The following 6 posts are my reflections about visual culture and new media. These articles comprise the end-project for my subject Culture and Media in the Institue for Interactive Media (IAM) in Amsterdam. This is not an art review, rather an articulation of several concepts in new media as … [Read more...]

Films containing computer-generated images and computer animation have given birth not only to its own unique aesthetics, but also a critique of its visual seductiveness and dominance. In addressing this so-called ‘spectacular realism’ (Lister 2003: 145), we are faced with two main connotations of … [Read more...]

I love everything LOTR; not just Legolas, but even Gollum and Sauron. But after seeing Jackson’s LOTR, I’ve become unexpectedly a real fan of Gollum. Its/his performance in the film was truly touching. Yep, ‘its/his performance’, because Gollum wasn’t just purely a CGI; as everyone knows, he’s also … [Read more...]

Although many celebrate the technologies of verisimilitude, many also criticize the role of digital animation and special effects as factors that contribute to the depthlessness of modern cinema and the digital visual culture. These digital-driven images are seen as dazzling and thrilling, but … [Read more...]

The effect and usefulness of movies certainly last longer than their viewing time. I think movies (TV, videos) have become so ingrained in our society (I’m a film-junkie myself) that its visual recall is so powerful. Our visual literacy makes this sort of posters powerful media. Many people may find … [Read more...]

Its full title is: 'The Company of Captain Banning Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch’. In this painting, the young Lord Van Purmerland as Captain orders his Lieutenant, the Lord Van Vlaerdingen, to march his company Civilians. The popular title, The Nightwatch, is actually a nickname earned … [Read more...]