In Defense Of The Robot Painting
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

In Defense Of The Robot Painting

Why automation ought to be respected instead of resented

16
In Defense Of The Robot Painting
interestingengineering

Technology is breathtaking. Stop and ponder for a moment. Millions of billions of nodes of information are at your fingertips at this very moment. Right now, hundreds of thousands of vehicles are taking people across vast oceans, over sky-scraping mountain peaks, and through freezing tundras. Technology has built our sophisticated, interconnected world and has turned groaning principalities into booming nations. It is marvelous.

Yet the masses often bemoan the rise of automation. Although automation has its perks – more products for cheaper prices, fewer defects, more leisure for workers -- it is often vilified. Rather than being praised as the banner of human ingenuity, it is cast down and stomped on as the epitome of soullessness. Automation robs workers of their hard-earned jobs. It creates cheap products – products with no soul.

To be fair, there is beauty in craftsmanship. I had the opportunity to watch a friend weld a few times. It’s gorgeous. You just can’t take your eye off of it. The precision he places with every strike of his hammer, the passion with which he watches the timbre of the metal, and the honor that he gives to the blade he is crafting all sum up to a mesmerizing gestalt. Watching him feeds the soul, and when you take the handle of his newly minted knife and work it between your fingertips, you feel the soul and craft hiding in the cracks.

The term and idea of automation don't provoke this vibe. They provoke an apathetic approach. Every item in the supply chain and every worker in the factory is completely replaceable. The product at the end of the system is a culmination of cogs, not a soul. Not art.

But I beg to differ from the societally imposed connotations. Automation can be just as intoxicating as watching a master craftsman. Have you ever seen a 3-D printer meticulously build a product from scratch? Google it. You could watch for days. Or take the wheels of a train, for example, the chugga-chugga matched with the churning coupling rod holds the eye captive. Or even a bowling alley: the pins are set up perfectly every frame as your ball careens down the track back to you. The seamlessness of it is fantastic.

So we can concede that automation can be mesmerizing, but is there not still something unique about the hand-made aspect of human-made goods? Is there not an intrinsic worth that human hands give a finished product?

Picture a scenario where we have two identical paintings. The colors, shades, and designs are all equal; nothing in one diverges from the other. Save for the creator. One is painted by a human being. The other is catalyzed by a robot. Remember – the paintings are absolutely identical. Which would you choose if you could only choose one?

About a month ago I was at a conference, and the overwhelming sentiment in the room was to choose the hand-made painting. “There’s just something to it,” they said.

But then my friend and one-time fellow Odyssey writer, Jon Ham, piped up.

He claimed he would buy the robot painting. I can’t do justice to his passion, his rhetoric, his gusto. It was as if the entire room fell away and he was a Roman consul, making a victorious speech before the Senate. “I would choose the robot painting,” he bellowed. That painting is the height of human ingenuity. A robot, an automated machine, is creating art. The robot is the pinnacle of eons of human design, experimentation, and innovation. Rather than being the craft of one hand, the robot painting is the sum of all hands that ever dedicated themselves to science and to innovation and ultimately to art. Rather than being the death of craftsmanship, the robot painting is craftsmanship at its best.

I will admit I was leaning toward the hand-made painting, thinking there is “just something to it.” But I am convicted by my friend’s thoughts. The robot painting is unfathomably profound. It is the result of years and lives of hard labor, all in the quest for art and for beauty.

Some may find it disgusting to call automation enthralling, romantic, or even beautiful. I will leave you to your opinions. But, as I did at the beginning of this article, I ask you to ponder: the next time you see automation at work, what do you see? Is it not craft? Is it not beauty? Is it not art?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

40063
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

24666
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

950480
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

130809
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments