Reyes 1

Leah Reyes

Professor Sumstad

English 102- 03

November 13, 2019

Creativity with Technology

Within the 21st century society has seen a large development in the use of technology.

Technology has spread like wildfire in many different areas of work, which therefore includes

the Art community.The art community consists of all kinds of art, not just that which includes

paints. Artists who have learned to progress with the new technological age have learned to use it

to their advantage. Tech is being used in ways that enhance artists works in manners that could

not be done without the help of technology. On the opposing hand, some artists do not consider

technological art as so called “real art.” They tend to see it as cheating in a way that allows the

artists to get ahead, and also gives them the chance to create art with lesser efforts. However,

whether the works consist of technology or were created with no help but rather the old manner,

it can be seen that the piece of work will be considered art in the eyes of one or another.

Using pencils, paints, and brushes has been the norm for painters and drawers. Though it

can be messy, using physical art materials can be quite fun. Writer, Mohamad Zaher, says in his

article, ​The Impact of Digital Technology on Art and Artists, ​that “​In the past, painting and

drawing depended on the artist’s skills in wielding his traditional tools - the brush, the pencil,

charcoal or pastels.” The point being made is that non-tech art generally is more attentive in the

way that its made. Zaher also stated that now because of technology, creating the desired colors

needed for certain artwork has become much easier. When making non-digital art, it can feel
 Reyes 2

quite rewarding because overall it requires time. With color pencils, paints, and markers, at times

artist need to blend colors and create fine details which demands patience and skill to do

so.When an artist draws or paints at times they can make mistakes, but this allows them to build

their skills by correcting their undesired marks. Though seeing artworks made with pencils and

paper is very neat to see, that does not mean that technological art is not worthy of our

amazement as well. In the article​ The Rise of Technology in Art​ by Thomas Evans, Evans uses

examples and his personal opinions to just how impactful these new advances have been on the

creative side of society. Specific examples given are 3D Art, Interactive art, Augmented reality,

and so on. Evans states that “ Augmented reality offers a unique crossover between the physical

world in which we live and the digital world in which we spend much of our time.” For many

seeing an artwork be created layer by layer, and eventually becoming the environment around

you can be very appealing to the eye. With technology the limits are almost endless with what

one can do. With 3D printing we can make an artwork, become a physical object one can grasp

their hands around. Also some have learned to use 3D printing as a means of making prosthetics

for those missing limbs. As one can see tech has left some type of impact on painters, sculptures,

and drawers.

Now as for other artist, tech has also crept in with some influences, for example on

photographers and filmmakers. To begin there has been a difference for photographers from the

20th to the 21st century. In the article ​How Technology has Changed News Photography Over 40

years, ​photographer Jim Wilson states ”The equipment itself is far more sophisticated and

capable — we can see what we are shooting in real time…” (Wilson). He also states that there

has been a difference in the amount of equipment they must carry. The times have changed and
 Reyes 3

for some they have been made easier and better. With technology photographers can achieve

their assignments faster with all the advancements given, this can come in handy as most of the

time this is their career and many photographers have deadlines to achieve their tasks. Wilson

also states how when he started “ Everything was dependent on processed film, which meant

having to bring film, a darkroom kit including enlarging and print making equipment, and a

transmitter (very much like a souped up fax machine).” This process was time consuming but

still is a form of art. Using the prior methods did show hard work and dedication but, tech can be

used in the same manner as well. As for filmmaking, there of course have been some changes

within the industry but not many. In an article written by Charles Matthau, it is said that with the

new shooting cameras in the filming industry, audiences are now able to see fine detail in

movies. This is great because now it puts emphasis on precision. For example in stop motion

pictures, new cameras can capture fine lines that have importance to directors. Along with that

editing has been made simpler, allowing work to run smoothly. Editing usually took long hours

and still did not look as realistic, in comparison to the CGI used today that at times it's hard to

decipher the difference between reality and edits.

Finally, it comes to singing and music in general. Music has come a long ways over the

thousands of years that it has been on this earth. It's an art form that is constantly evolving to

attend to the different likings of every individual. As for the music recent to human kind there

has been great changes within the present and past century. There also is an ongoing debate on

whether the music of today's generation even be considered music, in comparison to the music of

the 20th century. To anyone it is evident that technology has indeed changed music in all its

aspects. In the past ages people had to purchase CD’s, records, and cassette tapes to listen to the
 Reyes 4

music they wanted, as well as use the old fashion radio to listen to a variety of different podcasts

and speakers. Now we have many paths on how to get music at the touch of a button, and get it

directly into our hands. For example we use spotify or apple music which is easier than having to

go to the store to make a purchase of hundreds of CDs. The nice thing about having many CDs is

that you can create a little collection for your favorite artist, and carry them wherever you go.

Now as for how music is made, the changes are endless. In the article ​How Has Technology

Change the Way of Music, i​ t says that “The actual production of music has also been affected.

Many artists rely on auto tuning technology, so that any imperfections in their pitch or tone can

be instantly corrected” (How). Before autotune was a thing, artists had to make countless

recordings to get the sound they desired. Now it doesn't take as many tries because a minor

mistake can easily be corrected with technology to make the track sound better. Instruments can

as well be replaced by technology because recorders have been able to mimic the sound of

different instruments, and now can make the sounds overlap to make it sound as if an entire band

were present. Author Luke Peters says in his article ​How Evolving Tech has changed Music

Production, ​self promotion is a new thing with technology. An artist has the ability to choose to

go through with a record label or start off by themselves. There are different apps online that

allow a person to mimic a recording studio right in their own home, without spending thousands

of dollars. Though technology has greatly impacted music, it's great to still give recognition to

older artist who helped influence us today. In the 60’s, 70’s, and so on, they weren't given the

tools artists have today. It took some effort to achieve their fame, but then again who didn’t work

hard to get where they are? It's just the ways of advertisement were a bit less advanced, and

people took longer to get known about. Its like how we get news on social media today, in
 Reyes 5

comparison to how people used to get news through the paper. Not only has the production of

music changed but the type of music has changed as well. Now in the current century we see an

audience that is attracted to techno music and pop. It want really heard of auntill we were given

the means to create the genres. Before many were into rock, blues, jazz and so on, which did not

require as much tech. Everything has been progressing with the involvement of tech, and music

has surely gone with the many new changes of the current century.

Art comes in many different shapes, forms, sounds, colors and so on. Humanity was

gifted with the ability to create projects that are capturing to the eye and appealing to the ears.

With the assistance of technology society is able to see wonders in different ways that were

never to be seen by our ancestors before. The many different types of art have been able to

progress because of technology, whether it be for better or worse. Technology as indeed allowed

humanity to create a variety of art, but humanity must not forget the importance of art from the

past. If it weren't for people learning to use their hands, voices, and so on in different ways then

we wouldn't know where to further the creativity of art. It's important to remember the past so we

as a society can figure out how to progress, learn from trials, and continue the artistic journey. In

the end, the times are changing and everything in it is bound to alter along with the progressing

moments. It all depends on the individual to choose whether they love to change and try

something new, or they can decide to stay in a comfortable position with the old, and what feels

right. It's evident that at one point or another we have all had some type of love or interest in the

different arts we've created.

 Reyes 6

Works Cited

“How Has Technology Changed the Way of Music?” ​How Has Technology Changed the Way of
Music? – RonaldShannonJackson.com​,
www.ronaldshannonjackson.com/how-has-technology-changed-the-way-of-music/​.
“The Impact of Digital Technology on Art and Artists.” ​Midan Masr,​
www.midanmasr.com/en/article.aspx?articleID=200​.
“The Rise of Technology in Art – by Thomas Evans.” ​Bare Conductive,​
www.bareconductive.com/news/the-rise-of-technology-in-art/​.
Matthau, Charles. “How Tech Has Shaped Film Making: The Film vs. Digital Debate Is Put to
Rest.” ​Wired​, Conde Nast, 7 Aug. 2015,
www.wired.com/insights/2015/01/how-tech-shaped-film-making/​.
Peters, Luke, et al. “How Evolving Tech Has Changed Music Production.” ​Tech.co​, 25 Jan.

2016, tech.co/news/music-production-evolution-2016-01.

Wilson, Jim. “How Technology Has Changed News Photography Over 40 Years.” ​The New York
Times,​ The New York Times, 27 Sept. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/technology/personaltech/how-technology-has-changed-ne
ws-photography-over-40-years.html​.

Annotated Bibliography
Dodge, Amanda. “How Technology Continues to Revolutionize the Film Industry.” ​OzoBlog,​ 31

July 2019,

blog.ozobot.com/steam/how-technology-continues-to-revolutionize-the-film-industry/.

The article gives light to how technological advances have helped develop the

film industry. It has impacted directors and their uses of technology to make their artistic

films. The article will greatly me assist in giving way to just how the film industry has

changed with the times.

 Reyes 7

The History of Production Music,​ ​www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/prodMusHistory.html​.

The source given is one that gives a timeline of how music production has

developed over time. It primarily gives way to how music making has progressed in the

20th century. I think it’s of importance because it shows how technology has helped

progress the making of music, and also lead me to look deeper into how it all started.

Kimutai, Kenneth. “The Past, Present, And Future Of Photography.” ​WorldAtlas,​ 2 Dec. 2016,

www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-past-present-and-future-of-photography.html​.

The article breaks down the history and development of photography. I like that it

gave details of how its impacted society and also gave some examples of great

photographers. The article helped me by thinking about how technology has helped

photography has come a long way with time.

Metmuseum.org,​

www.metmuseum.org/blogs/teen-blog/renaissance-portrait/blog/studying-art-from-the-pa

st​.

The article in general speaks about how humanity should learn about the art of the

past, and gives light tk what it was like before. I liked the article because it made me

think about hwy past art is so important to the art we have today. If it weren't for the past,

we humans wouldn't have what we have today.

“How Has Technology Changed the Way of Music?” ​How Has Technology Changed the Way of

Music? – RonaldShannonJackson.com​,

www.ronaldshannonjackson.com/how-has-technology-changed-the-way-of-music/​.
 Reyes 8

The article not only talks about how the production of music has changed but also

speaks about how new music is being heard and how technology is creating new music

genres. This is a good source to have because it's also good to show how audiences

receive the art being given by the artist. If there wasn't an audience then there would be

no art to make. Therefore I can show just how technology is altering all aspects that deal

with music.

Matthau, Charles. “How Tech Has Shaped Film Making: The Film vs. Digital Debate Is Put to

Rest.” ​Wired​, Conde Nast, 7 Aug. 2015,

www.wired.com/insights/2015/01/how-tech-shaped-film-making/​.

In this source the author gives light to the art of film making and how

technological advances of today have impacted the industry, whether it be cost or how

film is being preserved. The article doesn't talk much about how the film industry has

changed on techniques with new technology but, it does help show the pros of the new

advances today. It shows how beneficial it can be to have the new tech around, which can

help show that technology isn't necessarily taking a turn for the worse.

“Is Digital Technology Making Art Better or Worse? Computers Help Us Create Art, Maybe a

Little Too Much.” ​The Sheaf The University of Saskatchewan Newspaper Since 1912,​ 15

Oct. 2019,

thesheaf.com/2012/03/29/is-digital-technology-making-art-better-or-worse-computers-he

lp-us-create-art-maybe-a-little-too-much/.

The article speaks about the debate of whether technology has been used to make

art better or worse. It gives examples of failures and successes of technonlybeing use in
 Reyes 9

art. This source will help me by showing me a balance between old and new art. I feel it

shows both sides of the argument so I will be able to take facts from one source about

both sides. I would like to take some of the facts that include dates and data to strengthen

my argument.

Rieland, Randy. “7 Ways Technology Is Changing How Art Is Made.” ​Smithsonian.com,​

Smithsonian Institution, 27 Aug. 2014,

www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/7-ways-technology-is-changing-how-art-is-made-

180952472/​.

The article given speaks primarily about seven different ways that technology has

helped advance the art community for the better. The article provides recent and thorough

examples of these advancements. I plan to use this article in my commentary to help

provide examples of how technology has also helped better the way we make art using

paints and pencils. In this art genre some do not see how beautiful it is when technology

and art come together to make masterpieces, so this will help provide images.

Theme. “Theme.” ​More Photography​, 25 Jan. 2013,

the.me/how-technology-changed-photography/.

In this source, the author proceeds to speak about the past and how people used to

process photos, but then gives an example of how technological advances have changed

photography and how it's even made the process easier. I plan to use this article to give

my artistic audience a taste of how art has developed with the use of technology. Times

have changed from the 20th century to now so the article explains how photography has

been made easier.

 Reyes 10

“The Serious Relationship of Art and Technology.” ​Widewalls,​

www.widewalls.ch/the-serious-relationship-of-art-and-technology/​.

The article speaks of the development and incorporation of technology within the

art community. This article will be helpful in showing just how technology has changed

art over time, as well as show just how impactful tech developments have been to artist.