I was at a design conference recently and midway through a visual presentation the speaker suddenly threw up his left arm to cover his eyes from the camera flashes coming from the audience. He was amazed at how many cameras were present and proceeded to tell us about a recent visit he had made to a Zen garden in Japan where people no longer go to meditate but rather, photograph the garden and then meditate at home.
I too, was conscious of the amount of time I was spending behind my own digital camera recording the conference. I’m not saying I shouldn’t have been recording the event but I wonder how much of it I missed because I was focused on operating my device.
Technology is now so accessible in every area of our lives we are more likely to reach for our digital devices to record sights, smells and sounds rather than enjoy them with our own senses. Consequently we miss out on the more full experience. I personally find this to be particularly true in nature but also in creative events like concerts and shows. I might be more concerned with recording the event so I can air it on Facebook to my 300 some virtual friends!
Maybe this is a call back to the basics of art. With mediums like sketching, painting and writing we have to spend time immersed in the subject matter otherwise it is very difficult to get going.
