Module 3 - Rhymes, Rhymes ... Some of the time

Rhyming, to rhyme. In the literal, according to Merriam-Webster (2015), a rhyme consists of “one or two or more words or phrases that end in the same sounds.” While accurate, it doesn't quite bring forth the concept … the feeling of a consistent, persistent, and surprising echo of what has come before. A repetition that invokes the past; both near and distant. It is often said that history repeats itself. Within the context of an individual, or a country, or our collective human path this axiom seems to prove itself … dare I say … repeatedly?

As nearly a universally repetitious constant, it is no surprise that within technology we can find some of the most poignantly distant rhymes. Dr. Thornburg (Laureate Education, 2014a) refers to this technological poetry as one of the driving forces behind the emergence of new ideas and inventions. It is this idea that if you listen closely to those things on the leading edge of our technological development, you will hear an echo of the distant past. This concept falls in line with McLuhan’s rekindling quadrant (Laureate Education, 2014b), and is my focus for this post.

Let us travel back in time 39,900 years ago to this:

CreditKinez Riza from NYTimes.com

Art. Some of the first ever discovered. The ability to express, in some way, that which otherwise remains obscure and unspoken. From these humble beginnings artists the world over have used whatever tools they could to produce their works. The most common method of modern times is certainly pen-to-paper or brush-to-canvas. Fast-forward and enter the age of computers and listen as old school artists lament at the loss of holding a pen to paper, while computer artists stretch the boundaries of what is possible by ditching hand-to-paper in favor of mouse-to-screen.

Now, fast-forward to the Cintiq:

“The edge-to-edge glass envelops an expansive 27” working surface with no visual disruptions. It’s a seamless creative experience with space for everything except limits.”

“The Pro Pen offers ultra-fine precision through 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt recognition and a comfortable ergonomic design. A selection of interchangeable nibs provides a range of different feels and possibilities.”

The Cintiq is an experience that pulls together the feel and functionality of pen-to-paper with the extraordinary flexibility of mouse-to-screen. It even allows you to rotate the page as you did when you were a kid, looking for that perfect angle for the next stroke in your refrigerator masterpiece. However, it combines that with the now common pinch and expand gestures to allow the artist to zoom in to their heart’s content to create detail more fine than da Vinci could have imagined.

The Cintiq is thousands of years newer than those outlines of hands on a wall … and yet, it seems much much fewer, when expression is the master’s call.

References

Laureate Education (Producer). (2014a). David Thornburg: Six forces that drive emerging technologies [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2014b). David Thornburg: Rhymes of history [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Merriamn-Webster (2015). Rhyming – Definition and more. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhyming

Wacom. (2015). CINTIQ. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://www.wacom.com/en-us/products/pen-displays/cintiq-27-qhd-touch?gclid=CjwKEAjw3YipBRDL2bHhjLmFkQsSJADtzktjsme_K3Dj53FvjL_uyBZVZo0-x4_Alv8jiJjcOde-3hoCRZXw_wcB

Wilford, J. N. (10/8/2014). Cave paintings in Indonesia may be among the oldest known. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/science/ancient-indonesian-find-may-rival-oldest-known-cave-art.html?_r=0