Realism

1. interest in or concern for the actual or real, as distinguished from the abstract, speculative, etc.
2. the tendency to view or represent things as they really are.
3. Fine Arts .
a. treatment of forms, colors, space, etc., in such a manner as to emphasize their correspondence to actuality or to ordinary visual experience.
b. a style of painting and sculpture developed about the mid-19th century in which figures and scenes are depicted as they are experienced or might be experienced in everyday life. (Dictionary.com)

what is realism ?  Realism in relation to art is when the subject of the artist is shown in a realistic manner, as close to 'reality' as possible - the way the subject actually looked. For my understanding realism is something that is realistic; something that real which have less fantastic element. Something that representative with exact detail of real life object. art the are almost accurate as photography. for example that image below

we hardly realize which is real apple and which is apple. Realism is still apply by artist nowadays although camera is available. By using their skill they trying as hard as possible to draw or record down the detail to process a final outcome as accurate as the real life object. but is the object inside painting that the designer draw is real or still exiting ? maybe some are create by the designer memory.

for example the painting below

"If you see something that... looks human and isn't, you keep your eyes on it and you feel for your hatchet."

— Mr. Beaver, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

girl in the painting is draw with full detail but does this girl still exit? 

the Masahiro Mori's the uncanny valley theory can help us to explain the question above

this is a video to explain what is uncanny valley.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzxBpz7Xjl0)

Written by Nick Hayden & Marc Fennell

Directed by Aaron Smith, Nick Hayden & Marc Fennell

Edited by Nick McDougall

For the image on top we can place it the uncanny valley, when we found out it was a painting, because the painting had reached a level that look exactly like real human. But after we find what the painter reference on real human to process this painting, people will accept it and like it. By that time the painting will reach the target level of healthy human. From the video, we know that from the level of industry robot status is some technology that created by mimic the human movement. The industry is growing, and the robot industry have evolve, the robot have slowly improve not only the design and even the visual is mimic the real human. When it reach the level that it look exactly like a human people  at first will not accept it. At that level is the uncanny valley. But when people understand the concept and what they are referencing at people start to accept it.

The theory have been apply in all kind of source. Gaming industry it the most recognizable due to the technology now, the gamer want something that are real so while the playing it give them a feeling that they are in the game.  And even in japan they are using robot human as a concierge or receptionist to give human a more friendly experience instate of taking to a screen. 

The Process model of communication

The famous Disney have figure out a special multi touch sensor which is the Botanicus Interacticus. Botanicus Interacticus is a new technology for designing highly expressive interactive plants , which both living and artificial. The designer had take interaction from computing devices and places it in the physical world using plant as an interactive medium.
This project is very special and simple. the instrumentation of small house living plant is simple and does not bring any damage to the plants. It requires only a single wire placed anywhere in the plant soil. After placing the wire in the plant soil, it allow the user to interacte by using gestures as sliding finger on the stem of the orchid, the wire will detect the gestures and touch and estimate the amount of touch contact. 
(http://www.disneyresearch.com/research/projects/hci_botanicus_drp.htm)

The unique new project had let think of the process model of communication by Claude Shannon(1948)

sender :  The information source selects desire message or the originator of message.

encoder : The transmitter converts the message into signals.

decoder : The place of the signal which converts or decode the signals into message. The reverse process of encode.

receiver : The place to organize the signal that had been decode and  send to the final destination.

final destination : A destination for message from sender.

The sender’s messages converted into signals like waves or Binary data which is compact able to transmit the messages through cables or satellites. The decoder converts the binary data or waves send to receiver to organize into message that is understandable to the final destination to show out the message from the sender. Based on the final decoded message, the receiver gives feed back to sender. but if there are noise distressing the message it will affect the communication. The noise may affect the  process of communication which result receiver may not receive the correct message.

refer to the technology of Botanicus Interacticus

sender       :   People

encoder     :  Mostly use 'house plants' or small plant are used. 

channel     :   The wire that connect to the plant soil that carries multiple frequencies 

noise          :  Unrecognized  gestures or the distraction of the wire. 

reception  :   a chip and computer that control the signals

receiver     :  Programme that detects the signals and change it into specific sound

destination : Screen or speaker.

feedback   : The sound and graphic that present on the screen and speaker.

Digital Heritage Website

This is the first time i create a website. Is a very good experience although the website design is not really good. But hopefully the next website can be must more better. This website (www.gykho.com) that I had created is about our Malaysia culture heritage, Lion Dance(Southern).

Beside starting to create the website i had do some research for what are the information that i need to import to the website. While doing the research i had found some interesting thing about lion dance and some deeper meaning of lion dance costume.

Everyone nowadays enjoy lion dance as a performance or a sport. Lion dance actually come from a legend which actually have different version but the most common one was happen in a village in China when all the villagers are busy decorate their home to welcome the brand new year and the was a monster name "nian"(which is chinese word means year) which come out every end of the year to attack and terrorized the village, it horrified and ate men and animals. After awhile, the villagers were fed up with the beast thus they came together with an idea. The idea they have was to make a beast from paper mache and some noise making musical instrument like gongs, drums and cymbals to scare away the beast. The idea they had worked thus the villagers celebrated with firecrackers. Thus the belief of lion dancing is to bring good luck and prosperity while driving away the evil. 

For other version, you can have visit to this website (http://www.kungfusupply.nl/lion%20dance/lion_dance.htm).

Beside that the element of the Southern lion dance costume also had their own meaning.

Horn 

Southern lions are divided into Hok San and Fat San lions. The former has a curved horn while the latter sports a pointed one. In general, the lion’s horn wards off evil beings.

Head

The head is made out of papier mâché, and the movement of the eyelids enhances the lion’s vitality and liveliness. For the Northern lions, a red bow on its head indicates a male lion, or a green bow to represent female. The head comes in four sizes: one, two, three, four (four being the smallest).

Mirror (forehead)

The mirror dispels negative energy as evil spirits would be frightened by their own reflection.

Mouth 

The Hok San lion, always smiling, has a straight mouth and short tail while the Fat San lion looks more aggressive with a curved mouth and long tail.

Movement

The lion usually walks back and forth, almost like a zigzag path to confuse evil spirits. The Buddha (Dai Fut) teases the lion to lie down, roll and jump.

Body & colour 

The length of the lion varies between 1.5m and 1.8m. Lion types can be identified according to the Chinese classic ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’. Liu Bei (‘Auspicious Lion’) is yellow with white beard and fur. Guan Gong (‘Awakened Lion’) is red with black bristles and a long beard. Zhang Fei (‘Fighting Lion’) has a black face and black bristles. Other lion colours also include green (Zhao Yun), orange (Huang Zhong) and white (Ma Chao).

Expression 

Lion dance portrays eight different expressions: happiness, rest, anger, intoxication, mischief, suspicion, ecstasy and surprise.

As a chinese we need to understand what is the meaning of our great culture heritage.

Maybe some of the younger generation will think that in this modern world we need to change to become a modern person. Actually lion dance can be very modern as well. They are actually some lion dance performance that combine with modern element. Like their costume are combine with led light and glow in the dark. Beside that, instate of using traditional instrument, they even use pop music as their music.

led light lion dance

Glow in dark lion dance

hip hop lion dance with pop music