Technology application - continued thinking

Just as I am in the midst of thinking about the ways in which I can better use technology to improve my painted images and painting process, I stumble onto the last half of a documentary entitled "Tim's Vermeer."  The main "character" is an inventor named Tim Jenison, a creative and inventive man who some consider to be the father of the modern desktop video era.

"The Music Lesson" - Johannes Vermeer, 1662 - 1665, Buckingham Palace

Beginning in 2008, Jenison began to analyze the paintings of Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer, and further focused his investigation and eventual experimentation, on the "The Music Lesson," see above.

Through detailed analysis, set construction, optical invention, and eventually actual painting, Jenison's work supports the invention and use of man-made optics by Vermeer, to analyze environments and replicate them in painted form.  Much of the mid-documentary language refers to the "photographic qualities" and the "photographic clarity" of both images and light, but this language does not follow throughout to the end.  Additional questions in his investigation push him beyond this more technical, but superficial level of image analysis.

Although Jenison is not a painter, his theories about invention and application result in the step-by-step documentation of his eventual painting process.  Overall, Jenison dedicated five years to this work, a total of 1,825 days.  Others involved in the project included Penn and Teller and David Hockney, also seen in the documentary.  

Jenison makes a case for not only the co-dependance of invention and art, but for the oneness of invention AND art - at least in the mid 17th century.  Throughout the documentary, Penn revisits the notion that inventiveness and art are one in the same, on a continuum, or perhaps on a parallel plain.  Which ever you believe, the evidence provided and the ideas put forth are great food for thought.  As I shared in my Monday post, technology does play a role in some of the work I do......should it be more or less, or are they the same????????????   Hmmmmmm - great questions. 

This is a documentary that is worth watching for anyone spending time painting.  As always, I am a great proponent of thinking about not only the image, but the process, and the "artistic license" elements of each work.  This documentary has played at a great time for my reflection about technology AND the manipulation of the painted surface to an artist-determined end.

 Below is a quote from Jenison. 

Tim Jenison:  "There's also this modern idea that art and technology must never meet - you know, you go to school for technology or you go to school for art, but never for both... And in the Golden Age, they were one and the same person..."

So, what role does technology play in your creative, drawing, sculpting, sketching, etc. process?  Consciously, unconsciously, deliberately?  How do you know if it has worked in a way that either enhances your images, pushes your skill, or both??