An International Conference
October 8-10, 1999
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Aesthetic Consequences of New Media
Moderator: Edward Baron Turk

Text Beyond Print:
Digital Kids and Emerging Literacies
Edith Ackermann, MIT School of Architecture

The passage from orality to literacy is difficult for many kids--not just kids who grow up in dominantly oral traditions but "digital" kids who zap, surf, chat over the phone, role-play with their netpals. In my talk, I explore new forms of literacy that emerge from kids' growing interest and fluency in digital technologies. Drawing from theoretical and empirical studies on the development of literacy, I discuss how written talk (in text-based narrative environments) fosters children's natural abilities to speak "a hundred languages," in a multiplicity of voices, and through dialog with others. Of particular relevance to the discussion is Walter Ong's concept of secondary orality. 

 
 
The Other End of Print: David Carson, Graphic Design, and the Aesthetics of Media
Matthew Kirschenbaum, University of Kentucky

I will discuss the innovative (and controversial) layouts of graphic designer David Carson in the context of broader issues in media studies. In particular, I will suggest that Carson's kinetic style is driven by an aesthetic that takes "information" and "media" as objects of representation in and of themselves, and that print, far from being outmoded and irrelevant in the midst of the current "Information Age," is in fact a vital component of our media ecology -- precisely because designers like Carson use print to consolidate and disseminate their aesthetics of information so effectively.

 
 
Motion Capture: Aesthetic Considerations
Maureen Furniss, Chapman University

This presentation focuses on motion capture technology, particularly in terms of entertainment and fine art applications. It addresses questions of artistry, overviews the most common types of motion capture equipment being used, and looks at future directions for development in this field.

 
 
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