Introduction

In our first reading of the book Art and Electronic Media, the last sentence of page 15 particularly caught my attention: "Although electricity has become so ubiquitous as to be mundane, artists continue to discover its poetic significance, if not magic" (Shanken 15-16).  This statement brings to mind the idea that new uses of electricity in art can remind us of how inspiring and beautiful technology can be - even though technology is generally considered to be a part of "science."  In addition to this idea, I also believe that the act of imagining what previous technological developments must have felt like at the time is also helpful; it gives us an appreciation for the technology we have now, and it allows us to humbly reflect on how far we have come since the Industrial Revolution.

As the book began and the author presented his timeline of technological developments, I couldn't help but parallel the events and examples with those of the Walt Disney Company, which began in 1923.  Below I have listed a few pieces of Disney-related electronic art, considered at the time to be the height of technological innovation.  While it is interesting to see how crude or mundane the past technology seems today, I think it is equally fascinating to imagine how unprecedented and miraculous it must have felt at the time.

Kansas City Film Ad Company (~1920)

Just before the Walt Disney Company was founded, Walt worked for the Kansas City Film Ad Company, making stop-motion animated advertisements.  To see the animation, go here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho9nKS7V5ws) and watch from the 9:00 - 9:25 minute mark.

Steamboat Willie (1928)

The first cartoon with synchronized sound!  Other cartoons had accompanying music (usually piano) playing in the theater, but "Steamboat Willie" was the first with a soundtrack recorded onto the animation.  Watch it here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBgghnQF6E4) and imagine how enthralled audiences must have felt to hear the instruments and the voices.

Flowers and Trees (1932)

Some critics thought the bright colors would be too strenuous on the eyes.  Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB0WB7OidMU

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Seen as such a bad idea by so many people that it was dubbed "Disney's Folly."
Became the 10th highest-grossing film of all time (adjusted for inflation).

Audio-Animatronics (1960's-present)

Mechanical, animated figures that have pre-programmed, realistic movements (although some Audio-Animatronics are now able to move in response to the external environment).  President Lincoln was one of the first Audio-Animatronics, while Dopey is one of the newest.  This video really shows how innovative the Audio-Animatronic technology has become: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-PV4PsRCgo . . .

. . . But in 100 years, will it look as crude and dull as the stop motion clown commercial from Kansas City?

Shanken, Edward.  Art and Electronic Media.  New York: Phaidon Press, 2014.  Print.