Event 4: Natural History Museum

For my fourth event, I took a trip to our  neighbors at USC, and visited the Natural History Museum. The moment I walked in, I instantly noticed a huge dinosaur model that instantly grabbed my attention. I got really excited because thinking back to my childhood, dinosaurs were all I would draw, and I haven't visited this museum since the second grade.

The main portion of the exhibit featured life size replicas of various dinosaurs. In some of the glass panels in the exhibit, it explained the complete skeletal structure of various dinosaurs, making me think about just how similar we are to many prehistoric creatures. In another panel, they told me about our closest relatives to the dinosaurs are a lot of birds, and aquatic creatures such as the turtle. The museum was filled with a modeler's visualizations of a dinosaur based on bone discoveries, and we were essentially allowed to look at their research. All of the technology used to excavate these fossils transformed these fossils into pieces of art. In many scenarios, people think that art has to be an abstract, but it can also be representations of our past, present, and future. 

I thought that the exhibit was very interesting to look at as an adult. Its definitely a time that I will remember because I will actually remember everything that happened, and there just so many links to my childhood. There's a lot of information to be gained at these museums. They tell us about a life before ours, showcasing  other moments in history. 

Can't forget to take a picture looking like a T-REX with a T-REX !

Event 3: Getty

For my third event, I had the opportunity to take a short trip up to our local museum, the Getty. This was my first time going to this museum even though I am a Los Angeles local, and let me just say, the experience was amazing. The way the whole museum was built on a mountain, the tram, and the whole facility itself was just jaw dropping. I first walked into the Italian art in the Renaissance exhibit.

Walking through the exhibit, I was greeted by a large gold ornate model featuring Saint James Major. The gold backdrop made it pop out and capture passer's attention, and the placement of it in the room called for instant attention. 

I looked at this painting called Venus and Adonis, and the piece was huge! It took extra time looking at the fine detail that made up each pixel, and if I were this artist, I would have gone insane and the amount of realism that was depicted in this painting. I just love how paintings are able to become interpretations of artists imaginations based off these stories, as it depicts a story of sorrow as Adonis is killed on a hunt despite the plead of his lover, Venus, who stays behind. Of course, these paintings could have skewed representations of actual events, and its up to the audience to interpret and create their own meaning out if it. This is an intrinsic quality of humans; to be able to create connections to people by fire neurons in our brains; according to science.

The last piece I looked at before leaving was the Pair of Sphinxes on Scrolls. It was a composite piece, made up of a woman, and the lower limbs of a reclining lion. According to ancient mythology, these pieces were depicted as demons, and during the Renaissance, these were guardians to portals or tombs. I think it's astonishing to see that a single composite can create different meanings for different people. On top of that, this type of piece is made by infusing different cultures, the mind, and a piece of an individual's soul. The mind was clearly wandering free, and didn't fall to any type social norm.

I would definitely recommend going to the Getty. It was a great experience to look at some historical pieces. All the pieces can tell a very different story, and leaves your mind open to interpretation of our past, and opens up doors for your future of creativity.

Event 2: Griffith

For my second event, I decided to go to one of LA's most notorious view points & museums, Griffith Observatory. This was the first time that I was attending Griffith not for the view point, but for the knowledge and representations of the universe we live in.

I walked around the museum, and I instantly thought that the models were pieces of art. The most eye catching was the periodic table of elements. With buttons at the bottom, it was an interactive learning piece, specifically highlighting certain elements that are commonly found together in terrestrial objects, is an example that art can compliment, and highlights science as a form of a understanding, and organizing information. Unfortunately, these glass boxes did not contain a sample of uranium, which I was hoping to glance at.

As I walked to the lower part of Griffith, I found that the museum did a very good job at representing information about space was very well thought out. The museum is truly a great place to learn about our world and universe, and with the detail in models that they have, learning is only amplified because the incorporation of art, technology, and our understanding of space come into one place. Art comes in many forms and shapes, but sometimes we have to think about the literal representation that it brings to the plate, and how it can help us understand and visualize a concept. 

I would recommend going to the Griffith Observatory because there's just so much knowledge to be gained. I think that it be a bit overwhelming, but if you just gain insight on how insane our universe actually is, it makes you realize just how beautiful life truly is when art and science & technology work in harmony. 

Event 1: Hammer Museum

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit our local museum in Westwood, the Hammer. Unfortunately, security was a little strict and I did not get the chance to take a picture with the exhibits, or of the pieces themselves, so I hope that the images that I post will do justice. The two exhibits that I was able to see were Forrest Bess' Seeing Things Invisible, and James Welling's Monogram. I chose to visit these two exhibits because they were on loan, and if I were to come back another time, there would be the chance that I wouldn't be able to see these pieces again.

I started with the Seeing Things Invisible exhibit. The most captivating thing about this exhibit that I found was Bess' abstract vision of self surgery. He pushed idea of becoming a pseudo-hermaphrodite, and thought that he would achieve immortality as a result. To support his theory of eternal life as a hermaphrodite, Bess circulated a notebook to doctors. Looking more closely at his pieces, the relationship between medical advances and technology to express his vision. This concept is well visualized by his piece "The Greek" 1953. However, despite not being recognized for this ideal up front, he created symbolism that was both personal and universal.

After that, I explored James Welling's Monogram, which is an exhibit based on photography. I was immediately intrigued by the exhibit's description and the gradient design. The exhibit had a series of architectural pieces that pushed viewers to experience architectural photography in a new color scheme. The colors popped out very well because the images were shot were black and white. When I first glanced at the images, I couldn't help but to feel a bit confused about what to look at. The colors were beautiful, and made the image just seem to disappear in the background.. His pieces push the very concept of culture and personal memory in his pieces, making us question the paradigms of contemporary art. 

People should definitely take advantage of what UCLA has to offer, and thus I highly recommend going to the Hammer Museum. The exhibit combine art and science magically, and you can't help but to question your very understanding of art, and the role that science and technology play in this concept.

Week 9: Space and Art

The final topic of this course examines the link between space and art. As Professor Vesna in her lecture, space and art brings together every topic that we have previously discussed; math, biotechnology, nanotechnology, etc, because they are all applicable in space research.

To begin, we gained some insight on the perspective of the Universe in Charles and Ray Eames Power of Ten video. It gave us insight on how tiny we actually are compared to everything that exists. Eventually, if you go out of our galaxy, you can see that Earth can appear comparable to a tiny speck of dust in the when far away. It's actually quite interesting knowing how much real estate humans actually own in the Universe, and it's quite unimpressive. Yet, it's also interesting how today in astronomy, scientists have only been able to account for about five percent of the matter in the Universe even with the rise of discovering new planets. This phenomenon is based on the hypothesis of dark matter, which is thought to be matter that doesn't react to light, and accounts for all the gravitational effects on visible matter.

One of the most creative moves that scientists have made in astronomy has been relating star locations to real world objects. Star patterns or constellations such as the "Big Dipper" is among one of the most famous. They were given names in order to give the Earth a geographical location in space, navigation, myth, and storytelling. Many artists and scholars have been inspired and created amazing tales based on the stars.

Today, one of the most recognized works with space exploration and phenomenon is the Star Wars franchise. Created by George Lucas, it has become a nationally recognized film series based on science fiction and what he imagined to be the future of humanity and space. Of course, many other movies and shows such as Star Trek, E.T., and Aliens VS Predators have shown us how inspirational looking up at night can be. It's truly jawdropping thinking about how space travel can one day include lightspeed, an idea shown prominently in the Star Wars movies, and it inspires scientists to move forward to these ideas, and the stars.

Even though we have an idea of what is out there in the Universe, we don't have the tools to grasp the complete truth. Today, we have had many advancements in technology which has moved our understanding of space, but we have yet to travel outside our own galaxy and visually capture what lies beyond our own star (the sun). The image above was created with data that we collected on the Andromeda Galaxy.

To end, the advances in the space programs leaves us curious and hopeful for new discoveries in the near distant future, as we bring art and space together to visualize our reality.

Art & Nanotechnology

This week, we ventured into the world of nanotechnology and its participation with art. Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a molecular or atomic scale. This scale of work is so minuscule that it isn't noticeable by the naked eye, but when put into different fields such as science, technology, and art, it can make a huge difference in the way we perceive things. Nanotechnology is amazing because it is essentially the building blocks of bigger structures.

Dr. Ginzewski described that nanotechnology can be applied to creating new medicines, and treating diseases. Today, cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and one of the optional treatments are known as "chemotherapy", which is also known as radiation therapy, and tries to target killing the cancerous nanoparticles in the body. However, this type of therapy attacks both healthy and cancerous cells. At the same time, nanotechnology tries to create protective cells that won't be affected by cancer.

Still, the concept of nanotechnology can be applied to the world of art. Many pieces take a considerably high amount of detail such as Georges Seurat's paintings of parks. If viewed closely with a magnifying glass, you can see the number of paint dabs, or even pixels that were involved in creating the image that we can recognize. For instance, if we just saw the painting for the bottom left half, then all we would see is a lake, but this painting is so much more! The nano-details that were involved in putting this together is beyond my skill, and sanity level.

Nanotechnology brings into perspective just how big our world actually is. It makes us dwell and think about the small pieces that make the big picture come together. Whether it is a solid color, or a gradient like the rainbow, it tells us that there is "more than meets the eye". In retrospect, nanotechnology has a huge potential  for the world of tomorrow. It opens the door to revolutionary ideas by creating a small piece of the big puzzle.

Citations:

"Nanotechnology." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Nov. 2013. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology>.

"Nanotechnology in Cancer Treatment." Nanotechnology in Cancer Treatment. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. <http://www.understandingnano.com/cancer-treatment-nanotechnology.html>.

"Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Artabase. N.p., 5 Feb. 2010. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <http://www.artabase.net/exhibition/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.

"Ray Kurzweil: A University for the Coming Singularity." TED: Ideas worth Spreading. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <http://www.ted.com/talks/ray_kurzweil_announces_singularity_university.html>.

 "Nanotechnology Explained." - IEEE. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

Gimzewski, Jim. "Nanotech Jim Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.


Vesna, Victoria. "Nanotech Intro." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Mar. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

Week 7: Neuroscience and Art

This week, we started to submerge ourselves in the world of the mind and human perceptions. Neuroscience is a intricate and complex study, and it continually tries to engage itself with the public on a regular basis. Neuroscience attempts to study and our individual minds, and evaluates our brains.

Are the color dots blinking, or are still?

Art often tries to take advantage of perception to create new works. In some cases, optical illusions can affect how we perceive these creative works by confusing our brain. In this example, our eyes try to trick our brain into thinking that the color dots are moving, or blinking, when they are actually staying still. The black and white spiral confuses our brain into trying to pinpoint the colored dots, and thus creates an illusion that makes us think harder than necessary.

LSD Painting

Professor Vesna talked a lot about hallucinogens used to create art by affecting our senses. This includes LSD, stimulants, and many other drugs, and they alter an individual's perception of the world around them. Many instances of using hallucinogens include impaired judgement, blurring visions, and color shifts, however these are just limited things I read through research.

"Beauty" on the Left, Beauty on the Right.

I think the most influencial perception we have in our lives is beauty. Today, the media plays a huge role in shaping our brains to think a certain way, and setting rules for "beauty". However, this ideal is wrong. We grow up in different environments, and our experiences shape our depiction of what beauty is. 

Citations:

"Acid Trip 1." Acid Trip 1. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.cowboybooks.com.au/html/acidtrip1.html>.

"Beauty Perception." Beauty Perception. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://beauty-perception.tumblr.com/page/2>.

"Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzXjNbKDkYI>.

"Neuroscience Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 16 May 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0>.

"How LSD Works." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.howstuffworks.com/lsd.htm>.

Week 6: BioTech & Art

One of the most controversial topics that that we have ventured through this course is biotechnology and art. Biotechnology is a powerful tool that is used to genetically alter the genetic make up; or DNA, of life forms. It has been practiced for thousands of years, but only recently, it has made many breakthroughs in cross coding DNA. These breakthroughs have raised an issue of the ethics of creating new life.

To begin, the Human Genome Project was started with the intention of creating, and identifying the DNA and genes that make up humans. However, as the research progressed, the knowledge acquired from this project questioned if this knowledge could be used against mankind. People were unsure if the understanding of the genetic make up of humans would be used to discriminate against humans.

A most prevalent example of biotechnology is food. Food is forefront of biotechnology, and we have all experienced a countless number of instances where food has been modified for our tastes. Just look at the next fruit you pick up, it has probably been modified! 

Seedless Watermelon

The Alba Bunny was created as the cross between biotechnology and art. It holds the aesthetics of a jellyfish, with its glowing features, with the reproduction rate of a bunny. The creator of the bunny was Eduardo Kac, and he challenged pure genetics with his work. However, with this project, many ethnical questions were raised. How far are people willing to go with cross genetics? What are the benefits of genetic mutation? While cross genetics has opened doors to new drugs, and food, we should be aware of the direction it is going. We have to know that the implications is to improve lives, and not challenge life.

Midterm

https://www.dropbox.com/s/22jovj865lfeozx/Joseph%20chan.ppt

Medicine, Technology, and Art

With some perspective into the connection between technology, and art, I find it difficult to find a direct correlation between art and medicine, as a plethora of medical advances are made possible by ingenuity in technology. Art here is a sort of, third element, and for a while, it laid vicariously on the sidelines. After uncovering some connections, the relationship seems to be linear, in which, art sparks technological ingenuity, which spurs advances in medicine, and so on.

The human body has always been the foundation of inspiration for the artist. Artists try their best to understand the world through perspective (ex: Human proportion). The most basic form of understanding the body was dissection, and with the help of modern technology, has helped scientists understand more about the human anatomy, and carved paths for artists to create a new way to see the masterpieces that we are shelled in as humans. I think this is best exemplified in the work done by Body Works, which utilizes the understanding and implications of medicine, technology, and art.

Picture of arteries & veins of a human torso.

The greatest achievement from this process is that we can see just how beautiful life is by looking at our bodies. But this is not always the case. Some medicine processes require more obscure methods of seeking knowledge defiles the human body. Such geniuses like as Wilhelm Rontgen were able to discover the wavelength of x ray's on the electromagnetic spectrum and helped solve the ethical issues of dissection to solve medical issues.

Unfortunately, the x ray wavelength is only able to look at human bones, but other technologies have helped us look at different layers of the human body, and increase our understanding of the masterpieces we reside in.

Works Cited:

Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine pt2." Cole UC online. Youtube,  Web. 26 Oct. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ>. 

Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine pt3." Cole UC online. Youtube,  Web. 26 Oct. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Body Medicine Lecture." . N.p.. Web. 26 Oct 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEgn-fZQ8po>.

"Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen - Biographical." Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen - Biographical. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

Levine, Jeffery M. "Webinar: Explorations in Medicine & Art." Jefferymlevinemd. Jeffery Levine, 12 July 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

Popova, Maria. "The Art of Medicine: Mapping the Body in 2,000 Years of Images and Imagination." Brain Pickings. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. <http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/02/03/the-art-of-medicine/>.

The Amazing Math

Prior to this week, I thought that I had a significant understanding between the influence of mathematics on science and art. I was wrong, and people, and it's clear that there is much more to understand about their symbiotic relationship. I thought long and hard about what Professor Vesna said about "art being used to teach". I think that this is a magnificent achievement of art as I think back to the days that I would try to learn addition on flash cards. But also, it makes me ponder on the significant role of mathematics in architecture. This vision that artists create makes the world a more beautiful place to live in, and with a little complex math and hydrogen bonding, it's possible to piece together a majestic building or display a giant robot based on a cartoon. Additionally, I think it's this imagination and creativity through art that plays a significant role in creating new technologies as well.

http://www.austria.info/media/13712/hungerburgbahn-innsbruck--oew-andreas-hofer-d.jpg

http://ihatepeacocks.com/resources/giant-gundam-robot-tokyo-22.jpg

While it's only recently that our dreams of walking with synthetic arms and limbs is starting to become a reality, it doesn't hinder our imagination in any way. We have individuals thinking beyond our current technological state and striving to mold their dreams into reality. Now, we have tests of humans controlling robotic arms with their minds, and it only proves that our imagination is limitless, making us confident in a future where dreams can be weld together with a little math.

Works Cited

Rodin, August "The Kiss", 1882 http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en/collections/sculptures/kiss

Vesna, Victoria. Robotics Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. 2012. Video. YoutubeWeb. 19 Oct 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJcPtv7tnKY>.

Miller, Lisa. "Underwater Hotels: Five Things You Need To Know (PHOTOS)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 15 June 2013. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

Wickham, Chris. "Mind-controlled Robotic Arm Has Skill and Speed of Human Limb." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 17 Dec. 2012. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

"Mass production - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 19 Oct.

Math + Art DESMA 9

This week we learned how the development of mathematics has influenced the arts. After watching the lectures, I looked back at last week's lecture and remembered that there was a strong relationship between technology and art as well. Continuing with this idea, we can see how instruments such as the printing press were made through advances in technology, with the goal to distribute media to the masses. Additionally, we see how orgami (the art of paper folding) has opened doors in technological design by creating compact packaging solutions for airbags, parachutes, and telescopes.

(Oribtal Origami The James Webb Space Telescope)

(Dragon by Robert Lang) 

I think it's an understatement to say that something as simple as folding a paper crane has changed how people view mathematics, art, and science. I believe it's more proper to say that i technology is at its greatest when it simply disappears, and orgami does just that. Robert Lang stated that " Origami scratches all the itches that physics did and much more". After viewing his TED Talk on orgami, I immediately saw a relationship between art and science. I personally never realized how mathematically complex orgami was. I was never a fan of geometry, but now I see how it can be applied to real world situations. 

(orgaMIT club)

I researched Lang's design technique of "circle packing", and found out that the math algorithms used, revolutionized origami folding for artists, opening a new medium of expression and representation. Additionally, with the continuing research of orgami, scientists have been able to create compact telescopes, stents, and airbags. 

(Airbag tree - orgami - 3d render)

I think it's amazing to see the juxtaposition between art, science, and mathematics. Just as I find mutual friends in my current friends, the relationship between art, science, and mathematics shows me just how small the world. I found that the products around us carry such more thinking than we think. Simple designs like the wallet show us how design is so unappreciated in our world, when really, everything we look at has a little bit of art, science, and math behind it.

Sources:

N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 14 Oct 2013. <http://origamit.scripts.mit.edu/images/chan-mens.jpg>.

Joseph P., Kahn. "Origami finds new dimensions at MIT."Boston.com 02 14 2011, n. pag. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. <http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/02/14/at_mit_math_and_engineering_take_origami_to_new_dimensions/>.

John, Matson. "6 Fun Facts about the James Webb Space Telescope [Slide Show]." 03 12 2010, n. pag. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow.cfm?id=james-webb-jwst>.

"Robert Lang: The Math and Magic of Origami." TED: Ideas worth Spreading. N.p., July 2008. Web. 13 Web. 14 Oct. 2013. <http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_lang_folds_way_new_origami.html>.

Susan, Bell. "Know How to Fold 'Em: How Origami Changed Science, From Heart Stents to Airbags."LAweekly 04 26 2012, n. pag. Print. <http://blogs.laweekly.com/arts/2012/04/origami_japanese_american_nati.php>.

N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 14 Oct 2013. <http://www.origami-resource-center.com/images/scienceAirbag.jpg>.

The idea of "two cultures" begins with the notion that there is a separation in Art and Science. While one culture is defined with linear logic, practicality, and control, the other is yearning for creativity, passion, and boundless imagination. Bohm points out that even though a division of these two cultures are clear, they overlap more often than people believe. However, this is only one reason, and I believe that both cultures cannot live without each other, and actually need each other to foster.

Wilson stated in his article that, "artists seek to appropriate contemporary technologies to create new kinds of images, sounds, installations and performances" pushing us to believe that Artists need scientific minds to create new outputs of expression. On the other hand, scientific minds are always seeking innovation, and artists offer that kind of thinking. The artist is free and open-minded; not bounded by rules or paradigms.

This culture is clear at UCLA where students identify as either North or South campus majors. The identity doesn't have to be completely black and white. It's good to be balanced on both ends of the spectrum, and be a little gray. If the two cultures were to mix, they could challenge each other creativity, scientific, and mentally, thus creating a hybrid, and balancing out the artist, and scientist within all of us.

Citations

Bohm, David. "On Creativity." Pergamon Press. 1. (1968): 137-149. Print.

Wilson, Stephen. "Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology." (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

N.d. Photograph. Web. <http://kineticculture.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/rightbrainleftbrain.jpg>.

ZYMET, SALIM. "Lighter Workload for North Campus Students Provides Flexibility to Explore, Critically Think about Real-world Issues." Daily Bruin. N.p., 3 Mar. 2011. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.