Marshall McLuhan wrote about the extensions of humans—how new media evolved through our ability to think, to analyze, and to map the journey from the age of knowledge in the 90s to the age of digitalization in the early part of this century and then assimilate the two into this new age of the idea. With roots in “old media,” technological and societal determination together work to propel us into the next era of technological communication (McLuhan, Understanding Media: Extensions of Man, 1964).
We are truly vanguards in this new age, very much like the pioneers of the 18th and 19th centuries, and at the heart of this spirit is our innate ability to map our movements forward into this age of ideas and innovation. Even in the age of ideas with the advent of AI, humans will play a central force in this journey. None of this has been possible without our desire to improve and develop new communication media.
The illustration I chose was developed in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. The head signifies the brain as the central force, and the mapped roadway illustration that is overlaid signifies the idea of mapping new technology and the implications it has in regard to the new technical communications that we develop. The color red symbolizes energy, while the blue symbolizes hope in looking forward to the future. I believe this illustrates our innate spirit—our desire to map, to control, and to become fully engaged with the new technological extensions currently being researched and developed in our quest to integrate technological communication seamlessly into our lives.
About the Artist
Lisa Kozokowsky is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Mount Royal University, completing her Bachelor of Communications in the field of information design. Information design encompasses the creation of meaning out of complicated and unorganized data for the intended audience. Besides being a student, she has also developed an international reputation as an artist, with future goals of bridging left- and right-brain sensibilities to help solve complex problems in contemporary culture. She lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband and daughter. Lisa is available at kozokowsky@me.com.