Space and Art

    Space is incredibly fascinating, and I have always loved watching documentaries about space and new discoveries that scientists are finding about it. However, I had never considered the connection between science and art. This weeks subject addressed the leading scientist in astronomy; copernicus, and the earliest models and understandings of the universe, as well as more recent astronomers and their discoveries such as buckyballs in solid forms within space. Prior to that, they had only been found in gas form. Advanced telescopes have made it possible for us to detect molecules in space that have allowed us to understand the universe better. To me, perhaps the most interesting aspect of this weeks lesson was the science fiction ideas which have been developed such as a space elevator. Space based science fiction consistently tests the boundaries and creativity of scientists and artists.

    As discussed in Lecture Part 1, Arthur C Clarke published a science fiction book in 1979 which was set in the 22nd century, and described a space elevator with an orbital tower that links with a satellite at 36,000 km. The amazing thing about science fiction of the past is that, sometimes, it turns into genuine scientific possibilities, and this may became the case with the space elevator.

     I am extremely interested in space and science fiction films and movies, however, I often scoff at the ideas that are in them and feel as though they will undoubtedly never happen. While this may be true a lot of the time, it is certainly not always true. I recently went to the Natural History Museum in New York city and watched their planetarium special called the Dark Universe. In this film I learned about just how far away we are from potentially habitable planets. The idea of travelling hundreds of thousands of lightyears away to get to our "new home" in the distant future, doesn't even sound futuristic but completely impossible to me. In the film Interstellar, however, there is a "worm hole" which allows such a long journey to be possible. 

While I have no way of knowing what will happen in the world of science and space in the future, nor am I a theoretical physicist, I have watched enough documentaries and read enough about the subject to learn that the impossible can become possible over time in this regard. As for the film interstellar, there is a novel that describes the science behind it called "The Science of 'Interstellar' Explained'  which is a nonfiction book that is written by an actual theoretical physicist, as he explains all of the science behind the film which was not merely fabricated by artists. When you consider all of NASA's work with telescopes, photographs, videos, and the way in which their work makes films on the subject possible, it becomes vry clear how science and art are interacting with regards to space. A simple look through the images gallery on NASA's website provide insight into the beauty of space, and even its possibilities as they combine science and art to create images of what could be. The image below is of a "spiral" galaxy called NGC 684, which NASA's Hubble captured.

  

   To me, Intersteller represents the intersection of space, science, and art, as it uses film to push the boundaries of what we know to be true about space and the future. As it has been in the past, science fiction films and books have become very close to reality, and I feel that those art forms are a huge contributor to the scientific world as they both explain these topics to people who are not involved in it, and intersect with as well as push the goals and boundaries of theoretical physicists that are working on turning these fictitious ideas into realistic ones. 

Works Cited

"Lecture Part 2" Unit 9. Victoria Vesna. Film.

Thorne, Kip S., and Christopher Nolan. The Science of Interstellar. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Wimmer, Josh. "In Arthur Clarke's Fountains of Paradise, Man Makes Tidy Work of the Heavens." Io9. N.p., 07 Nov. 2010. Web. 30 May 2016.

NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.

Interstellar. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Perf. Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway. Warner Brothers Pictrues, 2015. DVD.

Nanotech and Art

     I found this week very interesting as we delved into all of the different uses of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is used in materials all the way from tennis balls and beer bottles, to drugs which reduce toxicity in chemotherapy for cancer patients. I was very interested in the way in which Dr. Gimzewski went into the way in which particles which, when they are large, are black, may be red, green, yellow, orange, and so on when they are brought down to smaller sizes. 

    Nanotechnology products and, particularly, the colors within it are potentially going to be used by makeup companies for pigment coloration. I am very interested in the way that nanotechnology is incorporated into art, such as the exhibit at A Perth International Arts Festival exhibition, in which nanotechnologies were used to create interactive art pieces, such as the one by Professor Vesna and James Gimszewkski, Nanomandala, in which a video is projected onto a disk of sand, and viewers get to touch the sand , as "oscillating images of the molecular structure of a single grain of sand" which is obtained by a scanning electron microscope. (SEM) 

                                                           

    I found the whole concept of incorporating nanotechnology into art exhibits very interesting, and found another example of nanotechnology being used as art; Cris Orfescu's Nanoart21. With Nanoart21, Orfescu creates art using nanotechnology, and truly combines the two as he uses powerful tools and microscopes that are often used by scientific researchers, in order to capture images and provide imagery for the artwork. 

      

In the black and white image to the left, Orfescu visualized the image with a scanning electtron microscope. The photo was then captured by a computer, and Orfescu then continued to manipulate it digitally. I find this image, and the entire process, extremely interesting. While these microscopes and imageries are often used to teach scientists, or medical students about the microscopic world, I find it incredible that Orfescu has chosen to create these images for the use of all people, and particularly as an artistic piece rather than an educational one. 

   Perhaps the topic which interested me the most this week was the making of new materials and making smaller materials under Nova's Making stuff: Smaller. The idea of us having tiny robots which go inside our body to help fight cancer or kill "rogue cells" is an unimaginable breakthrough, which scientists are working on to this day. The possibilities that creating tiny micro robots could have on our future are endless, as scientists are working on developing microscopic robots as well as new materials which could make something as insane as an elevator to the moon, or bridges held up by threads. I am very interested in the idea of creating new materials and tiny robots to further both society and health, and I look forward to seeing where these advancements can take us in the future.

Works Cited

Orfescu, Cris. "Nanoart21." Cris Orfescu. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.

"Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Art.base. John Curtin Gallery, n.d. Web.

"Cris Orfescu." Cris Orfescu. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.

"Nanotech for Artists Part 2" Unit 8. Dr. Gimzewski

"Making Stuff: Smaller." NOVA. PBS, n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.

Neuroscience and Art

     I found this weeks topic incredibly interesting and loved learning about the various theories that prominent historians had about the structure of the brain, and how the concept of consciousness and the mind has been viewed throughout history. I think, for me, the most interesting aspect of this week was the concept of dreams and how dreams are in some way a combination of neuroscience and art, as our brains are creating a visual story. I had never really thought about dreams as being art, nor science, however, in regards to the characteristics that they both have it is clear that they are both.

     The topic of dreams being a combination of neuroscience immediately had me thinking about the film Inception with Leonardo Di'caprio, in which there is a machine which allows people that are fully awake to enter into the dream of someone else. In the film there is imagery which would be absolutely impossible in real life, such as a town folding over on itself (as shown in photo to the left), or everything and every person in a street freezing. This film is one of many others which combines artistic elements and psychological theory to create a film which gets people thinking in entirely new ways about consciousness and reality. 

 

       Another film which toys with the concepts of consciousness and reality is the Matrix. As many know, the matrix is a film about a world in which all people are actually, technically, "asleep" although they are conscious and are experiencing a world that is not necessarily real. Within the matrix, similar to inception, the film questions what reality truly is; if a person feels something is real and a person is experiencing life perfectly fine in a particular way, is it fair to say that that life they live is not actually real? For me, these concepts are a complete iteration of the combination between art and science, particularly science of the mind (or neuroscience and psychology). 

    I also found it quite interesting the way in which drugs combine neuroscience and art, such as LSD which is a hallucinogenic. LSD and its interaction with the brain is concerned with science, however, many people feel as though the affects of the drug result in artistic experiences and visualizations, including Albert Hofman, a scientist who founded and supported LSD. According to Hofman, he experienced "an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors." 

WORKS CITED

"Reduce Your Pain by Adjusting Your Sleeping Position." Dr. Jon Saunders, B.Kin, DC. N.p., 14 Apr. 2015. Web. 15 May 2016.

Inception. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Perf. Leonardo Dicaprio. Warner Bros., 2010.

The Matrix. Dir. Lilly Wachowski and Lana Wachowski. Village Roadshow Pictures, 1999

Hofman, Albert. "LSD, My Problem Child · How LSD Originated." LSD, My Problem Child · How LSD Originated. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2016.

"Lecture III" Unit 7. Victoria Vesna. Film.

"7 Dream Layers of Inception." Thinc. N.p., n.d. Web.

Biotech and Art

I found this weeks topic extremely interesting as it delves into the way in which technology, science, and art interact, along with the ways in which new developments within these realms converge with decisions about morality. I found it very interesting to consider this topic in regards to art, as I generally view it as merely a Biotech issue. The notion that transgenics, selective breeding, and other genetic alterations to living beings is a form of art is entirely new to me however, the idea allows me to look at the subject in a different light. The use of Biotech to create art is one which  is entirely new to me and I was quite interested in learning about it.

The art piece Victimless Leather which was done by SymbioticA and was a "stitch-less" jacket that was grown from cells into a layer of tissue and shaped like a coat, was used as an art piece at the Museum of Modern Art in New York to essentially "grow" a living leather jacket. Just as biotechnology does, at many times, converge with questions of morality, this art piece in itself acted as a question about morality, as this one in particular confronted the notion of wearing parts of a dead animal. 

The topic of biotechnology and morality interests me and reminds me of a movie that I just watched this week, which I am sure many here have seen, called Gattaca. The film is about a world in which genetically engineering embryos to ensure the best possible outcome for each child becomes a mainstream practice. The entire film clearly delves into the morality of such a world, in which natural births are looked down on and are considered highly risky, and those born by natural birth go through life at an extreme disadvantage. After watching this film with friends, there was a very large debate about whether the entire idea of engineering embryos was morally sound or not. I find it very interesting to learn about scientists who have decided that we must limit ourselves and watch what we do in order to ensure that we are acting in a way that is ethical. Since scientists are generally interested in furthering our knowledge and advancing through technology, It is very interesting to learn about those who decided to use that scientific knowledge to create art and pass on a message. 

Citations:

"Lecture Part I" Victoria Vesna. Film.

Gattaca. Dir. Andrew Niccol. Continental Film, 1998.

"Weird Science: Biotechnology as Art Form." ARTnews. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2016.

http://lab.anhb.uwa.edu.au/tca/

"Oron Catts, of Tissue Culture and Art, "Growing Neolifism" | The Sanctuary for Independent Media." Oron Catts, of Tissue Culture and Art, "Growing Neolifism" | The Sanctuary for Independent Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2016.

Event 1: BioDesign

I attended the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose and visited the BioDesign exhibit, which used artistic elements to make biological concepts both more interesting and easier to understand.With the LivingColors Lab, I got to participate in a small experiment with DNA and color. I was provided with gloves, small syringes, and two little tubes in which I mixed together in a small plastic container. Throughout the entire process, there were colorful diagrams and creative ways of showing visitors what each step was. 

Once I was done putting the DNA into the container, I put it in an incubator, and got to take the container of someone who had done the exact same steps before me. I then put the platter in the microscope and got to see the colors which developed from the mixture. The next step was to take a photo with the microscope machine, and the computer then detected all of the "new" found colors in that mixture. The colors were then added to the database which was shown on the wall in front of the lab.

As you can see here from the wall shown, new information would be given within the middle circle, such as new colors found and which colors were the most rare. The entire experience was very aesthetically pleasing and, due to my studies in this class, I realized how much artwork actually went into this exhibit which could have easily been considered merely science, and not about art at all. While the exhibit was not necessarily "meant" to teach people about art, it was entirely reliant on artistic elements. Similar to the way in which biology textbooks have artistic drawings, there was art throughout the entire BioDesign exhibit in order to make the experience fun and understandable. 

Here is information about the exhibit:
http://www.thetech.org/biodesignstudio

Medicine and Art

(2)

To me, this weeks topic was very interesting as Medicine and Art are two subjects that I have always been interested in. I think the thing that is so interesting about it, in particular, is how different people categorize the two subjects, yet how reliant they truly are on one another. For many artists throughout history, knowledge about human anatomy has been absolutely essential. In addition, for those within the medical world and studying medicine, a key component in the accumulation of knowledge of the human anatomy lies in visual images and representations of the muscles, bones, tendons, and internal organs of human beings, often done in the form of drawing and then put in books, such as that of Gray's Anatomy which is currently on its 40th edition. (1)

While Medicine and Art have relied on one another for accuracy and efficiency for a very long time, I found it very interesting to learn about innovative new ways in which medical practices or usages have found their way into art. For instance, Justine Cooper's use of MRI's in her artwork, being the fist to do so but certainly not the last. (3)

(3) Justine Cooper's MRI artwork

I found the idea of using MRIs to exhibit the human brain in an artistic way was very interesting, and found another exhibit done by Paula Crown called Inside my Head: A contemporary Self-ortrait. (4) This exhibit shows a new way in which medicine can aid artists in creating works of art that they would otherwise not be able to, such as a self portrait which shows inside the artists brain. I find it very interesting that over time, even now that artists have already benefited from all of the medical research and direction of human bodies that has made it possible to understand human anatomy, and just as medical schools have long been using art to portray, teach, and learn about the human body; there are still ways in which the two fields are interacting with one another in order to break barriers that never would have been possible otherwise.

Inside my Head: A contemporary Self-Portrait

This week I was particularly intrigued by the lectures as the insight into medicine, art, and their reliance on one another throughout history was incredibly interesting to me. I think, for me, the way that each one not just relied on one another but helped develop one another is what is most astounding to me, especially because people regard the two as so different and disconnected, yet they literally helped create one another, and most certainly helped one another become what they are today.
I was also fascinated with Stelarc and his use of his own body in exhibits. The human body has been a very big part of art for a long time, and nude art in particular is something that was far more popular throughout history than it is today. In many ways, I believe, I was surprised to learn about Stelarc's use of the human body because in many forms of modern art I have not seen the nude human body be used quite as much as it was in the past. I was surprised to see his immersion of the human body and modern technology, as I have truly never seen anything like it. (5)

Works Cited

(1) Lecture Part 1

(2) "Gray’s Anatomy." Science Book a Day. N.p., 08 Dec. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. 

(3)Vasini, Silva. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts." (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

(4) "MRI Art Exhibit Captures The Beauty Of The Human Brain | The Creators Project." The Creators Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.

(5)"Extended Body: Interview with Stelarc." N.p., n.d. Web.

Robotics and Art

        This weeks lesson taught me a lot about the relationship between robotics and art, which I had never considered before now. I had noticed that robots were often given humanoid shapes, however, I never really thought about why that was. I found it very interesting to learn about the relevance of creating a friendly looking robot. I was very interested in the Japanese animation Astroboy and the way in which this combination of art and robots encouraged people to believe in the future and provided a cultural basis for the way that robotics was viewed and incorporated in Japan; creating the notion that robots are friends and not something to be feared.(1) Robots that are used in pop-culture and entertainment certainly have an influence on the way that people view robots and their potential. One example of friendly robots in pop-culture are that of R2D2 and BB8 from Star wars, who have a cute aesthetic and also act as helpers to humans who they seem to create emotional attachments to and act as very loyal companions (2)

This topic made me think in an entirely new way about the way in which the aesthetic appearance of a robot influences peoples opinions of them. In addition, it made me realize the way that art and culture influence the public's views on technology.  Professor Kusuhara addresses the idea in pop-culture that robots may take over the world, or that they are or could turn evil. The whole notion of robots replacing humans has arisen within aspects of our culture ever since the Industrial Revolution when robots began to replace work that otherwise would have been done by humans. 

The connection between art and machinery becomes very clear when I think about the way in which one influences the public's perception of the other.  As Walter Benjamin said, "Mechanical reproduction of  art changes the reaction of the masses toward art." (3) In this case, it is art that is influencing the masses reaction toward mechanical reproduction. I believe that this goes both ways, as these two interconnected subjects influence the publics perception of one another within Western culture.


The movies I, Robot and Wall-E are the two movies which come to mind for me when addressing this topic, as I think they represent two entirely different sides in regards to fear, verses admiration for robots within modern culture. In I, Robot, the robots which were created to help humans wind up turning against them and working to take over the world.(4) In wall-E, on the other hand, the robot is in an animation movie and robots within it are used as adorable, earth-cleaners who are capable of love and other human emotions. Wall-E, himself, the main robot in the film, is extremely likable as he is very friendly and is working to clean up a waste-covered and abandoned earth in the distant future. (5)

Works Cited

(1) Robotics Lecture. Machiko Kusahara.

(2) http://www.starwars.com/databank/r2-d2

(3) Benjamin, Walter, and J. A. Underwood. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

(4) I, Robot. Dir. Alex Proyas. Perf. Will Smith. Twentieth Century Fox, 2004.

(5) Wall-E. Dir. Andrew Stanton. Perf Ben Burtt. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2008