Week 9: Space and Art

The idea of space is very important when it comes to my major in college because it defines all relationships of objects.  As a Geography/Environmental Studies major at UCLA, the idea of space versus place is covered as a concept of information.  A place is a coordinate space that has a meaning or an attribute given by humans to it.  The meaning behind a building is that we call it so as we see it in space.  Space is a combination of many different arts, but I like how naturally artistic space is and how fascinated humans are with the natural occurrences of the known world.

The fascination of space objects leads back to a classic phenomenon that occurs about every 75 years, the sighting of Halley’s comet. (Space.com) Halley’s comet is an event that people and media rave about when it is coming near the time for it to intersect paths with Earth.  The temporal space that allows it to be seen every 75 years puts the comet in an artistic constant that allows people to hype the occasion, and beautiful photos of the natural phenomenon occur to preserve the once in a lifetime moment.  Astrologist from all countries sent out probes and spacecrafts to capture the day that Halley’s comet passed by close enough to Earth for it to be recorded. The beauty of a large object burning up in space has marveled humans because it shows a product of places we will never go and things too foreign to make sense of.  The art in Halley’s comet it that it stretches the human mind to think beyond our normal scope of life.

Another fascination in space is the existence of black holes.  The idea of a singular point being so dense in mass that it takes in all other is hard to understand if you think about it.  The black hole is also an artistic nightmare because you can never really get close enough to it to depict the emotions and attributes that form its nature, due to it would suck you into its dense point.  The depictions of a black hole are all artistic renderings, and they all show the destructive power that comes with the spatial effects of a black hole.  In all media, the black hole is seen as a devastating act of nature to be feared, just as space has always been seen as a vast space of fear and unknown.

Works Cited/Links

Howell, Elizabeth. "Halley's Comet: Facts About the Most Famous Comet." Space.com. 20 Feb. 2013. Web. 27 May 2015. <http://www.space.com/19878-halleys-comet.html>.

Gefter, Amanda. "The Strange Fate of a Person Falling into a Black Hole." BBC Earth. 25 May 2015. Web. 27 May 2015. <http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150525-a-black-hole-would-clone-you>.

"The Return of Halley's Comet." ASP. 1985. Web. 27 May 2015. <http://astrosociety.org/edu/publications/tnl/01/01.html>.

"Halley's Comet Returns in Bits and Pieces." NASA Science. Web. 27 May 2015. <http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/1998/ast20oct98_1/>.

"Black Holes." NASA Science. Web. 27 May 2015. <http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/black-holes/>.

Week 8: Nanotech and Art

The use of nanotechnology is becoming a necessity for growth and change within human society.  Over the history of physics and science, the idea of changing things on an atomic level has been talked about, but it was never formed as a separate department of science.   Dr. Gimzewski states in his lecture that Feynman, a scientist, notices that at a nanoscale, the laws of physics change and the effects of surface tension and thermal jittering have a larger effect than gravity at that scale. (Lecture, Part 1) The concept of nanotechnology is knowledge that only a select few of scientist can grasp, but the art that is conceived by the mechanics or practice of it is stunning.

Atoms are now being drawn or rendered due to a process called scanning tunneling microscopy. (Lecture, Part 2) The surface of material is changed based on changes of chemical bonds creating waves, so basically any shape can be made on a surface.  The art potential with this scanning tunneling microscopy is only scratching the surface because works of art can be made on surfaces that were once a different shape or flat. 

Also the rendered geometric shapes of atoms can now be seen by the same scanning process. The patterns and shapes of different atoms and atomic structures are seen from the process and it is an achievement of science and art.  The art aspect of it is how something that is present within nature, but cannot be seen by the naked eye, is able to be shown to our eyes through technological advances.  To be able to see what was once unknown and mysterious is a great attribute to put on an artwork, and seeing silicon structures and how symmetric their build in nature is achieves a work of art.

Works Cited/Links

Vesna, Victoria. Lecture 1. DESMA 9. Web. 21 May 2015.

Vesna, Victoria. Lecture 2. DESMA 9. Web. 21 May 2015.

"The Scanning Tunneling Microscope." Nobel Prize. Web. 23 May 2015.

"MADE IN IBM LABS: The World's Tiniest Art on Display." IBM. Web. 23 May 2015.

"Nanotechnology: The Art of Molecular Carpet-weaving." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 Jan. 2012. Web. 23 May 2015.

Week 7: Neuroscience and Art

The topic of neuroscience is key to our present day because we are in the month of May, which is the month of mental health awareness.  The concept of the brain being the thought process of the body and that the brain can affect the body through the nervous system is common, especially among young adults.  Even the idea of phrenology that is present in lecture one not too far off when it comes to how the brain has certain functions, and those functions control parts of the body. (Vesna)  The images taken from MRI are not being used to help those with mental health conditions.

              Christopher deCharms is a neuroscientist who is bringing about a new science that will allow people to train their brain to endure pains and to see into one’s own mind to know what happens when he/she feels pain. (Ted Talks) This technology not only presents an avenue for art that can be collected through trial with the MRI scans, but it also give those with OCD, anxiety, or other mental illnesses the ability to see what parts of their brain are affected by their condition. From there, medicine or therapy can be applied to try to stimulate those parts of the brain and create a better life for those who are mentally ill. 

              The science of consciousness is also relevant within observations and discussions because it brings about an artistic look on thoughts and whether or not we consciously think about feelings and emotions or if they come second nature due to more of a subconscious brain activity.  The largest example of conscious thought would be the black ink splatters that are used to see personality traits.  The test uses brain activity to determine the personalities by what the person choices the ink splatters look like in their minds.  The human brain is still full of mysteries, and we can do more within neuroscience to better lives and bring awareness to brain illnesses.

Works Cited/Links

Vesna, Victoria. “Conscious / Memory (Part 1).” Lecture. 14 May 2015.

DeCharms, Christopher. "A Look inside the Brain in Real Time." Ted Talks. 1 Feb. 2008. Web. 15 May 2015.

Pinker, Steven. "The Brain: The Mystery of Consciousness." Time. Time Inc., 29 Jan. 2007. Web. 15 May 2015.

"Rorschach Inkblot Test." History of Projective Testing. Web. 15 May 2015.

"Mental Disorders." Rorschach Technique. Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. Web. 15 May 2015.

Event-Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heatherwick

The Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heatherwick Studio in the Hammer Museum was a fascinating find due to its ability to expand on conventional ideas and how it showed the evolution of designs.  The models that were present within the museum varied from resourceful designs that could be used everyday, to inventive models that could re-sculpt the geography of many areas of disinterest in the world. 

            The “Expanding Furniture” item is a basket-like object made from acrylics and is a revolution for what seem to be carrying things and decreasing space when you don’t need to carry as much.  The acrylic parts are joined together in angles that allow the object to retract or expand out to make a bowl shape or an elongated oval shape.  The item is a perfect innovation for carrying because you can adjust the length of the object to hold more or less.  The concept ties into topic of how math and art can design an object because the furniture opens and closes by use of angles and transitions that are mapped out by the mathematics of closing angles and proper angles. 

            The imagination that Thomas Heatherwick has is also shown in his modern designs of what bridges should look like.  The design that I liked the most was the bridge that when it is drawn up actually rolls into itself and creates two opposing circular shapes, and can roll back out.  This intricate design is also a math and art combination because it creates a beautiful kinetic art and also the design of the steel beams must be right to have the bridge fold up perfectly.

            The geographical changing art model that Heatherwick introduces is the park that is in the middle of the desert.  Though it is economically improbable, the green, lush park in the middle of the desert would be a great environment and an art to be seen.  The topic hasn’t really been covered, but the art would lie under a geotech subject due to the nature of the art to change the surroundings and change how people interact with the surroundings.

Works Cited/Links

  "Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heatherwick Studio." The Hammer Museum. Web. 14 May 2015.

  Hawthorne, Christopher. "Provocations." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Web. 14 May 2015.

  "How Is Marley Park Able to Support All of Its Grass and Trees in This Desert Region?" Marley Park. Web. 14 May 2015.

  "10 Unusual and Creative Bridges." Toxelcom. Web. 14 May 2015.

  "Heatherwick Studio: Rolling Bridge." Rolling Bridge. Web. 14 May 2015.

Week 6: Biotech and Art

The use of technology to better understand what causes and what creates different levels of life is indeed relevant, but it is also controversial.  As Joe Davis did with his experiments, biotech is, in the large picture, trying to make connections on things that do not connect. (Vesna, Lecture 1)  The ability to genetically enhance or alter an organism is interesting in the fact that very recently in the past it would be considered witchcraft or a taboo to society, and some people still believe it to be taboo. 

The genome is a DNA structure that is the essential material needed to create life and to signify what characteristics that life has. (Wikipedia) The alterations that scientist make on organisms, like the GFP bunny, are proven to not be harmful to the organisms, but there is still backlash to the experiments that occur.  Religious argues with the idea of genetic engineering because it is seen to oppose religious beliefs, as in human finitude. (Andras)  For a scientist, or human in general, to alter what is already living or try to create something that is not Heavenly created is seen as a gesture against God, and humans do not know the consequences that could happen due to their tampering with nature.  It is a tough issue because on one hand, genetically engineered plants and fruits can lead to better produce and thus less hunger in the world, but also we should not alter the world because we do not know if there are long term consequences based on what we do.

On the art side, the use of gene transferring has created luminescent animals under ultraviolet light which is a sight to see.  The art associated with the high level of science is creative alone due to its advanced process to be made.  It is also historic by that genetic engineering is related to our past in agriculture in the form of selective breeding.  Genetic engineering and biotech is meant to put the discussion of life and how it can form into the mind of people, but the art that shows it is what has made it a common topic within science and art.

References

 

Vesna, Victoria. Lecture. DESMA 9. Web. 10 May 2015.

Eduardo, Kac. "GFP BUNNY." 2000. Web. 9 May 2015.

"Genetic Engineering & Religious Beliefs." People. Web. 11 May 2015.

"Is Genetic Engineering Morally Acceptable?" Biotechnology as Religion. Web. 10 May 2015.

Emerson, Peter. "Biotechnology and Religion." Ezine Articles. Web. 11 May 2015. .