Week 4: Medicine + Technology + Art

Prior to this week’s lecture, I would have never suspected that the intersection between medicine, technology, and art lies in the human anatomy. Both scientist and artist find a huge interest in anatomy and atomic structure. The fascination begun at the time of renaissance, especially the work of Vesalii, who is the father of the human anatomy and from his work inspired many forms of art. A surprising form of art that has derived from the fascination of the human anatomy is the MRI. Now being able to study and view humans on a microscopic level brings a new interest into human anatomy and creates and new appreciation for the human body. MRI can be considered art because, like art, it too is open for interpretation and can is diagnosed under human discretion. 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146309.php

Medicine and art can be dangerous to discover as well as to practice. Through lecture I learned of artist and scientist pushing the limits of the human body to see the extremes they can go to. Examples such as, Orlan an artist who went under multiple procedures on her body to be displayed as beautiful. This is very relevant today because we are in an age of plastic surgery as well as transgender surgery for people to now finally display how they are truly feeling on the inside in their appearance. Just as recently as this weekend was an interview with former olympian Bruce Jenner, where he came out and said that he is transgender.

http://deadline.com/2015/03/bruce-jenner-interview-diane-sawyer-abc-1201390958/

Another fairly recent discover that I find very interesting is the creation of hearing-aids. Just recently can we now allow everyone to be able to hear the beauty of sound. Modern technology has allowed us to use devices to enable a person to hear. Hearing aids is a good example of modern technology and art coming together to provide beauty as well as a benefit to society. 

http://hearingaidbuyertoday.com/facts-cost-hearing-aids/

Sources:

1) Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/Ep0M2bOM9Tk.” Lecture. Medicine pt1 . Youtube, 26 Apr. 2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk>.

2)Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations Between Science and Arts.” (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

3)Orlan – Carnal Art (2001) Documentary. Dir. Stéphan Oriach. Perf. Orlan. N.d. Film. YouTube. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. 

4) Wong, Virgil. “Art Exhibited in Galleries and Museums around the World.” Art. N.p., 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://virgilwong.com/art/>.

5) Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/psjnQarHOqQ.” Lecture. Medicine pt2 . Youtube, 26 Apr. 2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ>.

Week 3: Robotics + Art

What really struck me this week was how much art has influenced technology. I had an idea of the impact of mechanization, robotics, and specifically mass production had on the spreading and developing art, but never to the extent of what Professor Vesna described in her lecture. Mass production lead to many benefits for society and allowed society to profit mightily. However, the idea between futurism and fascism described in the lecture, which encompassed art and technology was very fascinating. The industrial revolution lead to ideas of futurism, described in Futurist Manifesto in 1909, which was a philosophical ideal that mass production and advanced mechanization will lead to our love of war and conflict, leading to the fostering of fascism. 

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Stormtrooper_Corps

Art has played a huge role in robotics and the advancement of robotics. Art and theatre is where the first robots were seen in work by Karel Capek.  Movies such as Star Wars really incorporates both mass production and robots and brings them both into a new light. Their idea of storm troopers, an army made up of the same person and robot replicated over and over to make an army. Star Wars was monumental in its impact on technology and its influence on future mechanization.  

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2011/jan/28/no-actors-robots-play-theatre

Lastly, movies like Wall-E show how technology, when used correctly, can help be beneficial to humanity. However, Philosopher Walter Benjamin argues that mass production can eliminate creativity. Wall-E shows how man-kind and earth are destroyed by technology, but then find a way to learn how to use technology to be beneficial and productive rather than being so highly dependent on it.

Sources

1) Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

2) Vesna,Victoria. “Lecture Part 1.” Math + Art. 17 Apr. 2015. Lecture.

3) Marinetti, F.T.. “The Futurist Manifesto.” masi. N.p.. Web. 17 Apr 2015. <http://masi.cscs.lsa.umich.edu/~crshalizi/T4PM/futurist-manifesto.html>.

4) The Little Robot That Could: Religion in Disney Pixar’s Wall-E. Digital image. Religion&Wall-E. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. <http://www.religionandwalle.webs.com/>.

5) Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Dir. Irvin Kershner. By Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan. Perf. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Billy Dee Williams. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp., 1980

Week 2: Math + Art

In this weeks discussion and lecture, I learned that the separation between the two fields of math and art are actually one in the same. One concept I learned that was very interesting was the idea of perspective. The early problem of portraying a 3-dimensional figure on a canvas. Perspective in art is central to its administration, art and creativity is driven by perspective. This concept was first developed in the west in the 13th century by Giotto where he displayed the use of depth in his art. This was then driven home by Brunellesci in 1413 when using vantage point in his works. His work is at the crossroad of math and art because he uses different forms of mathematics to deliver and craft beautiful as well as accurate portrayals. 

http://www.camein.com/3d-perspective-street-art-by-julian-beever/

Another important concept I learned from this week was the influence of math in the most basic form of art, music and how it is mathematically based. The use of octaves, vibration, and sound waves shows that mathematics is at the foundation of music. I found this interesting because growing up a huge fan of music, as well as having a large distaste for art I never saw the two being so fundamentally apart of one another. Seeing how rhythm can be quantified shows the relationship between the two disciplines. 

http://www.glasbergen.com/?count=3&s=math

After reading the novel Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott, I found that we can learn a lot through other perspectives and it can be extremely valuable. Music is a great example of how listening to it from other perspectives can give you a greater appreciation for the piece and can help you really delve into the culture and art behind it. 

http://www.bespokenart.com/prints.html


Sources

1) Abbott, Edwin. “Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions.” N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <https://cole.uconline.edu/content>.

2) Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics.” Lecture. CoLE DESMA 9. Web. <https://cole.uconline.edu/~UCLA-201209-12F-DESMA-9-1#l=Week-2-Assignment/id4287887>.

3) "Filippo Brunelleschi." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.

4) "Music and Math: The Genius of Beethoven - Natalya St. Clair." TED-Ed. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.

5) Mize, Diane. “A Guide to the Golden Ratio (AKA Golden Section or Golden Mean) for Artists.” A Guide to the Golden Ratio (AKA Golden Section or Golden Mean) for Artists. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://emptyeasel.com/2009/01/20/a-guide-to-the-golden-ratio-aka-golden-section-or-golden-mean-for-artists/>.

Week 1: Two Cultures

The Idea of two cultures when first conceptualized seems very straight forward. However, after looking into the separation between science and art it is much more than that. C.P. Snow first elaborated on the difference between the two cultures and the intellectual impact it has and how there is a division between natural science and literary intellectuals. John Brockman spoke of the emergence of the “Third Culture” where the two cultures meet. Being a student-manager for the UCLA baseball team I constantly see the intersection of these two cultures.

                                         http://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/art/tyonthird.html

A collision between two players charging for third base, gracefully depicts the intersection between art and science in the game of baseball.

Baseball is looked at a form of art and can have a beautiful performance of a lot of different moving parts and pieces. Baseball, when preformed correctly, can be as visually pleasing as a play or performance. Scientifically, baseball is seen as a game of observation and careful precession and uses a great sum of analytics.

http://bridgei2i.com/blog/how-analytics-is-influencing-player-and-game-performance/

Another example of Two cultures would be coming over from a small town in Parker, Colorado into the fast-paced, non-stop lifestyle of Los Angeles. However, as Bohm claims that scientist must be creative and open to new ways of exploration and discovery as do artists, I must too be open minded and accepting of my new change in environment and the new lifestyle I will be living these next four years. 

http://productivity-blog.vanaia.com/creative-productivity-war-of-art/

The Two Cultures segment really opened my eyes and challenged my previous conception of contemporary art and science. The most confounding piece of information that translated over into my everyday life was seeing the examples from Bohm about my identity in my own Two Cultures and the acceptance and open-mindedness I need to have. 

Sources

1) Bohm, D. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2015

2) Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.

3) Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-25. Web

4) "Academy EBriefings." A Dangerous Divide. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2015.

5) Wilson, Stephen D. “Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology.” College Art Association Meetings. New York, New York, 2000. Print