13th weekly classes (Tue27, Thu29 Nov) - Summary and Comment after class about "determing or determined?"

* This weekly summary *

We talked about the Frankfurt school critique in the popularisation of new media and different opinion of Mcluhan and Williams this week. Especially at thursday, we learned the difference between Mcluhan's opinion and Williams's. From that, central culture and popular culture are discussed, after that I thought where the interactive art is in art now and where the interactive art must be in art.

* This weekly my comment *

1. The return of the Frankfurt school critique in the popularisation of new media.
In the Greek Ages, governors said the word to civilians. That is, the way of communication in those days is one-way. In the 18c and 19c, there are three groups which are artists, viewers and theorists but they are small groups. In the early 20c, Frankfurt school emerged and insisted these groups had been bigger than the past. So popular culture started to emerge.
At this point in time, I think we can't divide those groups. viewers(users) can be artists. I can't see the boundaries of those groups.

2. The status of Mcluhan and Williams.
Mcluhan and Williams had different theory about the media. Mcluhan persisted New media change everything. That is, he saw the media is active. On the other hand, Williams said the medium is only the part of our culture and he saw the media is passive.
Mcluhan said the medium is the message. This phrase means medium is more important than any "meaning" or "content" that the medium conveys. McLuhan proposed that media themselves, not the content they carry, should be the focus of study, he said that a medium affects the society in which it plays a role not by the content delivered over the medium, but by the characteristics of the medium itself. There are many opinions about this Mcluhan's saying.
Also, we talked about the central culture and popular culture. Why is the central culture in center? Is popular culture really low art and central culture really beautiful art?
Only limited people understand and like central culture but most people like popular culture. Central culture has been protected by the upper classes and people study easily. On the other hand, popular culture of the public has been handed down by oral tradition.
These days, interactive art is being known well to the public but people thought interactive art is the low part of art. I think people understand that way because people can't encounter interactive art a lot. Thus, I think we have to get near to public with the interactive art more frequently.