1. The idea of Roland Barthes’ “tissue of quotations” relates to the context of Manovich’s viewpoint because it demonstrates that there is not a set meaning on anything original. In Barthes’ case, he is referring to specifically just text, but this concept extends to new media as well. With technology today, it can sometimes be challenging to create original content because there is a temptation to view existing subject matter, and derive parts of it to create something new. This is also readily available to a large population of people, so really anyone with the basic knowledge of software techniques are capable of remodelling something to their personal liking. Anything that can be found on the Internet or seen in the media is vulnerable for being remade. There are many instances of this, such as inspirational artwork, website platforms like Format, Tumblr, and Wix, even recipes in cookbooks; all can be remade and altered to suit the individual’s preference. The idea that there is not “a single ‘theological’ meaning” (3), according to Barthes, will remain true as long as media exists.
“In software-driven production environment, these quotations come not only from the creators’ memories of what they previously saw, read, and heard, but also directly from the databases of media assets, as well as numerous other words that in the case of the World Wide Web are just a click away.”
-Lev Manovich, Who is the Author? Sampling / Remixing / Open Source (3).
Some Examples:
Looking at an “original” piece and its transformations; Original publicity still for the 1953 film Niagara (left), Andy Warhol, 1962 (middle), & Gary Andrew Clarke, 2014 (right).
http://www.thatsongsoundslike.com -A website dedicated to the similarities certain songs share in common.
2. From what I gathered, there is a slight but distinct difference between remixing and resampling, according to Manovich’s definition. Remixing is the manipulation and remodeling of an existing piece of content, and resampling is a collage of pre-made material used to create something new. (Put simply, a remix adjusts something that is already made, and a resample does not exist until it is built by piecing content together). Initially, these techniques were only used in the music industry, as Manovich mentions, but they have now expanded beyond this. An example that directly targets online art and web design is the very notion of creating a new website. There is the option of using pre-existing templates that can be adjusted to suit personal preferences. Creators can also take existing coding and build something completely new. A specific instance of is the customization of a Tumblr theme; they are readily available and allow users to edit html for minor adjustments and personalization. Themes can also be created from blank documents as well; resampling can be made by gathering existing codes such as scrolling options and typeface choices and combined to build something completely new.
A distasteful example of an original song & a remix. (Note: more like a remake).
Original (Double Take, 2012.)
“Remix” (Dave Days, 2012.)
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