Media Taxonomy
With my taxonomy I wanted to start with the most basic mediating structure we have at our disposal – our bodies. I was curious, although not surprised, to find that so few traditional media appeal to taste and smell – in some respects the most intimate and sensual of the five. It is also worth noting that the computer, traditionally understood as alienating the body, is the only example to be composed of three of the five categories – it does however, lack the two crucial senses: taste and smell. In some respects, taste and smell render a medium more intimate – old books, for example, are often championed over new ones or electronic books because of their distinctive smell and the nostalgia that it can produce.
The bracketed numbers indicate in which other categories the medium can be found.
Venus Bivar
Winter 2003
With my taxonomy I wanted to start with the most basic mediating structure we have at our disposal – our bodies. I was curious, although not surprised, to find that so few traditional media appeal to taste and smell – in some respects the most intimate and sensual of the five. It is also worth noting that the computer, traditionally understood as alienating the body, is the only example to be composed of three of the five categories – it does however, lack the two crucial senses: taste and smell. In some respects, taste and smell render a medium more intimate – old books, for example, are often championed over new ones or electronic books because of their distinctive smell and the nostalgia that it can produce.
The bracketed numbers indicate in which other categories the medium can be found.
Venus Bivar
Winter 2003