Cloud Computing on Art Development
What is Cloud computing? According to Microsoft, Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services, such as servers, storage, database, networking, analytics, and intelligence over the internet. So, essentially the “Cloud” in cloud computing refers to the access point to the computing services, which is the internet. Over the course of history, it has developed & services branched out into many forms. In the early 1960s, signs of interest & research were done to enable computers to be used by more than 1 person popularizing the term “virtualization”. But the main milestone of commercial cloud computing didn’t come later until 2006 when Amazon released Amazon EC2 and S3. This was later followed up by big corporations releasing their own cloud services. Heavier research was then done in the following years, the market for cloud services also spread into mobile applications not just computers.
Now that we understand the general concept of cloud computing, we need to also understand the 2nd variable of this article which is art. Art is an expression, or as the Cambridge dictionary defines it, art is the making of objects, images, music, etc. that are beautiful or that express feeling. Based on the journal titled “The evolution of human artistic creativity” by Gillian M. Morris-Kay, its long history starts from the Homo dates with evidence of body decoration & artifacts, all the way to the modern era with heterogeneous depictions of it. With that in mind, mediums of art cannot forever preserve the essence of art, or in other words, it’ll degrade over time. Factoring in the emphasis of historical value on art & its cultural effects, historians and art enthusiasts have a necessity on preserving art. Now I use the term “Art” loosely in this article, as we would be discussing the use of cloud computing on the many forms of art. I would also like to discuss the application of cloud computing according to its components and tie it into the 3 general service models, which are Software-as-a-service (Saas), Platform-as-a-service (Paas), and Infrastructure-as-a-service (Iaas). We’ll start with the former.
There are many components in order to perform cloud computing. Some of its architecture might differ, but overall should be similar to what I’m using for reference here. The architecture is split between 2 ends, the front-end and back-end. Front-end is the client’s cloud infrastructure, such as their hardware, software, and network in order to connect to the cloud. Back-end is the host’s cloud infrastructure that we are going to be focusing on. The back-ends consist of application, service, runtime cloud, storage, infrastructure, management, and security. There are plenty of definitions of these components on the web so I will not discuss them individually. We’ll only take a look at the components that interact directly with the users, which are the application, service, and storage.
1. Application.
It is the software/ platform that the users/ clients will interact with. It serves as the bridge for users to the services provided by the host. This can also refer to the main user interface (UI). Most often, art is depicted in this medium. Application isn’t just UI, it is also the experience of using it (i.e. user experience). Therefore art itself is represented in this form. In the fourth step of the design thinking process, prototyping high-fidelity wireframes requires art composition. A reference platter called a “mood board” is commonly used when designing the application style. A great example of art being developed by UI creation is Google Art & Culture, which takes great inspiration from historical art. The result is the broad exposure of art and preservation of historical ones.
2. Service.
Service in cloud computing can take mainly 3 forms, Software-as-a-service (Saas), Platform-as-a-service (Paas), and Infrastructure-as-a-service (Iaas). Though all have impacted art in many ways, I would like to take focus on Saas for this discussion. Saas essentially provides full-fledged applications for users. Some applications have influential impacts on art development. Going back to the 1960s, computers were just starting to be experimented with for art creation in the form of algorithmic drawings. Nowadays, major Saas have dominated the market. Some common examples are Canva (a website that offers art tools), Magma (a collaborative drawing website), and Pinterest (a website for visual discovery engine). All these are accessible through the internet. The advancements of cloud computing further accelerated digital art as we see it now today.
3. Storage.
The most crucial components in cloud computing for art development. Google Drive and Microsoft’s OneDrive, two of the most prominent cloud storage services out there. Physical art is temporary, sure it might be repatched, rejuvenated close to the original, but there would be a time in which degradation catches up. Smarthistory, a massive collection of drawings, painting, and any form of historical art from hundreds of museums & contributors are stored in this website. Contributors can upload & store historical art with the ability to collaborate, make back-ups, and give accessibility to many people. Through the use of cloud storage, art can be stored & shared to many people on the internet, popularizing & preserving the art itself.
In conclusion, cloud computing’s functions are far & varied. One such impact is on art development. With cloud computing providing not just a medium for art representation, it can also be used to help in creating art through the many services available and to store art in cloud storage for increased collaboration & exposure.
References:
- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/art
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2815939/
- https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/cloud-computing-dictionary/what-is-cloud-computing
- Frédéric Magoulès, Jie Pan, and Fei Teng. (2011). Cloud Computing Data-Intensive Computing and Scheduling. London, United Kingdom: CRC Press.
- https://ijarsct.co.in/Paper3144.pdf
- https://jmi.polban.ac.id/jmi/article/view/36/26
- https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/digital-art?srsltid=AfmBOooInyixdiv4CGczVFm4a-VUXwIaP3CO0EL9ifGN1r7AHm-34_yG