Fred Wilson's Mining the Museum Response

This article discusses Fred Wilson’s work involving the notion of museums, and they way they present objects that may represent discriminatory and racist views. He exposes these ideas through his own work, which consists of actual artifacts and objects. I did some research on Fred Wilson and found an Art 21 documentary on him and really liked his creative views and processes. He manipulates already existing objects from different parts of the world and history to create his own message. His messages speak of racial views and identity issues that he has struggled with in his life. I think he is a free spirit and I admire his confidence and creative drive.

PBS Art 21 Documentary

As We May Think Response

Bush’s article, “As We May Think” speaks about the way technology and knowledge was looked at in 1945, and the hopes for the future. I personally found it to be interesting just because of the way he communicates the ideas of technology. Of course in 1945, technology was completely analog, and for me his way of explaining how machines work-whether it be with film, cranks, rods, etc., was a culture shock. He had no idea how the digital world would come into play and how much it drastically has changed daily life today-but he anticipated a huge change. He touched on many technologic devices and how they could improve, which was really refreshing to hear about because as a digital-born individual, I have no idea how to exist without these things. Specifically, “Will there be dry photography? It is already here in two forms. When Brady made his Civil War pictures, the plate had to be wet at the time of exposure. Now it has to be wet during development instead. In the future perhaps it need not be wetted at all,” and “Often it would be advantageous to be able to snap the camera and to look at the picture immediately.” Both of those comments spoke to me and really made me think. I think his statement, “if scientific reasoning were limited to the logical processes of arithmetic, we should not get far in our understanding of the physical world,” is unbelievably true. Bush also mentioned the idea of early interactivity when he said, “Put a set of premises into such a device and turn the crank, and it will readily pass out conclusion after conclusion, all in accordance with logical law, and with no more slips than would be expected of a keyboard adding machine.” A person would have to interact with a machine by giving it information, and expect a reciprocal outcome. Finally, I thought this last statement was very thought-provoking when he said, “Had a Pharaoh been given detailed and explicit designs of an automobile, and had he understood them completely, it would have taxed the resources of his kingdom to have fashioned the thousands of parts for a single car, and that car would have broken down on the first trip to Giza…I never really thought about history, or the progression of technology in that way before.