TechIntersect

One of my favorite classes that I teach is also the one that forces me to stretch the furthest and forces me to stay on my toes simply because it is near the edge of what I would consider to be my area of expertise. It is a survey course entitled “Humanities through the Arts.” I have taken hold of that class and adopted it as my own with the mission of connecting the arts with technology and the sciences. Our campus is a remote location from the main campus of Kansas State University, and as a result we have far fewer course options available for students to study in the humanities. As K-State’s College of Technology and Aviation, we have a strong technological bent which explains my desire to demonstrate strong connections between the arts and humanities.

One question I like to pose to the humanities class is “Why do all college curriculums require study outside of your major? Why do we like to see technology students study the humanities?” Typical answers include a desire to produce well rounded graduates, or to get more of our money, but I like to let the question develop over the semester to see if any deeper answers emerge. I believe some of my students really start to get it when I read some of their comments and responses to some of the art that we have been experiencing. Here are some examples:

Our first communication is usually visual. As infants we see somebody doing something and we do. We see a picture and look to see how our mother or father react to the image, and react the same way. We need to see something to believe it even if what we are looking at isn’t real. In art we see through others’ eyes. By color changes or texture of an art piece you can feel the hatred or love of the subject and with what you have learned from you parents you can like it or not like the art piece. But either way your mind grows from another’s experience/option.

Or how about:

The mind reacts to differently to different colors and music and textures. A ridged rock would raise our brain activity, hard metal rock would excite us, and the color red could anger us. Using this things in a commercial or performing art you could cause chaos. Now take a smooth rock, soft classical music, and a light purple color and you would get a calmer effect. Its how our brain works as humans and what we see hear, taste, see, touch, and smell can make all the difference giving artist the edge they need to get their point across.

Or this one:

I was recently effected from an art piece at the art center. I was about an Indian child who killed her self. It was in black and white so already in mind I was put into a good vs. bad mind set, or life vs. death. I hate to admit it but I had no good thoughts on Indians since recently my high paying job was sent to India; where they would only get $2.15 a week. I was hurt and angry. After reading and seeing that art display I realized the sadness and hurt some have to suffer, that most have to suffer. And that a child could take her own life over it. Its black and white there, you have the money or you don’t, you live or you die.

I believe we produce better engineers, scientists and technologists when they can see and understand how the work they do is for the benefit of human beings; when they can start to see the bigger picture. I believe that humanity suffers when technology people focus more on technology than on the people which it serves. My primary reason for starting this blog is to explore the interconnection between the arts and technology. As I teach this course, finding these connections has actually been much easier than I anticipated.

For example, I took the class on a tour of the Salina Art Center to see the exhibit of contemporary Indian art and there were numerous pieces that included video and interactive multimedia technology. It is almost as if I had specially requested these type of artworks be displayed for my class, but I hadn’t. Technology is playing a huge role in contemporary art and students are surprised to learn this.

We also toured the Blue Heaven Studios, a world class recording studio in a converted church right here in Salina. Then we watched the Kenny Wayne Shepherd DVD 10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads), filmed in part in Salina at the studio. Studens are amazed to learn that this even exists in their hometown and that every year the finest Blues artists come to Salina to perform.

Anywhere I can find a connection between the arts and technology, it is fair game for my course. I would love to hear your suggestions of topics to explore that address the intersection of technology and the arts.

Tags: art, education, technology

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