| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺北藝術大學 === 科技藝術研究所碩士班 === 96 === Body modification has an ancient history, as can still be observed in aboriginal peoples. In contemporary culture, common techniques include tattoos and piercing. I discuss a growing trend of digital heteroplasticity -- the electronic grafting onto skin of different features -- as best illustrated by the modification of human bodies in Hollywood special effects. This in turn reflects our growing dependence on technology and the verisimilitude of modern digital techniques -- to the point where the boundary between the "real" and the "virtual" ceases to be well-defined. Such changes are not necessarily benign, and there is a deep fear associated with them -- creating "boundary anxiety"; which I explore in examination of writings of Jean Baudrillard, Paul Virilio, and artists (or collectives) with the pseudonyms ""Cyborgs" and "Posthuman"; while using a framework of dualism based on Maurice Meleau-Ponty.
I illustrated my points by discussing two of my artworks: "Out of Body" in which the viewer wears a head-monitor and enters virtual-reality -- raising the question of whether the participant controls the avatar or vice-versa and "Weirdware" which is an artwork that combines digital photography and digital-analogue conversion, creating spiral deformations of images of the body. I contrast my work with contemporary art, and discuss the importance of "flaws" as a creative fount.
As the old philosopher''s chestnut, "who am I?", we find that digital heteroplastic manipulation leaves the question open to interpretation, and I ponders to what extent this "frees my mind."
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