Text Under Glass: The Place of Writing within Interactive Objects

This presentation explores the theoretical implications of the ways in which text is used within interactive glass objects. As car windshields, kitchen counters, bathroom mirrors, restaurant tabletops, and other glass surfaces are increasingly wired to respond to human touch, how does this change our perception of the text housed therein and what stories does this text tell us about the state of interactive objects?

This presentation generates new lines of inquiry into the status of “electronic literature” as writing itself is brought to life in everyday glass objects. The discussion draws evocative connections between the history of depictions of glass and emergent discourses within the technology sector that envision glass as holding unique promise for new forms of interaction between humans, as well as between humans and objects. Examining glass as an object continually calls our attention to the very thing that is supposed to be transparent yet mitigates relations between people, information, and machines, as well as between people and their desired objects and experiences. [.............] Indeed, many interactive glass surfaces are designed to respond to the natural electricity generated by the human body. Thus, these technologies not only blur boundaries between humans and machines but also call into question binary distinctions between subjects and objects.

Our presentation considers the ramifications of text within these objects by examining it within the terms of object-oriented theory and discussions of material culture, as well as within the context of ongoing discussions about the intersections between technology and culture. The presentation has two major components. The first involves a close reading of the narrative of Corning’s “A Day Made of Glass,” which has received over 22 million views on YouTube during the past year-and-a-half. The second showcases the presenters’ own collaborative project, “Thirteen Ways of Looking at Glass.” This is an interactive image/text storytelling project that takes inspiration from Wallace Stevens’ poem, “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird.” The interdisciplinary piece explores the nodes where photography about glass and creative writing intersect. In turn, it generates insight not only into the Corning film but also into the changing nature of reading within the space of everyday interactive objects.

(Source: Author's introduction)