Brief: Computational paintings of the American landscape before and after technology.
Keywords: Landscape, computational painting, science fiction, Hudson River School, Blade Runner, "The Oxbow", "Los Angeles, 2019", Thomas Cole, sublime.
Media: Flickr Set (research and work in progress)
Media: Thesis Paper (PDF)
Americana and Technology is a media installation that contrasts two popular depictions of the American landscape - in the 19th century Hudson River School painting movement and in contemporary science fiction cinema - to examine the stories that influence our beliefs about technology's effect on society.
The installation is composed of two large-scale prints (approximately 60" x 40") and two small computer screens. The prints are computational paintings - computer-generated compositions - that show the American landscape before and after technology. On the screens, a customized software program demonstrates the composition process - sampling textures from digital reproductions of Hudson River School paintings and still frames from science fiction films - slowly constructing the two printed landscapes and revealing the visual language and symbolism of these popular forms in the process.
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