Event # 3: This Is The End

Designed by Pedro Reyes,"This Is The End" showcases the “Unconventional Narrative Strategies” by the individual artworks of Ed Atkins, Loretta Fahrenholz, Tommy Hartung, in which they address various themes such as trauma, melancholy, surrealism and the uncanny, was a surreal experience. The complexity of the video ultimately looks at the physical and emotional tole that depression has on individuals. Whether it may be mental or external, the interpretations of the narratives of human emotions are at an elaborate point of view. 

One video that really caught my attention was at a repetition of the “thumbs up” motion. A lot of what we learned in this class relates to this narrative of Ed Atkins that helps us look at the “thumbs up” narrative in a new prospective with film and technology. A lot of the times we find that the mixture of art and technology broadening even the simplest of objects and motions into an entirely new form. Ed Atkins uses this very relationship in a way that we all are critically aware of, a relationship that takes the present state of something and transforms it into a message about ethnics, perspectives and values. Just how this class takes a variety a fields and molds it in connection with art, Ed Atkins uses the “thumbs up” narrative and combines it with other mini-narratives about heartbreak, nature, even life. What I got out of the event as a whole was that human emotion is purely a subjective state of mind. Some may think “this is the end”, where as others see or feel a certain emotion as only the beginning. We can only hope that artists such as Ed Atkins, and the rest of the talented individuals in “This is the end” can further showcase the beauty of human emotion through art and technology. 

Event # 2: "Provocations" by Heatherwick Studio

"Provocations" by Heatherwick Studios was an extraordinary event that looks at the everyday household item, and thinks of new “inventive work, that combines novel engineering and new materials and innovative design”. From large architectural project in South Africa, the U.K, Abu Dhabi, to the ceremonial lighting cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic Games, Heatherwick Studios imagination is a “diverse body of work that defies easy categorization and eschews any notion of a signature style.” 

Before even entering the exhibit, there were chairs shaped as if they were giant dradles in the middle of the hammer museum.  A lot of people found it amusing, I was one of those people. I soon found out that this very chair was designed by Heatherwick himself. Every artist has an approach and objective. In Heatherwick’s mind, his approach his artwork is similar to what we have learned in class this entire quarter. How innovations must look at all different levels, different scales, even different fields in order to go beyond what the normal human mind and eye perceive of things. We’ve learned that whether its art and technology, art and mathematics, art and science, no matter the combination, it’s the innovation that sticks the relationship together to create a beautiful masterpiece. Heatherwick’s various art pieces illustrates our want and need to connect the various worlds in order to develop and unravel the unknown. For Heatherwick, a lot of his inspiration connects the architectural complexities into most of his artwork. For example the picture above, illustrates the cross interconnection with the artwork’s objective of a citylandscape and of the architectural engineer design. However, when looking at the complexities, we soon realize Heatherwick takes the simplest of designs and molds it in a way that makes our brains think and appreciative of the simpler things in life. The chair for example, something that is needed in an everyday setting, yet we do not appreciate its purpose. Heatherwick, brings those simple household objects back to life.

Event #1: Kathy High Exhibit

As I entered the exhibit, the first thing that caught my eye was a jar filled with an unknown specimen. I didn’t really pay attention to it until I read the letter that was written by the author. “Dear David Bowe, I have a bargain for you…I am a life-long fan…I was hoping these photos might grab your attention for a moment. I want to exchange these for a throw-away item, your poo.” 

From there I didn’t really understand what to expect but that the artist, Kathy High, was a long admirer of David Bowe and reenacted some of his most iconic scenes through photography. After reading the letter and various plaques in the exhibit, I soon was informed that Kathy had Crohn Disease, an inflammatory bowl disease that affects the lining of the digestive system. The artist wanted to conduct a fecal transplantation, by implanting David Bowe’s poop/gut biome into her colon. 

This exhibit is a perfect of example of the connection of art and science. Through Kathy’s artistic capability, she was able to grab the attention of one of her most admired performers to help fight for an important cause. Although she knew this may have been a long shot, asking for someone’s fecal matter, the strong connection of the development of this project helped move forward not only science and art, but Kathy’s life. I really was intrigued by the messages carried out throughout the whole exhibit. How every moment and everything in life is precious. This exhibit really benefited both from art and science by living up the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. The development of art and science, as we learned in this class, symbiotically assist one another to the greatest potential. In this case, Kathy respected and understood the importance of both worlds and how connecting them would further progress everything for the better.

Space + Art

                

                 Whether it may be the Milky Way, Medusa Nebula, or even the sight of the Moon, space will forever be light years of galaxies and unknown planets waiting to be discovered. As we finally close out this blog, I feel as if the entire class really helped boil down to this point of space and art. The relationship between the other blog topics can be defined as concrete and definite; whereas space deals with the “unknown” and fulfilling human curiosity. We’ve covered topics from math to culture to nanotechnology, all in which have endless amount of theories and facts to back up their own well beings. Although multiple parties, industries, and organizations dedicate their time and effort to space and its life, why does it seem as if the world of art is more so drawn to space in comparison to the others? This is because space combines it all.

               

                 It’s ironic how space combines the other topics into one relation to art for space is merely the void between the celestial planets themselves. With this void is what draws human curiosity (neuroscience); it’s with this void that astronauts make precise calculations on destinations and missions (mathematics); it’s because of this void that more and more technological development has increased the past century (technology). We see that art’s mission is to define all the voids in life by expressing every bit of life’s aspect. But how does one go about expressing a void? This is where space comes into play with art. Art unravels the very mysteries of life that we have yet to find existent. Space gives us clues on how to unravel the unknown by celestial bodies and galaxies that we now express through multiple variations of art. Maybe that is the purpose of life, to never fully discover all that is needed to discover but rather to enjoy the process and passions you find along the way. Just as if one were to travel in space, might as well enjoy the view rather than focusing on an end destination.

               Considering it's the last blog post, I just wanted to say Thank you Professor Vesna and all the TAs for offering such an amazing course during my last quarter here at UCLA. I am now ready to enter the real world of the “unknown” and looking forward to my journey. 

Nano-tech + Art

            

                  I've recently read an article on the exhibition at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, called “Nano”, as it merges both the art and the atom. With art-making processes, visitors can experience moving molecules while manipulating atoms. Nanotechnology focuses on the process in which it studies the scale of atoms and molecules and their development. What I am intrigued by is the notion that art can make things easier to understand nanotechnology. The project itself was actually founded by our very own Professor Victoria Vesna. Professor Vesna stated, “This new science is about a shift in our perception of reality from a purely visual culture to one based on sensing and connectivity”.

                Art has its way of making the surreal become a reality. Art puts its light on the idea that nanotechnology looks at things that are impossible to see with the human eye. We’ve seen every week that art makes the impossible, possible. In this case, having individuals interacting with molecules, getting to see atoms with their own bare eyes, and using these to invest in research and development, is what the progression of life has come to.

                Molecular inspirations has come about through many artists. “Nanoart” really dives into the notion that everything is made up of molecules of atoms. These specimens are the foundations of life itself, and without them, we wouldn’t exist. Art helps conserve the importance of molecule and atoms by highlighting them in their natural state. It is only with this conservation and admiration of atoms and molecules that nanotechnology and grow and thrive from.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/the-art-of-nanotech/?_r

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/1223_031223_nanotechnology.html

http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology/introduction/introduction_to_nanotechnology_31.php

Neuroscience + Art

              

 With this week’s topic on neuroscience and art, I will be focusing on “memory”. Both neuroscience and art focuses a lot on the idea of memory and how individuals not only interpret their memory, but how often are memories kept.

                The study of neuroscience looks at the psychological and physical development of the brain itself. Art and neuroscience work hand in hand both on the psychological aspect spilling over to a physical relationship. Both art and neuroscience touch upon the idea of an individual’s consciousness, and what it means for an individual to be conscious or unconscious. For the purpose of this blog and memory, we will be gearing toward the conscious memory of an individual when dealing with the relationship between neuroscience and art.

                Neuroscience looks at the anatomical and behavioral nature of an individual’s memory so as long the memory is kept. Art in the other hand interprets an individual’s memory and uses that with core objectives for the art piece. In 1959, C.P. snow indicated that there were now two cultures in the educated world, the scientific and the artistic which is separated by mutual incomprehension. Artists not understanding scientists, and vice versa. (Vesna, Week 7)

           When it comes to one’s memory, both art and neuroscience understand that memory is faulty and continuously changing. Discoveries from both neurologists and artists see that when one’s perception of a memory first rejects something as ugly, it later perceives as beautiful, which underlines patterns that have yet to be recognized in both fields.                   

            The combination of artistic theories with hard data from neurologists is needed to see “memories” in a new light. When one thinks of how a memory came to be, one can either think of the scientific reasoning with the gustatory and olfactory nerves or one will lean toward a theoretical understanding and catalog of perceptions. What really helped during this week’s blog was that both the field of art and neuroscience are needed to comprehend how every memory is significant. No matter the experience or feeling caused by it. For a memory is only as real as the last time you remember it. (Lehrer 20)

Citations

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Vesna,V Desma 9 Video Lecture Week 7

Max, D. T. "Swann's Hypothesis", 2004. Page 1-3 

Lehrer, John, "Misreading the Mind", 2007, Page 15-17

Lee, Hesnok, "Brain Damage and Consciousness", 2005 Page 20-21

Biology + Art = Bio-Art

          

          This week’s blog focuses on the importance of bio-art and its political impact. But in order to look at these relationships, one must look at the main disciplines involved in bio-art. In a book titled the Necessity of Art, it suggests that if we look back in history, we can see that the disciplines of art and science both originate from rituals of everyday living. The book states that the “common ground between science and art can be characterized as an underlying will to enhance human understanding and extend our experience of the world”. Both Art and science share dynamic skillsets of observation, experimentation, and research while harnessing the desire of understanding something new and communicating this to others (Carolina 15).

Bio-art represents the long human tradition of shaping the living environment. In the Pala Antonelli “Museum of Modern Art”, staff members were forced to kill a work of art. Bio-artists Oran Catts and Ionate Zurr, producers of the “Tissue Culture and Art Project” created a thumb-size jacket called the “Victimless Leather” for the museum that was created from mouse tissues. (Gyostray 26). The “jacket” was house in a sterile glass ball in order to contain the cells that were still alive, multiplying, and threaning to clog the incubation system. Artists like Catts and Zurr are perfect examples of individuals breaking down the arbitrary division between the living and nonliving. Over the years, many artists have been giving up studio time in order to be a in a laboratory setting. (Miranda 13). This transition is the result of not only self-interest, but for future generations.

Creativity breeds creativity especially in the expansion of forms of public participation in the disciplines of art and science (Outlaw 2). This implies that the more innovation there is, the more innovation there eventually will be. Artists and scientists attempt to simulate life and create new life-forms while accepting the various classifications of life (Levy 15). Bio-art forms from the “Victimless Leather” to even pieces of steak formed from the live cells of a frog are innovations that bring a new political light and advocacy statement. That people must come together to understand their personal role in acting upon collective issues in our world today such as climate change and species loss. Is Bio-Art the only form of collective action for these particular issues? How is one supposed to participate in Bio-art with a lack of resources?

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CITATIONS

Levy, Ellen. "Defining Life: Aritsts Challenge Conventional Classifications. 2003. 1-17. Print.

Outlaws Symposium, "Meanings of Participation:Outlaw Biology? Outlaws, Hackers, Victorian Gentlemen." 1-8. Print.

Miranda, Carolina. "Weird Science: Biotechnology as Art Form." ARTnews. Web. 11 May 2015.

Gyostray., Katrina. "Art and Biotechnology: When Art Looks into Science." Art and Biotechnology. 26 Oct. 2010. Web. 11 May 2015.

Chen, Chin-Chung. "Do Humans Need GMOs? -- A View from a Global Trade Market." Do Humans Need GMOs? -- A View from a Global Trade Market. Web. 11 May 2015.

Week 5 Midterm

Quick Synopsis of my midterm proposal:

By manufacturing sole trackers for a variety of shoe apparel, this will help create culture bridges. These soles have microscopic monitor devices installed at the tips that are linked to a secure mobile app. When soles are installed, they will track significant places that an individual has been to when the mobile app is active. The soles and app combined track how many steps that person has been in particular places, contains an anonymous news feed of other “SoleFeeders” who have been in the area, and showcases wonderful images of the location that the individual wishes to keep memory. SoleFeed will revolutionize the meaning of social network and news updates by having the Soles do all the tracking, while the individual continues to promote their health and wellness by walking. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8fKibaC_RFpeUJHSzVMOXNnZG8/view?usp=sharing

Medicine + Technology + Art

                Plastic surgery has made an impactful change on both the human body and the art world. This week’s agenda has broadened my perspective on the impact that medical technology has on the art of the human body. I will further look at the political significance plastic surgery by highlighting its origin and developmental background.

The human body has always been in a state of shifting and is constantly manipulated in everyday society. Columbia University Medical School was one of the first hospitals that acknowledged medical technologies impact on the increase of human body reformation. These reformations came with the insurances and insecurity of our bodies alone and harmful diseases around World War I. Plastic surgery had also made its presence thousands of years before World War I in the East of Ancient India. By using skin graphs, European explorers were able to progress on this idea of body reformation to create the medical constructive process that we now know as “Plastic Surgery” (Vesna, Week 4). Similar to the MRI scanning on how sounds makes the body become more aware of the wholeness of their bodies, image as a whole also keeps the body and human alert at all times in society. (Casini 99).

                The emergence of DNA and genes had first given rise to a new mechanism for generating structural diversity that eventually accelerated evolution (Ingber, 57). Plastic surgery can be seen as the modern version of that process. Many artists such as Orlan and Amalia Ulman both practice the art of plastic surgery as both a statement of beauty and of political society. In Orlan’s case, the use of having plastic surgery as famous painting such as the Mona Lisa, is the result of beauty being the “product of the dominant ideology. When ideology changes, the body follows” (Frank 2). Amalia Ulman believes to have plastic surgery on her breasts as the latest art world foray into critiquing capitalism in middle-class society. Although plastic surgery at times can be seen to draw attention to the privilege of not only the artist, but the person, plastic surgery can also shed light on an untold truth of society (Mallet 5). The notion that the “perfect body” or “flawless beauty” is only a concept capitalized and molded by society’s hierarchical ideologies. Thus, we must acknowledge the artists who risk several factors of their life in order to produce a profound statement.

Citations

Casini, Silvia. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts." Cal Foscari Universita Di Veneczia II (1998): 98-99. Print.

Frank, Priscilla. "ORLAN Talks Plastic Surgery, Beauty Standards And Giving Her Fat To Madonna (PHOTOS, INTERVIEW, NSFW)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/performance-artist-orlan-interview-beauty-surgery_n_2526077.html>.

Ingber, Donald. "The Architecture of Life." Scientific American II (1998): 56-57. Print.

Mallet, Whitney. "What’s Behind Amalia Ulman’s Plastic Surgery As Art?" Bullett Media. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. <http://bullettmedia.com/article/whats-behind-amalia-ulmans-plastic-surgery-art/>.

Vesna, V. Desma 9 Week 4: Art and Medicine. 2015. Film.

Robotics + Art

                I was inspired to write about the topic of “knowledge production” and its influence on industrialization when learning about the printing press machine. Knowledge production can be signified as all forms of information production such as technological innovations, cultural creativity and academic advancement. For the purpose of this blog, I will focus on knowledge production during the industrial revolution. Industrialization transformed itself during its 2^nd revolution in the 19^th century when more and more technological advances came about. The printing press machine was a big success when it came to knowledge production in a sense that newspapers, magazines, and all type of critical news products were distributed. It is because of this industrial technological advancement that knowledge production was able to move forward.

                With advancement in knowledge production through innovations such as the printing press, substantial data sets of knowledge traveled through many disciplines across space and time (science, art, math, etc.). During industrialization, the camera and digital reproduction came about and challenged the idea of “authentication”, especially in art. It is with these industrialization innovations of the camera, film, etc. that there is no longer a clear conceptual distinction between the original and reproduction in virtually any medium.  In Benjamin’s article, he mentions that the reproduction of art and film lack the idea of the presence in time and space in comparison to the concept of the authenticity. In other words, an art form that is produced exactly from its original can change instantly, even as a replica, with its setting of time and place. Industrialization brought art and multiple disciplines into a new light with the development of progressive innovations. 

                I learned a great deal especially with the idea of knowledge production and industrialization through artistic innovations. Art began with a simple paint brush and now has crossed all borders to its current state of innovation in the modern era. In comparison to painters, film makers bring the permeation of reality with mechanical equipment. The world becomes more and more progressive as knowledge production increases. It is only a matter of time before the next innovator reads an article online and comes up with a technological idea that will contribute to the world of art.

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Citations:

Ambrozic, Maria. "Art as a Thinking Process." Steenburg Papers. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://www.elia-artschools.org/images/products/110/art-as-a-thinking-process-visual-forms-of-knowledge-production.pdf>.

Polluck, Rufus. "Exploring Patters of Knowledge Production." University of Cambridge. Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://rufuspollock.org/papers/patterns.pdf>.

Douglas DavisLeonardo, Vol. 28, No. 5, Third Annual New York Digital Salon. (1995), pp. 381-386.

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. 1936. 29-31. Print.

Desma 9 Week 3 Lecture. 2015. Film.

Math + Art + Science

Mathematics influencing art and science has been a perspective with multiple dimensions. Mathematics is key to not only the study, but the foundations of both art and science. Analysts such as Henderson and Flatland both see mathematics as a great influence in a sense that mathematics allows both artists and scientists to go beyond simple solutions using mathematical theories and practices. But in the grand scheme of things, art and science is not just another way to solve mathematical solutions, but rather ways to creatively express and discover new aesthetic products and capabilities.

In Henderson’s article, he analyzes idea of mathematics in art and science with the fourth dimension. He mentions that artists who concentrated on the fourth dimension alone owed something to the Non-Euclidean geometrics that had prepared the way for the acceptance of alternative kinds of space. Henderson also states that the mathematical fourth dimension was primarily a symbol of liberation and encouraged artists to depart from visual reality by rejecting the one-point perspective system by the three dimensions used for centuries. Overall, mathematics has been used as a great stepping stone for both art and science. For science, mathematics works in improving research methods and calculations synonymously. For art, mathematics gains the trust of the artists by challenging their understanding of depicting the difference between realism and surrealism. For both art and science, mathematics allows the concept of “nature” in each field to be measurable and attainable. In comparison to the figure below, most are thrown off by the idea of mathematics conjoined with art and science. In reality most people are thrown off by the concept of putting two different things side by side. I was on that same boat until I stopped and actually thought about why math, art and science work harmoniously.

In Flatland’s article, he mentions the idea of teaching an individual the progression of art from a single point of one dimension, to a line of two dimensions and so forth. Like so, if it weren't for art, science, and math existing, we wouldn't witness some of the most beautiful progressions known to mankind. Whether that may be progress in music, nature, or a painting, math has a great influence on both art and science just as much as art and science influences mathematics…simple and beautiful as that.  

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Citations:

Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion. Leonardo, Vol. 17, No. 3. (1984), pp. 205-210.

Abbott, Edwin A. A Romance of Many Dimensions. (1884) pp. 30-36.

Xyara, Dywiann. "Abstract-scientist on DeviantArt." Abstract-scientist. June 4, 2015. http://abstract-scientist.deviantart.com/.

Week 1: Two Cultures

Hello peers and instructors of Desma 9! My name is Rachel Aquino. I am looking forward to what Desma 9 has in store for all of us! This week we are covering the topic of “Two Cultures”.

As a Pilipina-American, the concept of “Two Cultures” speaks to me ever since I was a born. I am a first generation, meaning my parents immigrated to the United States from the Philippines. I’ve grown up in America learning the Pilipino culture, lthe Pilipino mannerisms, and eating the Pilipino food. I’ve actually never eaten a Cheese burger till I was 8 years old. For my parents, they wanted to instill the Pilipino roots in me before adopting the American lifestyle.

Going to UCLA, it was a hard transition for me because I was surrounded by so many Filipinos and minorities who had similar backgrounds. Our parents coming to America for a better life. UCLA definitely challenged me to not necessarily clash the two cultures together, but define one culture that may or may not blend the American and Pilipino cultures.

This relates to the readings with the idea of two cultures or two different worlds acting as one. According to the readings by Vesna and Snow about “Two Cultures”, what captivated me the most was the concept of the “bridge” between art and science. Snow predicts a day when literary intellectuals will communicate effectively with scientists. This however can be a long shot. Most of the arts and sciences construe misconceptions of one another because both of their works do not cover multiple disciplines. According to Vesna and Snow, universities and academia is the best place for art and sciences to thrive. This is due to the fact that both areas are encouraged to contact scholars of multiple disciplines and academia allows both the arts and sciences to engage in the most recent technological advances. Vesna and Snow cover the notion that if we think of arts and sciences the same way academia perceives the arts and sciences, aiming for the same goal, there would be fewer misconceptions.

These perceptions from the readings made me think a lot about my own culture as a Pilipina-American and the culture that I had nourished as a Bruin. By changing to my environment, remembering your roots while still being willing to adapt and grow is the best culture there is. 

*Citations*

Vesna, Victoria, Toward a Third Culture: Being in between, Leonardo, Vol. 34, No. 2 (2001) pp 121-125

Snow, C.P. The Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution, Seventh Edition 1961, pp 1-55

"Twenty Fil Am Authors to Sign at Launching of the Philippine Heritage Collection." January 1, 2010. Accessed April 6, 2015. https://philippineexpressionsbookshop.wordpress.com/2012/10/.

"Uncontrollable Destiny." Uncontrollable Destiny. Accessed April 6, 2015. http://theillusionherself.blogspot.com/.

Sharma, Ritu. "Connecting Art and Science." The Art and Science of Content Marketing. Accessed April 6, 2015. http://www.pagetrafficbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Content-Art-and-Science-Edits.jpg.