The theme for this essay is digital literature. I will focus specifically on digital poetry. The images can be found in this Pinterest board (https://pin.it/12e8biV1l). The first image is a titled Nao! It is a schematic representation of a poem as shown in image 1 below.
Image 1: Não! (No!) 1982
Não! (No!), a digital poetry piece created in 1982 by an Eduardo Kac. It explores the interplay between visual and textual elements through a dynamic presentation on an electronic signboard. First exhibited in 1984 at the Centro Cultural Cândido Mendes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the work consists of text blocks that circulate in virtual space at equal intervals, leaving the screen blank before the arrival of the subsequent block (Funkhouser, 2007). This alternation between the appearance and disappearance of fragmented verbal material prompts readers to construct semantic connections as the letters move across the display. The internal visual rhythm of the poem is thus augmented by the subjective performance of the reader, inviting an active engagement with the work's temporality. Notably, "Não!" was realized on an LED display, a technological medium that facilitated its dynamic and ephemeral nature (Glazier, 2002).
The second image is also by Eduardo Kac. It is runtime looped digital animation that was created on an Apple III. It is shown in Image 2 below.
Image 2: Geometria do Êxtase (Geometry of Ecstasy) 1982
Geometria do Êxtase (Geometry of Ecstasy), created by Eduardo Kac in 1982, is a digital poem that explores the interplay between language, geometry, and movement. The viewer is presented with a top-down perspective of a cube, upon which verbal shadows are cast by an invisible, orbiting light source (Kac, 2004). These shadows gyrate in a clockwise manner, akin to the motion of a sundial, undergoing permutations that generate new words in multiple languages with each revolution (Funkhouser, 2007). The poem operates in a continuous loop, inviting the viewer to engage with its perpetual transformation and linguistic dynamism. Originally written in Basic, "Geometria do Êxtase" formed part of a series of experimental ASCII works that Kac produced in the early 1980s, marking a pioneering exploration of digital poetry's potential to transcend traditional textual boundaries (Glazier, 2002).
The third image is a 1985 digital poetry by Eduardo. Titled, Reabracadabra, it is a collection of Mintel artwork included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate Modern in London. It is shown in image 3 below.
Image 3: Eduardo Kac, Reabracadabra, 1985
Reabracadabra, an animated digital poem created by Eduardo Kac in 1985. It explores the convergence of language, mysticism, and scientific symbolism. Exhibited online as part of the "Arte On-Line" group show, a Minitel art gallery presented by Companhia Telefônica de São Paulo. Notably, the work centers on a word of Kabbalistic resonance rendered as a cosmic monolith (Funkhouser, 2007). Moreover, it draws inspiration from the atomic model. As shown in image 3 above, the vowel is depicted as the nucleus, with consonants orbiting as particles, imbuing the incantatory word with a sense of dynamic, universal motion (Kac, 2004). Through this symbolic fusion of the linguistic and the cosmological, Reabracadabra invites viewers to contemplate the mystical dimensions inherent within language itself. The work's significance is further underscored by its inclusion in the collections of prominent institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Tate Modern in London (Paul, 2015).
The fourth piece of work is also by Eduardo and is titled. Image 4 below shows screenshot of Eduardo Kac's "Oco" (Hollow). It was first produced in 1985 as a hologram and then reimagined as a digitally animated poetry in 1990. The letter I appears and vanishes as the three letters spin in space, creating the brief appearance of the phrases "o cio" (in heat) and "ócio" (idleness).
Image 4: OCO (Hollow) 1985
OCO (Hollow), created by Eduardo Kac in 1985, delves into the spatial and semantic dimensions of language through an exploration of the three-dimensional architecture of the letters O, C, and I. As the letter I rhythmically appears and disappears within the composition, multiple meanings in Portuguese emerge (Glazier, 2002). These interpretations arise not only from the cognitive associations made by the viewer but also from the perceived spatial relationships between the letters themselves (Kac, 2004). Initially presented in 1985 as an interactive holopoem (now lost), OCO was recreated in 1990 as an interactive digital poem, allowing viewers to engage with its dynamic, multifaceted nature through digital means (Funkhouser, 2007). By inviting the audience to navigate the interplay between form, language, and meaning, OCO underscores the potential of digital poetry to transcend traditional textual boundaries and challenge conventional notions of literary expression.
References
Funkhouser, C. T. (2007). Prehistoric digital poetry: An archaeology of forms, 1959-1995. University of Alabama Press.
Glazier, L. P. (2002). Digital poetics: The making of e-poetries. University of Alabama Press.
Kac, E. (2004). Multimedia and new media art. In M. Kelly (Ed.), Encyclopedia of aesthetics (Vol. 3, pp. 348-350). Oxford University Press.
Paul, C. (2015). Digital art (3rd ed.). Thames & Hudson.
In this article, the author provides a detailed overview of digital poetry, with a focus on the works of Eduardo Kac. The author showcases several key pieces of Kac's digital poetry, discussing their themes, technological aspects, and artistic significance. Alayna effectively contextualizes each digital poetry piece within its historical and cultural milieu, offering background information that helps readers appreciate the significance of the artworks. By discussing the social and technological factors that influenced the creation of these works, she enriches the analysis and deepens the reader's understanding. Also, while the essay primarily focuses on descriptive analysis, it briefly introduces critical themes such as the interplay between form and meaning in digital poetry. This sets the stage for further exploration and invites readers to consider the deeper implications of the artworks beyond their surface appearance.
ReplyDeleteAlayna primarily offers a descriptive account of each artwork, detailing its creation, thematic elements, and technical features. However, while this information is valuable for understanding the context of the digital poems, it could benefit from a more nuanced examination of their artistic innovations, conceptual underpinnings, and broader implications within the field of digital literature. Moreover, the author's commentary on the significance of social media platforms in disseminating protest information seems somewhat disconnected from the main focus of the essay, which is digital poetry. While the discussion on social media's role in activism is relevant in a broader cultural context, its inclusion here feels tangential and detracts from the depth of analysis on digital poetry.