Pkurtz's Blog

The Memex

pkurtz — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:26:09 +0000

Vannevar Bush’s article explores the ever growing knowledge and development of technology, and the role that scientists play in society. He focuses on a new device known as the Memex. It can hold an infinite amount of knowledge and information in one small space, allowing access to every song, video, picture, and piece of writing that exists. We are used to having access to a wide array of knowledge but never before have we been able to carry around every piece of information that possibly exists. This allows the spread of knowledge and ideas to become quicker, easier, and more reliable. He speaks about previous ideas and formulas thought up by great scientists of our pasts and the fact that no one but those in direct contact with these people ever heard their information because of lack of communication. This device would keep that from ever happening again. This device is incredible and can do a lot for our society, at the same time most technologically based things rarely catch my attention and I have no problem with having to sit at the library and look for a book for my information.

Subtraction/ Erasure

pkurtz — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:58:51 +0000

For this assignment I chose a recognizable Georgia O’Keefe painting. I erased the features of the skull and changed the background in order to give the painting a different, simple meaning.

Photoshop Tennis

pkurtz — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:37:07 +0000

For this picture we began with “Andy Mouse” 1986 by Keith Haring. With the images that we added to the picture we managed to change the appearance, emotion, and style of the picture. Rather than simply changing color or contrast of the image we focused on finding unlikely images to replace the original aspects of the piece.

pkurtz — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:37:30 +0000

Jerry Uelsmann has always been one of my favorite photographers. I chose to take his original photograph and interpret it in a modern way. His way of combining images in the darkroom is the same idea that photoshop helps others to do with digital images. The idea of recreating this particular artist’s work interested me because he is known for spending hours combining multiple images to create one photograph, with photoshop I was able to create a similar image in no time at all. This shows what an impact technology has had on the techniques used to create art and the emotions these pieces can evoke.

And So It Begins…

pkurtz — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:37:10 +0000

I’ve never been one for blogging, a ritual that always seemed to me to be a way to share personal information to people who maybe don’t need to hear it or to whine about what is bothering you. However, since I began class at SAIC I have started to understand the importance of communication in all aspects. Guess we will see how it goes!