Playing politics

"Politics is not a game, but an earnest business." - Winston Churchill

During a recent gallery talk at the Smithsonian's Watch This! exhibition with mixed media artist Kota Ezawa, I was given the opportunity to ask him to clarify is views on the relationship between politics and animation. (He had passingly mentioned it earlier in the talk.) He graciously answered that he felt that any artistic medium that requires money and resources inevitably include a mostly unwelcome level of politics. His primary example was that of the Disney and its almost monopolistic hold on the majority of people's concepts on the possibilities and limitation of animation. While I might take issue with that example, as a former French and Japanese animation junky during my undergrad years, I certainly understood what he was trying to say.

Kota Ezawa's Beatles: California Uber Alles

The digital medium has an inherent level of politics alone due to its cost and availability to freelance artists. Art and computer technology is an awkward marriage at best since it is the rare exceptional artist that can successfully embody both talents singularly, not even mentioning its uneven accessibility on a global scale. There is a reason why the most sophisticated graphics and media technologies are locked up with major video game publishers and special effects companies, who use their considerable resources to create large collaborative efforts in order to achieve the amazing virtual creations we see on our big screen high-definition televisions. This is not say that the digital medium is completely inaccessible to the singular freelance artist, but there are considerable challenges when trying to match the level of spectacle and attention major publications demand. (Recent developments, such as crowd-source funding like Kickstarter, has helped bridge some of this gap.) So it becomes a question of politics when an artist has to collaborate with others to realize his or her's singular vision, as each person involved impacts their achievement directly or indirectly. However, without collaboration and resources, an artist's true vision may never come to fruition. A political paradox indeed.

My follow up question to Kota was to ask if he thought that if the increasingly availability of computer technology on the individual level has in any way affected this dynamic. His response was that is it didn't really matter since its was more about how an artist chose to use the medium of their choice rather than the sophistication of the medium itself. While saying he humorously felt that he was a "bit of a dinosaur" when looking at some of the interactive digital art pieces in the gallery, he emphasized that there was a great temptation to push the limits of new technology rather than capitalize on the potential of "older technology". He used Ed Fries Halo 2600 as an great example of how the use of older technology, such as an Atari 2600, can allow us to re-examine contemporary concepts in a new light. Bungie Software's Halo series for the Microsoft Xbox series of video game consoles is a far more sophisticated interactive digital experience, but the Atari version forces a re-evaluation of the artistic concept of Halo itself. This concept of "de-makes" is not one that has been lost on the larger publishers, but it is certainly not exclusively their domain. Whether popularity of the "de-make" genre is simply a question of nostalgia or evidence of the timelessness of a chosen medium is something only time will reveal. Regardless, digital artists who aren't able to use the latest in technology often run the risk of being ultimately dismissed as insignificant in the eyes of the general populace. A passing fancy.

Video: IGN plays Halo 2600

Article: Ed Fries talks to the Smithsonian about Halo 2600

So I leave you by asking this: In the scope of the history of art, has anything really changed? Most of the greatest/most popular artists in history also boast an equally impressive list of patronage with considerable resources and workshop collaborators. Many of these artists were formally trained in a school of art or via apprenticeships. In the same breath, artists without those experience and resources have often been categorized as "primative" or "folk" artists despite their equal creativity, passion, and ambition. The medium may have changed, but the business of politics in art remains the same even in the digital age. And business is better than ever.

When bombs are dropped

"Wow, that sounds really cool but I have to ask "why?" What's the point? Anyway, I have to go! Bye!"

This was a random and sudden interjection from a conference attendee as I was explaining to a small group about our upcoming presentation on digital interactive media as pedagogical and academic research tools. (Coincidentally, I also was the first time I felt compelled to stab someone in the face in public too. Who does that and walks away? hmmmmm  But I digress...)

The truth of the matter is that "why" isn't necessarily obvious for those who only have passive experience with interactive digital historical reconstructions. Afterall, what is the point when we already have thousands of images of nearly every artwork imaginable on the internet? If that isn't good enough, why not just visit a museum or a historic site in person? Or just read a few books about it? Does virtual simulation have anything to offer that more traditional methods do not?

Obviously, I wouldn't be talking about this (or delivering a conference presentation on the subject) if I felt otherwise. What it really comes down to is this medium's potential to deliver interactive context. Take a moment to watch this short HD clip from the video game Assassin's Creed II, which was shown at our presentation:

Looking beyond its video game trappings and some historical detail inaccuracies, what do you see? Basillica di San Marco has rarely ever looked so stunning, thanks in part to some liberties taken by the programmers on the lighting. What is more important however is how the intricate details of the church is presented. Not as flat images, but perceivable 3D objects. Even footsteps of the character reflect the marble flooring and large spaces of the church adding a sound element to this representation. The paintings and mosaics are placed how they would have been in 15th century Venice and even the famous Pala di Ora has its distinctive metallic sheen with all its fine details intact. The art historical context such a simulation provides beings to make sense when considering how all these works of art come together within a shared space. (And without the tourists!) But is that really all the digital interactive medium has to offer? A private virtual museum space, more or less?

I would argue that it is the interactivity within these spaces that truly set this medium apart from traditional recording methods. The interactive space, where art and history begin to meld together, goes beyond just placing a person within a virtual reconstruction. It allows them to exist within the reality it presents in order to gain a stronger insight and perceive deeper subtexts that just aren't possible in more traditional mediums. Consider this next video of the indie video game September 12th, taking moment to read the instructions presented at the beginning:

This "serious game" illustrates a key difference between a static reconstruction (which one could argue the San Marco video represented) and a truly interactive one. The player's actions affect the virtual world directly and effectively highlights the realities of civilian casualties in missile warfare. You aren't just reading about it or looking at videos of the aftermath, you are an active participant. While the visuals of this virtual reconstruction are merely a shallow representation of a contemporary middle eastern city, the interaction allows it to transcend its inaccuracies in order to drive home its ethical point. The repercussions of any action quickly becomes clear. Now it must be said that September 12th is definitely intended to be an art piece with a specific agenda in mind, though I suppose one could make that argument for any historical account. However, it does provide insight into how interactive elements can deepen the experience and provide an understanding that goes beyond the medium itself.

To wrap this up, lets return to Renaissance Italy once more but in a different setting:

While this video isn't the best in demonstrating the interactive elements, it does demonstrate the potential of a "living" virtual environment. The virtual residents react to your behavior as they might have during that period of time. For instance, if I would run into a merchant carrying some goods, he would drop his crate and curse at me in Italian. If the patrolling cabinari witness the scene, they would come over and violent push me away while chastising me for my behavior. If I continue to act belligerent or draw my weapon, they would then attack me forcefully or give chase if I should flee. Soon my face would start to show on wanted posters after repeat violations. This a simple demonstration that offers numerous levels of interpretation. The more elements added, the deeper the experience and potential to develop a new understanding of a place that no longer exists. Giving a player room to experiment within a historical context provides the potential for a deeper understanding of that time and place by allowing them to push at the edges and see what comes loose through their virtual actions. It is not hard to imagine from there that a sophisticated and accurate enough reconstruction could yield academic revelations that might have remained elusive otherwise. As technology evolves to create even more detailed "living" virtual worlds, we will only find ourselves deeper in that rabbit hole. In only a few short years, the Assassin's Creed games already include the ability to manage merchant economies, represent virtual weather patterns, and even include observational anthropological activities what allow a player to better understand what they are seeing. (i.e. watching a farmer go through his daily activities is a side task in Assassin's Creed III.) It would be exciting to see what a massive collaborative effort by the best historians and programmers in the world could yield in a truly academically-driven interactive virtual reconstruction.

Ultimately, this is just the tip of the iceberg, but the possibilities are very real. And while this might only be a short answer as to "why" interactive digital reconstructions are significant as pedagogical and academic research tools, it is clear to me that we are only beginning to understand this medium's true potential as such.