Hammer Museum: This is the End (Even Pricks)

The Hammer Museum plays host to Ed Atkins' "Even Pricks" exhibit, consisting of an eight-minute loop of the same video. It centers around a promiscuous thumb that is thrusted into many different orifices, including the ear, the eye, the belly button, and the nose. In each of the scenes the thumb in slow motion is somewhat manipulated before penetrating the body either being inflated or dipped in paint. This is similar to how medtech can change the way we manipulate body parts. Was the hand in the video even a real hand? Or was it a prosthetic? Or was it just CGI? Whatever the case, it is proof that artists are using the human body as a canvas to translate their message to the audience.

The entire video is narrated by a chimpanzee who addresses the audience directly. This exhibit really speaks to the neuroscience behind communication and language, and how humans and primates differ. Physically we both share opposable thumbs, a highlight in the video. A major difference is that humans have a much more developed left hemisphere, which is largely responsible for our adeptness for communication. The artists used CGI technology to mimic human speech in monkeys, another example of how technology goes hand and hand with art.

This was a great exhibit to end on, as this exhibit's title symbolizes more than what the artists were trying to get across. The posting of this blog marks the end of my college career here at UCLA.

Fowler Museum: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram

What do doctors do with their gloves and masks when they finish surgery? What do nurses do when the patient does not take the pill? Where does all of this equipment go? The normal response is the garbage. However, Vivan Sundaram has transformed many of these now-useless materials into wearable pieces of art. From surgical gloves to medical braces, Sundaram has created beautiful works of art/fashion while making a statement about the waste that comes from the medical field.


A social activist, one of Sundaram's goals is to address the increase in urban waste, particularly garbage that comes from medical facilities. Some of the materials used for his pieces are found at use on the ground. As such, he made his models literally wear the trash beneath their feet while still making a fashion statement.

A dress made from surgical caps

A dress made from x-ray film

My favorite example of his work was inspired by his wife, whom was recently hospitalized. He made a dress using the films from all of the x-rays taken of her to make a sleek and elegant dress. I see his work, and it is both fascinating and disturbing. As I hope to enter the medical field, his work brings up the question: what should we with our stuff after seeing every patient?

Week 9: Space + Art: To Infinty and Beyond

Space, otherwise known as "the Final Frontier", has fascinated scientists as well as artists for centuries. Constellations, auroras, and other planets have sparked many myths and other folklore. The ideas of the heavens and leaving Earth sparked major movements across history, both politically and culturally. Until the invention of the telescope by Galileo, the only way to view space was through your own two eyes. Even then, sailors were able to navigate the oceans, astronomers were able to predict eclipses, and astrologists were able to 'predict the future.'

An aurora created by light refraction in the Arctic

The Space Race, a proxy for the Cold War, was one of the largest endeavors by the United States and the Soviet Union to send the first man to space as a demonstration of the power held by both countries. The accomplishments during this time put men on the moon, and it truly was "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Presently, we as a society know much more about space compared to fifty year ago. There are even plans for us to try and colonize other planets, primarily Mars at the moment.

Neil Armstrong standing on the moon

The results from all of these space missions sparked international interest on the possibility of extraterrestrial life. If you have been relying on science-fiction (sic-fi) as your source for all things alien, you may be surprised that other life may not look like Chewbacca. It just shows that a lot of how we perceive outer space comes from our imagination, or the imagination of writers and movie directors. I think it is amazing how we hope that if there is other life not on Earth, we imagine sentient beings as resembling humans in some way.

Several different interpretations of what aliens may look like (Star Wars)

Reference:

Anders, C. "10 Myths About Space Travel that Make Science Fiction Better." i09.com. 22 Aug 2012. Web. 28 May 2015

Choi, C. "How 'Star Wars' Changed the World." Space.org. 10 Aug 2010. Web. 28 May 2015

"Neil Armstrong." Biography.com. n.d. Web. 28 May 2015

"Where no man has gone before." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 May 2015. Web. 28 May 2015.

"Impact of U.S. and Soviet Space Programs on World Opinion." NASA.gov. 7 July 1959. Web. 28 May 2015. http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/july59.html

Week 8: NanoTech + Art: A Lot Less is More

Nanotechnology mixed with art does not follow the same rules. Being approximately a billionth of a meter large, nanotechnology has the ability to change the way scientists study atoms and cells. The end goal, which is to manipulate things on an atomic scale, has become increasingly more realistic, with the invention of quantum dots and nanobots. What was observed is that when we shrink to nanoscale the laws of physics change.

Comparison between small molecules

Current modern applications for nanotechnology include composite materials for helmets, tennis rackets, socks, and (most importantly to me) composite baseball bats. All of these pieces of equipment use nanotechnology and techniques to create a strong, lightweight material that is durable. 

Many things that nanotechnology has had a hand in creating

In terms of art, a popular medium is the usage of tiny bits of conductive metal to create drawings. = Drawings using this particular ink can be charged with electricity to form a circuit on any surface that the pen writes on. This can be a way to revolutionize the way students learn about circuits and how electricity powers our everyday appliances.

Reference:

Anton, P. S. "The Global technology revolution: bio/nano/materials trends and their synergies with information technology by 2015." RAND. Santa Monica, CA. 2001

Boyle, R. "7 Amazing Ways Nanotechnology is Changing the World."

Gimweski, J. Vesna, V. "The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of fact & fiction in the construction of a new science." 26 Jan 2014. Web. 23 May 2015

"Benefits and Applications." National Nanotechnology Initiative. Nano.gov. Web. 24 May 2015

"Circuit Scribe: Draw Circuits Instantly" Electroninks Incorporated. electronics.com. Web. 24 May 2015

Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

Art is the medium through which we visualize and/or verbalize the human consciousness and human emotion. Neuroscience encompasses the scientific realm behind trying to discover the human consciousness through the study of the brain and nervous system.

Santiago Ramon y Cajal's visualization of chick's cerebellum

Santiago Ramon y Cajal and Camillo Golgi, two scientists who shared the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physiology, laid the foundation for modern neuroscience in their work visualizing the nervous system. While both were able to show the nervous system to the general public for the first time, each scientist had a separate opinion on how connections between cells worker. Golgi believed that the nervous system was a giant interconnected system, while Cajal was an advocate for the independent neuron theory. Cajal was able to visualize individual neurons, supporting his theory as well as portraying neurons for the first time.

3-D mapping of the human brain

Current technology allows us to image the brain in real-time. Both artists and scientists use this ability to record our reactions to different stimuli, which Frazzetto and Anker have said to reflect how 'the water of the physical brain is turned into the wine of consciousness.' Because each memory and thought has a different system of neurons firing, a real-time imaging system may allow us to equate certain patterns to independent thoughts. The superposition of these images combined with computers allow for scientists and artists to look at the 3-dimensional structure of the brain and its firing patterns during certain situations.

A possible side effect from ingesting LSD

Recreational drugs have a vast effect on the human mind and psyche, a reason why they are so heavily regulated and in some cases illegal in the United States. One that was discussed in detail was the usage of LSD, and its widespread usage up until its prohibition in 1968. Originally thought to be a psychiatric drug, it is known to be a hallucinogen and can cause changes in the user's perception of time and space.




References:

De Carlos, J.A., Borrell, José. "A historical reflection of the contributions of Cajal and Golgi to the foundations of neuroscience." Brain Research Reviews. ScienceDirect. 2007. 55:(8-16)

Frazzetto, G., Anker, S. "Neuroculture." Science and Society. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. November 2009. 10:(815-821). 16 May 2015

Huang, M. "The Neuroscience of Art." Reviews and Features. Stanford Journal of Neuroscience. PDF. May 2015

Jung, C.G. "The Spiritual Problem with Modern Man." PDF. May 2015

"Lysergic acid diethyamide."Wikipedia. Wikipedia.org. 27 April 2015. Web. 16 May 2015

Week 6: Biotech + Art: Let it Glow But Maybe That's It

Glowing insect
http://galleryhip.com/green-fluorescent-protein.html

Bioart, the incorporation of gene modification into non-host animals for aesthetics, was originally created for research purposes. Because humans are changing the natural order of animals, genetically modified organisms (aka GMOs) have been the topic of debate for quite some time now. The purpose of experimenting with these animals is to better understand how biological systems work, and now in some cases, manipulate them in order to be aesthetically pleasing. One of the most common methods of mixing biology and art is through GFP, a glowing fluorescent protein gene that was originally found in jellyfish that now can be seen in many model organisms. The use of this technique is what some may consider the first step to creating the perfect organism, and a sci-fi vision of what could happen is summed up nicely in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park. In this movie, researchers recover dinosaur DNA from which they are able to revive animals that have been extinct for millions of years.

Dinosaurs from Jurassic Park
http://www.vulture.com/2013/03/every-jurassic-park-dinosaur-from-best-to-worst.html

One of the main issues with the genetic manipulation of animals is the argument that treatment of these animals is inhumane. Animal activists view both scientists and artists as what Chris Kelty calls 'hackers', in a way outlaws of biology because they are causing suffering to animals for what they see as no good reason. While scientists claim their work as for the greater good, I have not seen or heard of benefits from bioart. That being said, I don't think that bioart should be treated the same way as research. Granted, people have the right to turn their own bodies into a medium for art. However, there is a line that should be drawn when using other cognitive beings to create art. I do not have the answers for where this argument should leave, although I think a good thing to consider is this quote from Jurassic Park: "Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could they didn't stop to think if they should." 


References:

Kelty, Chris. "Meanings of Participation: Outlaw Biology?" UCLA. 10 May 2015

Levy, Ellen. "Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classifications." 10 May 2015

Bioart. Wikipedia. wikipeida.org. 27 March 2015. Web. 10 May 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioArt>

"Why Animal Rights?" PETA. peta.org. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.peta.org/about-peta/why-peta/why-animal-rights/>

Jurassic Park. Dir. Steven Spielberg, 1993. Film

Week 4: Medtech + Art - Everything is About our Bodies

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the human body, especially the processes that go about repairing damage both internally and cosmetically. These processes have created a major factor driving me to pursue a career in medicine and the care of the human body. Viewing the body has always been a point of interest for physicians, as imaging of the body has evolved from drawings of dissections to 3D scans. The portrayal of the human body all depends on the nature of the person viewing the image: do they want to see the internal organs of the body, do they want to see the proportion of the body relative to its function, or do they just want to see the exterior to capture the beauty of a human body.

The homunculus, and the corresponding cortical regions
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html

Having a background in neuroscience, I have been exposed to the importance of neural control of our body. This brings me to the homunculus - a graphic representation of the importance of what sections of our body require the most brainpower. As seen here and in many other representations, the human brain prioritizes certain parts of the body, mainly the limbs that have dexterity and the mouth. The reason certain parts of the body have more brain region dedicated to it is that we rely a lot on our ability to handle objects as well as to taste food. The homunculus is an excellent example of an illustration based on function, which many physicians use today for assessing brain injuries.

A patient with Surgical Marker indicating areas meant for surgery

With the advancement of medical practices also comes the evolution of the roles that physicians play in general. The Hippocratic Oath that physicians have made since the time of the ancient Greeks is an example of this change in principle. What used to be a simple promise to treat patients to the best of their abilities has become bogged down by legal liability and changes in perspective on sensitive issues like abortion and euthanasia. Another ethical dilemma that certain specialized physicians encounter is the possibility of plastic surgery. Originally invented to return veterans with severe wounds to normal appearances, reconstructive surgery began being implemented on everyday citizens who wished to change something cosmetic about their body. Issues include the possibility for minors to get plastic surgery and the risks outweighing the benefits.

A cadaver in position for the shot.
http://itsnogrannysmith.com/2012/07/19/bodies

Another ethical dilemma for human bodies and art is the portrayal of actual humans as art exhibits. The main ones I refer to are exhibits that have human bodies on display. It has real people who have died portrayed in daily activities. The ethical concern comes from how the bodies are obtained: there is no clear proof of consent for the sources of many bodies that are exhibited in shows like this. Despite the origin of the bodies, the portrayals of people in everyday situations has a kind of beauty to it when you know what your body looks like and how it works when you shoot a basketball.



Reference:

Derycke, Pieter. "Feeding Your Homunculus: Food for Thought."WordPress.com. WordPress.com. 14 Oct 2013. Web. 22 April 2015

"Forever Young: The Rise of Plastic Surgery in the Age of the Selfie." redorbit.com. RedOrbit.com 30 Nov 2014. Web. 22 April 2015

Mousavi, Seyed-Reza. "The Ethics of Aesthetic Surgery." Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery. 2010 Jan-Apr 3(1): 38-40 Web. 22 April 2015

Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." NOVA. PBS. 27 March 2001. Web. 22 April 2015

Ulaby, Neda. "Origins of Exhibited Cadavers Questioned." npr.com/science. NPR.com. 11 Aug 2006. Web. 22 April 2015

Week 3: Robotics + Art - In Our Own Image

Turner, Joseph mallard William. Rain, Steam and
Speed-The Great Western Railway. (1844)

Have you noticed how many robots in films and other forms of art have a close resemblance to humans? From Frankenstein to Sonny, robots given to us through the years appear to have some representation of humanity whether it is anatomically or behaviorally. These robots are usually not alone - they are usually part of a product line, and idea that stems back to the introduction of the assembly line made known by Henry Ford. The ability to create multiple copies of something started back with the onset of the Industrial age. But why is this? I think that our creation of robots is evidence of humanity's desire to become gods - we want the ability to create life.

Likewise, artists try to create life from their pieces of work, however the ability to produce identical copies of anything have led to what some call the loss of 'aura' in art. According to Walter Benjamin, "by making many reproductions it substitutes a plurality of copies for a unique existence." Benjamin argues that because we are becoming more and more accustomed to seeing identical copies of pictures the same object, it does not allow for different interpretations of the same idea. Douglas Davis points out that this feared event never happened, and it can be seen in the many art forms that blossomed during the Industrial Revolution, such as Romanticism. One of the major art forms of the time and noted as perhaps the most emotionally driven, the Industrial Revolution allowed for a plethora of new perspectives of the same scene to appear, all based on the artists' impression of their environment.

The Industrial Revolution along with the advent of the assembly line helped lay the groundwork for our path to create multiple products with precision. The purpose for creating smarter and smarter machines stems from the want to make our own lives easier. For example, in the movie I, Robot, robots are made with the intention of serving humans while following Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics highlighted in his short essay "Runaround":

1. A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. 

Our continuous desire to create life, specifically intelligent life, is seen with the production of smarter and smarter technology. This all began with the creation of simple machine, ones that require human interaction in order for them to work. These differ from modern "smart" machines - robots close to reaching autonomy. The reasoning for creating an 'artificial intelligence' stems from both the desire to to make our lives easier as well as the desire to create another thinking entity A great example is the IBM machine Watson as seen on the game show Jeopardy. This supercomputer soundly trounced the two human champions, which brings up the question of if/when the computer intelligence we have created will surpass that of humans. 

Watson dominates Jeopardy. 

Reference:

Asimov, Isaac. "Runaround." Astounding Science Fiction. 1942. Print.

Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." Shocked/Random House. 1936. Print.

Best, Jo. "IBM Watson: The inside story of how the Jeopardy-winning supercomputer was born, and what it wants to do next." TechRepublic. No date. Web. 18 April 2015

Davis, Douglas. "The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction." Leonardo. Third Annual NewYork Digital Salon. 28(5): 381-386

Drum, Kevin. "The Robotic Revolution will not be a Rerun of the Industrial Revolution." Mother Jones. 30 Aug 2013. Web. 18 April 2015

Week 2: Math + Art -- It's All About Perspective

I never viewed math as a separate entity compared to art, and there have been many classes throughout my life that have intertwined the two. Physics, using math, explains how different harmonics are used in music, and many forms of architecture are found to have its foundations derived from geometry. What I have come to notice is that as mathematics evolves and paradigms shift, it is reflected in both science and art, as scientists and artists apply the newly found rules to their fields. Particularly, the introduction of perspective began a brand new way of creating art, giving the viewer a sense of distance into the artwork, something that I failed to see in artwork before.

An example of perspective illustration, where all lines lead to a single point

Advancements in mathematics changed everything - they changed the way art was created and they expanded the ideas of both science and world culture among other things. With the introduction of perspective, artists began to make very realistic paintings. Brunelleschi applied the use of a vanishing point in his art, using geometry in many of his works. Alberti followed up on his work in perspective, saying that mathematics is the common ground between science and art. Personally, I like this form of art, as it brings to life the reality of the three-dimensional world onto a two-dimensional medium.


No one, in my opinion, better applied mathematics to both art and science than the great Leonardo da Vinci. In one of his most famous paintings, the Last Supper, da Vinci used perspective to subtly draw all attention to the center figure in Jesus Christ. His application of one-point perspective demonstrates how the greatest minds of the time were influenced by this new art form. He used perspective as well as other mathematically based forms to create many of the world's most famous paintings, such as the golden ratio. This form combined with the ideal proportions of the human body can be seen in the Vitruvian man. Based on the ideas of the Roman architect Vitruvius, this illustration combines both science and art, as the anatomy of a man can be seen outreached to touch the edges of a square and the circumference of a circle.

This illustration demonstrates the close association between math, art, and science. Da Vinci was one  who could apply mathematical concepts to work, the results of which have immortalized his name. His example shows that there is still overlap between the two seemingly separate worlds of both science and art, bridged together through the science/art of mathematics.

References:

Edgerton, Samuel Y. "One-Point Perspective." The Renaissance Rediscovery of Linear Perspective. Basic Books (1975).

Henderson, Linda D. "The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion." Leonardo. 17-3 (1984): 205-210

Vesna, Victoria. "Mathematics-pt-1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov" Cole UC online. Youtube. 9 April 2012. Web. 11 April 2015.

"One-Point Perspective." 2Draw Wiki. 5 July 2005. Web. 11 April 2015

"Vitruvian Man - The Proportions of the Human Figure." davincilife.com. Web. 11 April 2015. http://www.davincilife.com/vitruvianman.html

War of Images, Images of War - Getty Museum

"There were many words that you could not stand to hear and finally only the names of places had dignity. Abstract words such as glory, honor, courage, or hallow were obscene."

-Ernest Hemingway

This quote by American novelist and World War 1 veteran Ernest Hemingway summarizes a shifted attitude towards what many people now call the Great War. In the beginning millions of young men flocked to local recruitment centers, thinking that the conflict would be a rite of passage, a quick test of bravery as their nation quickly overwhelmed the opposition. Little did they know of the horror and suffering that would linger over Europe for years to come. This was the first war where modern technology was applied on an industrial level: it was the first time that the world saw chemical weapons and the widespread use of machine guns. One of the themes I noticed while looking at the artwork of the time was the shift of hatred towards the enemy to a warning about the perils of war.

A map depicting the Triple Entente defending itself from invaders

The portrayal of a German gunning down a helpless child.

To create national pride, countries tried to channel their energy into fighting a national enemy. French propaganda portrays Germany as a bully in an attempt to instill hatred. Published in  1915, this scene represents the enormity of Germany's threat to France and all others. Likewise, the French were not the only ones to use this tactic. The Triple Alliance, made of Germany, Italy, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, depict themselves as the hero and the enemy as the instigator.

Later artwork of the time featured a more disturbing perspective of the war. Many artists who went to war looking for inspiration found suffering and darkness, a theme that is consistent over the later part of the war. They saw the mechanization of war in the form of mass death from the international, industrial war machines. Chemical weapons, machine guns, flamethrowers, and tanks revolutionized how wars would be fought from that point forward. With the increase in killing capability came an increase in the death toll in the war. Artwork from this time reflects the fear and chaos surrounding the Great War. With the beginning of a new age in terms of warfare and industry, the art associated with this time frame saw a shift from optimism and nationalism to a darker theme marking the effects war can have on the human psyche.


References:

de Groux, Henry. Massacre. 1914-1916. Etching with soft ground etching. Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Iribe, Paul. After The Execution. Jan 1915. Color woodcut and letterpress. Getty Museum, Los Angeles

"Prologue." The Great War, and the Shaping of the 20th Century. PBS. KCET/Los Angeles and BBC. 10 Nov 1996. Television

Sass, Erik. "12 Technological Advances of World War 1." Mental Floss. Mental_floss.com. 17 Oct 2013. Web. 11 Apr 2015

Trier, Walter. Map of Europe in the Year 1914. Nov 1915. Map/illustration. Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Week 1: Two Cultures

"The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution" highlights a growing separation between the scientific and artistic lifestyles, a divide that has grown rather prevalent in my life. Snow points out how each culture holds stereotypes about the other, and the ones that are retained throughout the years are the more negative viewpoints. His concern that the two are separating even further is warranted - I have noticed on the UCLA campus that "South Campus" majors (Science, Engineering) hold some negative stigmas about "North Campus" majors (Humanities), and the same can be said for vice versa as well.

An artist's interpretation of the cross between science and art.

In these two large, mostly separate circles of influence I believe there lies a fairly popular common ground: science fiction. This small overlap of science and fantasy allows for the creativity of the improbable to blend with the science of alternate realities. I think science fiction is a great bridge between the two, and I think it negotiates "the gap between the canon of rationality and the fluid poetic" as said in Vesna's "Toward a Third Culture: Being in between." This article speaks towards the communication between scientists and humanists, a relationship I feel is particularly strong in this particular culture.

A starship from recent sic-fi film Guardians of the Galaxy

My brother and I in Alaska

I come from a family that is divided between the two cultures. My brother pursues Animation and Graphic Design, while I attempt to walk the path of medicine and biology. As a "left-minded" thinker, I like to analyze everything that I do, sometimes to my detriment. As a "right-minded" person, my brother has extremely creative ideas although he often does not account for the practicality of his ideas. A major motivation for taking this class is to learn how science and art can better co-exist so that my family can have more in common.


References:

Cullen, E. "Science vs Arts: Is There Any Contest?" universitytimes.ie 23 Oct 2013. Web. 03 Apr 2015 

Leong, S. "College Boys in Alaska." 07 July 2013. Web. 04 Apr 2015

McWeeny, D. "Star-Lord' and his spaceship are front and center in New Guardians of the Galaxy Images." hitfix.com. 17 Feb 2014. Web. 03 Apr 2015

Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.

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