(Lrn)foldingofour dynamic statc ofcmbodirnent.Embodied, marerial,
infbrmatiolal and cmcrgent, clectronic spacesfbrm:r "distributcd
cognitivc systern' (Ha/es, I999: 290). As a browser
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Rrv6r^ IBER|^MERTCAN^ DE CoMUN,.ic(tN
movcs rhrouth virtualiv (both onlinc ald in reLrl, augmentcd
space),her pcrspcctivc ald point ofview .lre consranrly in flux as
shc trics onand discards new posirions, all ofwhich are infoLrled
by hcr past publicand private histories, brckground,life expericnce
and previous rcadingsofthis sire and orhers. 'Ihis nerv cxpcielce
can arise out ofa browser'snavigadon because "technologies [are]
beginlnnrgl to perform the firnc-don ofart in making us awrrre
ofrhe psychic and social c-onscqucnces oftech nology" (Mc l-uhan, I
964: I 4) ald bccausc, to r efel back to So ntag,rheir p-im.rry ,
on.err i' rh. .rrcrr.ion oftn'.r'iorr.
The hyperlink, like all locadvc mcdia (that is, mcdia tied to a
reallocation in real spacc), is irn acti a gesture, a subjcctivity,
and an evcntsirunted in space-timc. Thc hypcrlink is always a|cady
a pcrform,rncc.tu Pcggv Phalcn says, "perf;rrnance keeps onc anchor
on rhe side ofthe corporcal (the body ll.eAi) and orc oir rhe side
ofthe psychic Rcal.Pcrlormancc boldly and precariously dcclarcs
rhat Bcing is performcd(and made rcmporarily visible) in rhat
suspendcd in-bet*,een" (Phalen,167), Perfrrrmancc Qrr her is a
tighuope walk be$vcen the tllo twistsoftransformarive embodiment.
This concept of the gap in arricuhrioisofperforrnance and gcndcr is
one raken up by rrany fcminist thcorists.For feminist rheorisr
Donua Ha raway we m ust struggle across the dir,id-ing line
bct*'ccn thc illicit couplings of bodies and rnechines. Al
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ENyIRoN M ENTs
;\s active processcs, locAtive mcdir, c-vlxrspacc and rhe vinual
spaccsof nov nrcdia environmL'rrts invcft dre rclatiorrship of thc
browser roinfirrmarion bv irrrncLsing rhe brorvscr bodr in
auglreored. infnrma-iitrrr sprcc (Novrk, 226). Ihe fluid body of
dre browscr il circrLlariouis palt ofa social matrix or a global
viil.rgc. Meclia attisrs arc &equendyintcrcsted in geognphic
spccificit_r'. Thc ethercd narure of cybcrspaccdemands nerv
sofovalc appLorchcs: locarive media, augmenrcd realityand situated
software. t' y 2012, thcre lvill 197,000,000 a B'nenrdrcalio'
caprble snrartphones in Lrsc worldwide', flre ncxt big thing
rvillbe hvbrnl-media and hyirrid-intcrfaccs rhat inreract wirh rcal
spacein real rime. l,ocative mcclia enaLrle the tagging oftbings,
spaces andphces; geographically-infbrmcd gamesr rcal tinre social
nerrvorking;opportunirics ro shape, organize and aurhor physical
cnvilonmcnrs; thccrearion o f (psycho) gcogra phies; and rhc
gencrxtior o f locario n-.r var.e,rnash.rblc d:rra.'Ilcsc new
mobile tcchnologies are altcring rnorc thanar.j thcy arc altr ing
how we pc|ceivc dre world, Likewise, in rhc cligir:rlre.rlm
web-nat'r,c qtrks takc a social. cmbodied and proprioceptivclinrr.
Thc lomadic iinh fir bodics thnr can torch between rrromcnrsinscns
imnr((lia(y, irrsrrnr rrrr:Js. Jirerrion, rrrrns|orr,rrion.
rrnmer-sion and associational cohesion into $c navigarion of thc
fonu, andso brorvsing actrrally sparializes any cvbcrspatial text
we surf, tndorvingit with dyn.rmic texmre. Ir invitcs thc browser
in as an ncrivc clemcnr,blurring drc assumcd boundarics knreen
inrer:rcror and .lurhor, rv.hercshe (rc)consrructs rhe tcxt hroLrgh
rhe choices rrade in her navigationalgesures and choices. 'lhe ncw
mcdia arc roored in a continuous prescntofrhe irmnediacy oiour
visual ard navigrrionrl choiccs and doublingsbac[, p rivilcgnrg s
Lr bjectivi ties, pol)Toc.rli y an(l nLptures in spacc timc.It is
rhe privileging ofa matrix ofassociarional leaps betwren words
or.
'Du lt. GxuD((, Jofin. -nrc vb.ld js lhc Desklop: Mobile
r\lgo,otrcd Rcaliry"(iisronrpro. (l)cc ?009): p?
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REvNrr IB*onN ,R.,\NA Dr Co ,,Nx:AcroN
imases or orher scnsory srimuli. As a sparial .rnd rcmpord
srnrcrure,rhc clccrronjc rea[u cnbodies scnnxrus lluidity in spacc
and time as advrr.rnri. rnedi,rr r[.rr i.1rr.'e..r.rll1 r'
-n"r'or.Tivo neu embodied inrcrirce protorypes SixtbSense ard
Skin-pzr crn actullv allorv rsl rimc inreracrion rvith infirmation
in realspacc. P.rtri Macs .rnd I'ranav Misrrv's .9lxrl Jrrrz seeks
to crele a ncwsvnrax frrr dre body. This opens rhc door to
irrvcstigaLe in a oewborncoltexrwhat it rnqrns to bea prlt ofdre
inforlrarion cDvironnlcnta.\ rhescreen disappean anclanvsurlacc
c.rn become.r siteforthe pmjecrion ofdrc aLrgmentcd human. lhis is
accomplished tlrrrLrgh a snrall. portablcprojcctclr. interacrive
metadata and a mobile phone-drivcn interlace.Familial gcstures likc
crearnrg:r picture frame or draw'ing a circle onrhc wrhr rcsult in
lcal time phoro captue and :r clocl< nrtcrface for rcaltimc
tclling respcctive\r lnrerrcting with rhe dat:r cloucl of
informationaccesiLrlc through the \0odd VideVeb allows foL lcal
time cngagernent*,ith dara in real spacc rs nr prrduct infbrnration
*'hile shopping orrcal rime input abour a pcnon, a phce or a thing.
\fith rhc advenr ChrisHaLrixrn's S*lnpur, a bio inprLt inrcrfice
woln arouncl thc ann tharprojecrs interactivc nlenus on thc sldD,
nc are rranslated into the inlor-maion space and drc machinc
itr;clf: *,e arc r disperscd, disassembled,and rcassemblcd
sul>jcct outside ofall the expccred culrural paradigms.'We h"rvc
hecomc infirnnation in .rn embodiec{ lbrmj. 'Ihis frcsh state
ofmode-lcssness .rllows us ro rediscover our bodies in
s,vnaesthesic space.'l1ris ulcimately transforms drc acstheric
space ofour brow'sings intoa spa.u'tilme architc tft rvhere a
narrative or tracc ofour journey is anemergcnt properry of
navigatiorr. Sincc archirecnrral environnrents arccomprised of
unlolding space irnrnersed h rcal time, opcning spacc lorbodies,
rnovemenr.rnd idcas, it is imponrnr to rrn
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.sirl.|i.,f. ,tuo 0 r',anrr M , I IMe(i, rL,. r^
.\;0t,1,i. rho(i ii (:l,rr rhtri r'. C.trtrcere M(il Lir \rn o:
rs
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R,,vis,^ IBERo^:,fl 'Rrc^N^,)L (loMUNr ^crd:.
Norak h:rs ol;served rhat "rybcrspace ri uchitccrurc; cyberspace
lai anarchitecturc; and cvl>esprce ronnins trchiLecrure"
(original rnplrasis,226). Virturl cnvironmenrs havc, as a rcsult,
emerged as acsthcricizedrcnditions oftlre archirccnrrc o[our
crextivc and dreinl states this isimaginatiorrll space, the spacc
olrhe drerm, oL thc sprcc oi the crearivc.rct grorvl |ugc cnough
ftr us to insclt ourselves into "rs wirh ,\'zrrl.Vzsrand Virpm.
'Ihc htcracrive digitLrl cnvironment is also such a sr uctlrrethar
r:nt'ilds to allorv thc passrge ol'bodies duough it in re tirnc,
justrs the body t(x) .?rrki'r, ftr and ri dre archirecnrrc ofrhc
senses and ofrhe very srrfi oflifa itself.
Novclist Victor llugo once observcd rhat, in dre writing
proccss,"fflorm is the l;ase that riscs tc, the surface" (qtd in
Virilio. 199Ib, 67).h our tirnc, thc interll,rce is a litcral
rendition ofrhis kinrl ofaesrheti-cized hepric fbrn as suLrc, nd,
in clcctrnic spaces, firlrr drrs notmcan simply a surlicc tension.
I( is vhar w'c must touch and irrnrcrscourselvcs in (l'ke in our
mcmories) in order ro navigarc the {luid spaccsand tines ofrhe
virtual *orld.Tun xr.w tttpte: tto'r vtlrl v :Rsus AUGMTNTTD
riNvlltoNMENTsInlonnarion ovcrload is a by-prodr:ct ofthe meering
oftcxtual and sen-sory renlnrs. lr is rhc plaoe rvhere words and
imases lose drcir meaninsand bccome in/comprehcnsible and
un/recogn;z:rble. l)eta glut dctcrritorializcs us in sp:rce, giving
us a sense ofdislocarion xnd disorienra-tion ard mnking ir
difficult to lavigatc bv totLch or ro rcad o.rr senses.'lhis is dre
crux ofovcrload. ft is.rlways a|cady about navigation:
thenavigarion of .r mulripliciry ofscnsory srimuli. llccausc
boclies navigatcin space, drcy:rrc always already in a state
offlux.
Sight is no longcr privileged in rhc infirrmarion age; nrorion
insteadbccomcr a sensory form ofrvr;tnrgor signing like the 6rst
rime wc inhatrited acousric space. Acousric sprcc was
asninalconccpt f'or McLLrhan.He believcd rhat print technologics
had lostered:r lincar birs, whereasacoustic space is morc closelv
Jdn to thc inmersive nattrlc olthc natural
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CoMLJ\r AodN
{rorld. 'Ihe acomric is immcrsive, envelopnrg us in irs unblokcn
360degrces. Conposed ofcentcrs antl no rnarqins. rhe linear bi.rs
ofwesternsocicrywas colrpiinrcnted bv mo acoustic technologics:
caslr morreyandthe comprss. Currencv is a metaphor, astand'in
tbrour matcrials,orth,and rhe compass rcnders the world:rs
navigrble informarion space.
Vhile surfirgin cybersl)ace, thebody wri(es i6clfinto the
imneLsiveenlironurcnt m a di'nanic cvenL in process,like the
compLrs in thc rvorld-lhis istlre bodv in virru:rlspacc pcrlbrming
in rc:rldrne, andemcring. notnrovemenr as theauc, bur nrovement as
performnnce. Ihar is ro say, drisis nor movcmcnt firr au rudience,
bur a dynamic and pelsonal act drat abrowserpcrforms lor a-nd
byhcrseli Pcrforrnance is a lbrrn that has beenfavourcd by many
artists, In part at lcrsr no doubr be.causc physicatiryand gcndr
are so rcadily fb'cgro'rndcd and probleuratizcd in drc bodyofthc
pcrformer: As a dynamic and tr:rDsitory alt fbarr, perfi-rrmLurce
isedrereal, exisring both inside and ousidc of time and space,
insidc andoursidc ofreprcsentation and thc rc:l. Constmcting a
'second rinre, thcdme ofrc-rurn or re visiradon to the samc
marerial thrt is nor a repeti'rnlr. According to PcgX I'halen,
'[1:Jerfbrmaucc...carr be defined asrepresen ratio n with our
rcprodrrcrion (3) because it rLva;s cxists virtuallyin rhe present
nromenr on thc vcrgc ofbccomirg. I'h-llen s.r1's,
I)c,fo.mancc.sonly liG n in thc prcsnt. l'.'fo.nnnc. c.ind t c
Mvcd, kco,ded,drrurncrtc,l, or orhcnvise participate nr dre
circtrlirioo ol rcprcsnernns a/refberrilnnNr oncc irdocs so, ir
bci,trres soDedring other thar peLliLrnaucc.lb rlcdegrec tfirt
pcrformrnce aaen:pLs to cnteL drc economy ofreproducLionit bcmys
and lcssens the prorrrisc ofia own ontology (I'h.len, 146).
Like our expcriencc of navigaring an inrmcrsive environmcnt, the
cx-pericoce ofrhe pcrformence .rnnor be xrchived eirhcr. lr is rhe
actr.ralmovement of rhc body in space-rime that is dre narrativc of
impo.there. Wc must be danccLs ro understand the dance. Ve must
danceto tLndeLstand the languagc, ln the computerizecl metli:r, the
brorvseris both pcrlirrmer and audience, surface md cleprh,
body:rnd subjcct.ln the s:rme lrarner. in this mcdirrm rhe velue
ofthc work ofart is in
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Rllru lBlRod iiarGNr DE(i ru\'c^()6\this ethcreal, cxperienrial
dinension. lhe c(nnpurcr as rool aho hasa powcrfLrl rveapon nr its
arscnal: when it acts as a nedirrm for art, itacqrrires drc powcr
to critique hsclfas bofi rool and medirrm. In th:rtmectirg ofminds,
rrc cnn see the birth ofnew mediu and technologicsxs they happcn.
More solitary rharr th*rtle, rvc srill rneintain rhe
scnscofcommuniw in rhe layers ofour mind wirh disparrrc rea,Jings
ofnewrnetJ i.r works. OuL expcriencc lemxins oLLr own rhough
becruse absolutcrepcrition oi rh c evenr is impossible ( llh:Jen ,
I 27) . Evcry jou rney throughthc iext is A rc secing of irs evcnrs
in rnulriplc prcscn$, is i rc'rurniDqro and oI interioriries rrncl
exrerioriries. Auy kir:d of pcLformance by isvery naturc is
sir(latd in rhc irn mediate su rface ofdrc prescnr momenr.As
browscrs in thc new rnedia, we writc oursclves in thc surfices
arrdtouch rhe dcprhs ofthc rcadi ng surf.:rce ofrhe rcxt as
perfornrati.r,e cvcntsin drc gap of the prescnt mcrurenr.
Vhen we pelfbrm ourinreracrion wirh orherkinds
ofmcdiainsrantiLrted m art fotms-wirh a book or.r tclevision,
fbrexanrl)lc-wc are vcrvarvare ofthc ficr that wc inselr oursclves
into it Lrs irs iudiencc. and drlrwe choosr ro inrcr:r.r wirh i(.
\v;rh thc ncw b(xn-digiral firrms ofart,howcver, there is lo such
coosciorLs seprrariou benvcen us ancl then.It is hardcr to say
where we end and rhey begin, and whcre *'c are andwlr.rri,orrrlr.
*rcrr .Wlrerr.rrneJiLrrrbcrorne"rcrpL,rr.ivc..r.irrr,r.r.-rive
complrrr prograDrs and environments c:rn be, we arr no
lolrgcrobscLvers. Lxtcad, wc bcconre perllrners on the stage of irs
interticeevcn Lrs we arc rhar \drich is bcing pcrlorrled through
irs machinarions.I want to underscore hcre thar, rvhile rvc ue the
inpur, withour its r.traftonuersation thueis no work of.rrt. I s is
rvhcLe responsive environ-mens likc virnral reality or inrcractive
game spaces deparr from rhcirpaler cousins rhat scr our ro
entertain rLs. 'lhesc "rre disclLrsive spaccs xndcxpericnces rh:rt
rcquirc tr-s to r.rlk back. lie cnvir onrnent itsclfbecomes
r exrellsiorl ofus in morc intirnate rvavs rhan wc evcl
irnaqined, com-ing ro mr simukxncously as or:r audicncc and as a
"third skiri' (Prince13) dratprivilcges our sensorr cngagcmen t.
Multirncdia "clvironmcnts"McLuhan has obscrved, "irc not passivc
wrrppings bur activc proccsses"
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(l(' flrNrc^cr6N
(McLLrhan, l2). Multimedir pert-ormaucc rhereby uses rhc
byproducrsofthis rechnological nreta-rncdiurr ro take pleasurc in
the conminglingofrhe senses ro produce an ahelcd scnsc ofselfor I
ncw sLrbjcctiviryImme'iivc environmenrs, like rhe painrcd c.rvc,
the sweat lodge, $cnredieval catlredral, arci Snr Trck\ holodcck,
are bv
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IlAasr \ Iurto{trrEftk:iNA DE G^rfNIcr(.rdNcorq)lcsscd inro
geogr"phic sprce by cchnologicll :rdvanccs likc rhetclcphonc rncl
$c airplanc, Virilio cJls firr Lr ncir stLrte ofbcing. a srirrcrhrr
he cllls trajccrivit_v: "llorecn the subjcctivc aud thc objcctive,"
hcs,r1 s, rh cre shoulcl bc '\he t r:ricctivc, th:rr bci ng rhc
movemcn t liom h eretcr dreLc, fiorn one to the othcf. wi$out
rvhich rvc rvill ncvcr echicvc:r pnrfbuncl undcrstanding ol drc
v.rriorr rcgimc* ol perception of thcworld thar hare sur:ceedcd
cach other drcughour rhe agcs (24). flresc,rre thc:rftershochs
ofglobalizllrion to lx sLrrc. ConsmLcts oltlre sclfrrecrcated in
the process of"storytclling- rvhich isa nexLrsofch;rngein
rhclelationship betrvccn" subjccthootl, racc, 'gendcr rnd
tcchnologlr' ((i.rs-sell, 3l 1). t:ch poinr in phce on oLrr ioulncv
rhrough immcrsivc spacesis .r spccific cml,oclicd position that is
nlwrys ir rhc pr.,ress olbecomingsorrething elsc. Antl it is our
journcl'thlough our orun collaborarivcact ofconvcrsation rvith :r
cligital lxcc ancl with tillorv interacrors rs anleans ol rrtisric
(ne.rgerr cnr th:u cugendcrs dyn:rnric emboc{imcnt for
In rhc 19'h ccntury comgrscr Richrrrcl \\,hgneL r,-carned ro
crearcq.hat he crlled thc Ge:runtLunsrn,o'lt or 'lirLal,Arnvork
(now iinally sctro bc realizcd in dcvices like Si:rrLSrz,r ancl
.5*r.r4rrr). V/agner drcrntto1-clevising a sc.rmlcss environment
rvherc irrr could irhabit the Lcal: aplace whcre'ihcrc.rrc rrc molc
arts and no rnore boundarics, but onll'rrr, rhe u n iversal ,
undiviclcd ' (qtcl in Savrc l i) 8) . Vagncr'.s to t:rlizing'
or'imncr sive cllicr ofrrusic dram.r rvas ore ofthe 6rst nrodeln
rnemprs ro
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(i,vcN :$rtir is in facr ar rncient inrprrlsc rh,rt can be
firrrd in nany metlir rndgenrcs fiorn sxcfcd cuvcs to Creck thcrtre
to nrcclicval crrlrcdrals- Ilsimihr riays. mult;me(li.r
irnrrrersi
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II6
Rw,sD{ hneoavEtuc^N^ Di CoNluNrcAcr(iN
The,v sing, change colour, shape, and c-body their orvn syntat
theiranimatcd naturc-nrorc liLe lifc than sinpLe
enrcrtxinment-ngagcsus, immcrsing us in their meaning ind invit;ng
tts to resPond rc them.The [,ibtary incnrporates us into its
discuffivc $prces. Ve are co optedarrd interpellatul prccisely
bccause irs Projec ultimarely is semiotic,n,'rqlslqrgic.rl rnJ
musi.a'. Lrsing rhe cre.rrivc pro..* {o invirc us inroa new way of
secing anC. heing. 'lhe Librar;y ttchievcs the intcnctiviryrhat
mosr cnvlronmcns onll'twitch and shoot rt b1' rccluiring us
tounderrake the act ofcre:rtion in synaesthetic larrguage- Vc
cannot helpbut be transformed by the naturc ofthis ncw vistLal
alphaber as we alrerour perspcctive to lind ways to color, write,
play, dLrncc and sing it. Thisenvironment uses thc expericnct
ofsynaesdresia that is fanriliar from ourchildhoods and from
ourengagcment in the creative process to enlistallofour scnses and
to inrmerse us totally in rhe media. Howevcr, becauscrhis is alr
imposcd state rather dran an ortanic one, we rtain a senseofwonder
a"d awarcness ofour own presence irr these simulterions. Asthe
cnvironments aspire to modelessncss, collapsing modalities,
andbeing disorienting by dcsign. we are made more And more tware
ofolrrscnses not less. bccduse wc are always mulrirrod.rl evcn in a
nrodelessenvironmcnt- Paticlson links the changing dcpths
ofsubjecthood andbody ro language through virrual space and actual
navigation, andmakethese lluid boundaries rcal. Thesc virtualirics
imptess themselvcs on ourbodies in our subjcctive expcrierce olthe
rrr. ln the electronic sPaces ofher work, the inscribing motion of
navigrtion produces agency for irsintemctors as does thc act
ofcrcative collabora(ion with the cnvironmentitself.
Wberc 1tu Librarl seeks to plug us in, bodily, on the level of
lan-gulgc. JnctlJrzr and Jfrzpr,r .rre rnorc r'.,nsparerr,
rnrerrciing as on(does with rhem in real space. All of thesc "cw
engagements are meta-synresthesic-synaesthesia with an ironic
gap-orwhat Arthur Krokercalls "spasm," a noir mera-vcrsiflr ofVR
thnt sceks to critique its ownsim xperiencerr it is happening by
giving Lrs irorric disrancr frorn bothdigital data and the
informarion ecor.orr,y (Spasrn 6). Synacsthesia is
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CoMUNrc^cr6N
to dre body what meraphor is ro the mind_rhat much is
clear_andthis in part is why these new augmented data spaces are so
integral tolotions ofbeing in the world. pe.ception roo is
prccisely this nrterplayofthe senses. Ve cannot malc rneaning
rvithout this interconnection.Paterson argues thar as a specific
lolm ofinteraction in a
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r18
l{ rs ^ lni r.AM ftr( ^N^ L)F (-()tr r\r.^(r,i\d d l(4)nu..
A'lost inrporrunrll'. it is rhe interacdviq. rhar rcinscrrs usback
inro narrarivc antlrhercforc track into scnsorv engagernent
rvitharrrrrgmenrcd rvrxltl. Tlc stage or inrcrfice then ir whet hes
been recodedinro r motlelcss stLrte, brLt synlcsLhctic nredia is
rcsponsivc:visual, .rucli-rory, rrclilc, phrsical, kinctic. ts
rcceptor: tr.rnslarc rhat motlelcssncssinro a kind ol m.rchinc
bascd scnsorv cxpcriencc. if litcracv lracturcdthe scnscs as
Mcl.uharr argucd, and this is hc1'ro my thinking, thcn Lhcconpurer
ald augnrented reality crrvironmcnts arc truly rcvolutionaryFor
this xL)ility, vi.r inierrcrivc infirrnation sprces, to give us thc
porerrrialto rcunire xnd rcconrbinc the scnscs ir) new ways, rhar
is ir intcrrsclyindividu,rlizc
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(i)MUNkno6N
K.tv, ^lrn. "Clonlrrcr Sofrwr.: .\t i."tij(A"toi.nt, (SeprcmtrcL
1984) 07 lar06. hnp:/At*rv.roonr.rlk.cour/tligPicturr/alan
kr1'.httrIGy, A].,,. User lDrc*i.e;A Pe6orralVic$i Mrrt u.htJ, n Ri
hh.JWryu)
to Vinrul l?uliry RtnrJil h cke. r,rd Kc,, Jod.n, E(ls. Nen
\brkr\tlwNorton t{ Co. 2001. L2l- 1-l l.KRoxFR, rrhui Splr,, l'ttmt
Ruli ry, A,ltunl,)h$i., LL.n i( F/.11. Moitnl:N$\ $6rld
ItNpe.rivcs, 199J.
I4^Es, l'rrtir.d Pran.rr Mnr.r: t)rrij Mics r)d Pnnxv
Mill..r'l)cno,\ rrt5i,/6.." li(6/M ch 1009. Ackssc(l 09 VIi,.h
2010. hirpr//wyred..om/ralkVpffri . n1 cr drnos
dre_sixrh_scnse.l[rr]N{c l.urr,\N, l\,lrAh.ll r nd (l\tcitin tiorc.
Ilrt:tluliun r t/t. A,l$n .: A lDktu,
toll, ofLlli,t lbronror Pei,glLin (:in{dn, 2003.
[1967].MCL,JH^N, \.fxAhall. Undnn,'li,g ivdia: 1lr F^tt rioth of
llat. (iiti.rl I IeF