Wind buffeting a rocky landscape, sunlight dappling a valley, beads of water glinting on a violet petal, during Marten Berkman’s talk, we saw it all in the enchanting detail of 3D. His presentation gave me a great deal of food for thought regarding the relationship between media and nature, and it shone a light on a continuing struggle I have with digital art. His conviction that his work could establish an intimate relationship between an audience and the natural landscape he is hoping to safeguard was inspirational. However, as glad as I was to be able to hear him talk about the spirit and meaning behind his exhibit, without his explanation, I’m not sure I would have been so moved.
How does one establish a meaningful connection to a subject most will never experience? Certainly on way would be to create some sort of immersive, realistic experience, but another, which Berkman also explores is to acknowledge the disconnect between viewer and subject. Berkman’s exhibit examines the problem of how to create intimacy with a landscape you will never see for yourself. His work makes us reflect on the power of maintaining a self-conscious element in your art, and that turning the viewer’s attention to the act of viewing can be a powerful tool, particularly when, as Berkman is, you are interested in mediated relationships.
Our relationship with the natural world is nothing these days if not mediated. Berkman, like many others, ponders the effect of an overabundance of images of the nature and the fact that when we encounter nature, it is sometimes hard to fight the impulse to think, “wow, this looks just like a photograph.” I myself have had that reaction: upon reaching the summit of a mountain, for example, or when looking over vacation photos from a trip to Mexico and feeling they looked more like postcards than memories. Another aspect to consider is the extent to which images of nature are associated with commerce. For years, peaceful valleys, snow-capped mountains, and dew dripped flowers have been used to sell us everything from shampoo, to bottled water, to calendars, to cars. At one point in his talk, Berkman overlays an image of a flower with the image of a shampoo bottle and almost immediately the image was trivialised, it no longer appeared unique or beautiful, but trite and disposable.
We must ask ourselves, then, what is the effect of this over saturation? What s the effect of continually comparing reality to images that are manufactured with specific goals in mind; to sell, to romanticise, to shock, etc. Do we become desensitized? Do we devalue our actual experiences? To some extent I think we do and it is important to always be mindful of its subtle interference with our enjoyment.
We all desire to feel satisfied both intellectually and aesthetically by a piece of art. Many mediums have the ability do do this for me, however, I often find it hard to be fully invested in a digital work. Therefore, the one and only area in which I found Berkman’s piece, and some of the other presentations, to be less than satisfying was the visuals. A solid film, for example, presents stunning and engaging visuals at the same time as it reaches beyond the limits of the storyline to speak to something deeper and more permanent about the human condition. The latter is something I think each of the digital artists I saw on Friday did exceedingly well, the former is, in my opinion, up for some debate. Were I to encounter many of these works on their own I am not certain whether I would feel that their intent was met with equally engaging aesthetics. Some of it struck me as opaque or unapproachable without considerable explanation and is something with which I am not fully at ease. However, I have not been acquainted with digital art for very long, so it is entirely possible that the disconnect I feel is due to my lack of education and familiarity with subject.
Nevertheless, incredibly impressed with the quality of the presentations at Interactive Futures. It was fascinating to listen to fellow artists speak about their processes and passions. Marten Berkman stood out thanks to his deep passion for his subject matter, his humble attitude and ability to put forward his ecological agenda without being condescending or sentimental, and the important questions he raised concerning the role of digital media in environmentalism. For me, the true measure of a piece of art is whether or not it can get close enough to you to change you in some way, and the works I saw on Friday did just that. The conference has made me reflect on my own place within the realm of new media artists which is precisely what I came to Emily Carr to do!
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