Mass Communication

Since the turn of the millennium, I have been thinking of a set of ideas put under a general category called digital minimalism. Digital Minimalism has to do with the use of low-resolution aesthetics, "glitch" sound, minimal use of code, minimal electronics, and so on in the communication of concepts through digital media. The development of this idea comes from a series of observations regarding the use of digital technologies in the creation of art, their history, and the place of those technologies within contemporary culture.

Contemporary Technologies in art are available from the 1960’s. Virtual Fluxus is the result of more than a decade of digital practice events, which give a definition of the online world. This article on Virtual Fluxus discusses the paradoxes of the Virtual in Contemporary Art. It starts its discussion with a citation from Al Hansen, as: “Fluxus is a Virtual Reality system where the glove doesn’t work properly and the helmet doesn’t fit. Other things happen than what was intended”. In this paper, the author underlines that when Virtual Fluxus happened, the gloves and goggles began to work, and when inside, things were more gloriously broken than could have been imagined. In this paper, there are several examples of virtual artworks from different authors examined.

In the creative arts, far too many people pass far too fast. Jeremy Hight was one of those people. A prolific author, interactive artist, E-literature maven, and supporter of numerous organizations around the globe at the intersection of art and technology. His death is a sublime matter for the global electronic cultural community, especially for those in Electronic Literature. His wit, candor, generosity, and enthusiasm are already deeply missed. Jeremy earned an MFA in Creative Writing at CalArts, but these are merely his academic credentials. In this writer's (and friend's) opinion, it is reductive to let this define his life and work, as his interests were incredibly broad. These included AI, Meteorology, Information Design, Electronic Literature, meme culture, and far, far more.

The practice of teaching over many years can present issues of repetition, seemingly static methodologies, and situations where new approaches become elusive. How can one determine effectiveness for various methods and content over periods of time, and determine correlations that lead to greater effectiveness? Reflective practices, such as the theories of single-and double-loop learning strategies developed by Management researchers Chris Argyris and Donald Schön in 1978 offer a framework for the academic seeking to maximize their classroom effectiveness. Schon's notions of implementing strategies of "reflection-on-action, reflection-inaction , responding to problematic situations, problem framing, problem solving, and the priority of practical knowledge over abstract theory" (Schon) create a context in which the academic can perform diagnostics upon their teaching.