[-empyre-] empyre Digest, Vol 77, Issue 7

[davin heckman]

Alan,
For me, inequality in access is a recurring concern.  I think that AR
is appealing because it formalizes "folk" practices.  I think the poor
man's (or woman's) AR can be seen in virtually any bathroom stall, bus
stop, high school desktop, etc.: graffiti.  But even graffiti is a
material representation of consciousness, directing thought towards
another.  The iphone offers the ability to apply narrative and
interpretation to space in the same way that graffiti and storytelling
do....  but where it might differ is in the personal stakes for the
writer, the permanence of the writing, and in the reading public that
it engages.  Writing in public space immediately puts the writer into
dialogue with the other inhabitants of that space.  Various AR apps
engage a narrower slice of the public, which calls into question the
notion of the public at all, but which is also why they are permitted.
 Hacker attacks on websites are also AR applications, but like
graffiti, they are considered criminal....  as opposed to merely
"fun."  At the same time, I think most people want to be a part of
culture and society in this neoliberal era....  so simulated folk
practices are incredibly appealing.  I think the test is how to push
our way from simulated practices into the real.
Davin



On Sun, Apr 10, 2011 at 12:12 AM, Alan Sondheim <sondheim at panix.com> wrote:
>
>
> I was fascinated by the link Paul Brown sent in,
>
> http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/04/new-augmented-reality-app-unle.html
>
> - because of the creativity unleashed; the iphone, whatever, becomes an
> active tool instead of a receiver. I have two questions, occasioned in part
> by my relative poverty in relation to this discussion (I can't see my own
> pieces!) -
>
> 1 - What, if anything is being done to eliminate the various headgear or
> even smartphone receivers that are current necessary to receive AR and its
> extensions? The last issue of Lusitania, Beyond Form, Architecture and Art
> in the Space of Media, focuses on the physico-inert-kinetic constructs of
> situated responsive liquid architectures, some of which have been realized.
> But even these require an over-emphasis on things. I was taken in this
> regard by Newstweek which runs interference on a wide variety of platforms,
> augmenting inscription.
>
> 2 - A vast number of people already carry smartphones etc., constantly use
> them on the move (too many walks/hikes with people staring at the screens
> etc.); for them, the media environment is already amalgamated, physical
> reality already augmented simply by the presence of the screen. So there's
> an enclave set up in the midst of the practico-inert, one occasioned by
> surplus income, local/technological accesspoints, etc. The second question
> is related to the first and my previous post - what can be done to extend
> this, breakdown the enclave? The uses are tremendous - think of a device
> that might be employed around Fukushima, directly outlining radiation levels
> as AR. This would have application for all sorts of pollutions; one might
> use it in a firefight, for example, in order to avoid oncoming.
>
> Sorry, I'm writing blurrily at the moment. ... What I'm asking - how does
> one break the enclave - the sense of privilege AR implies - how does one
> make the creative version of the $100 or $10 laptop here?
>
> Why is this important? It's not in a lot of places, but in the US at this
> point, 1% of the country owns 95-99% of the wealth (depending on the stats)
> and the relative income of the poor is decreasing quickly:
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110408/ts_yblog_thelookout/off-the-charts-income-gains-for-super-rich
> and http://l.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/08/inequality.jpg - these are
> people who would socially benefit from AR, and yet it's totally out of
> reach. I might add that the elderly obviously fall into this category as
> well, etc.
>
> So is there a way for AR to reach out? Is there a technology that doesn't
> require technology? Or an AR-technological equivalent, say, of the old
> Bread-and-Puppet Theater?
>
> Finally I want to thank everyone for an fascinating discussion, and it's
> really heartening to see so much amazing work, so many directions! I
> particularly want to thank Patrick here, and Mark Skwarek, who has nurtured
> me to some extent.
>
> - Alan
>
>
>
>
> ==
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> ==
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