Week 9 post

The concept of space is a curious one. Seemingly limitless and untapped, the universe is hard to wrap your head around. The video titled “Powers of Ten” was incredible to me, and put into perspective how small we are in comparison to the rest of time and space. Initially when the video started and the camera was zooming out, the stars were not moving, showing how small and far away we are from the stars we see at night. Then we look at how big the sun is, and in actuality it is the same size as all of the little tiny stars we see out in the distance.

Space has been the subject of art and has captivated artists for years. One of the most famous paintings of space is titled “Starry Night,” by Vincent Van Gogh. My mom is a big fan of old artwork, so we own a print of this painting and has been my favorite since I was little. It depicts the stars and the moon, and how they flow in the night sky.

For years the sky and space have been studied, and initially there were quite a few different points of view regarding what it consisted of. Initially the idea was that earth was the center of the solar system, reflecting the egos of our ancestors. But the first to contest this theory was Copernicus, who suggested that the sun was the center of the solar system. Initially this idea was rejected because of the influence of the church, but in the end started a revolution.

The invention of the telescope by Galileo Galilei in 1611 was the start of much discovery, as scientists were able to study the heavens in much more detail. Today the study of space has become an integral part of our society as we are trying to find out as much as we can about the infinite space.

The exploration of space became extremely relevant during the cold war when the United States and Russia were going blow for blow with each other on exciting achievements in space technology. The US prides itself on the fact that we were the first to successfully send a man to the moon, and that man was Neil Armstrong. That was just the start of human space exploration, and I am sure it will captivate us for years to come.

"8 Space Pt1 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, 29 July 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZIqTR332l8>.

"Nicolaus Copernicus." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus>.

"Powers of Tenâ„¢ (1977)." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0>.

"The Starry Night." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Starry_Night>.

"Telescope." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Nov. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telescope>.

Cultural Event 2: Hammer Museum

To preface this event, I am very uninterested in artwork and do not find value in observing it. I found much more enjoyment at the Griffith observatory, which was much more visually pleasing and mentally engaging for me. But there is a clear connection between the Hammer museum and our class, DESMA 9. In week 2 we discussed the connection between math and art, which manifested itself at the Hammer museum. Right off the bat I noticed the very mathematic architecture of the Hammer museum, which was very rigid and contained a lot of straight lines. I found this ironic considering what the building contained inside of it. When I think of a museum, I think of a lot of abstract architecture which would be more representative of what was inside. For example, the Walt Disney concert hall would be my idea of abstract architecture. After observing the irony of the exterior, I made my way inside to observe what I came to see.

Sadly, there was no photography allowed inside of the building, so i was unable to capture any of the pieces of art. But i did notice a lot of week two's blog post at the hammer. For example this painting on the cover of the Hammer pamphlet. There are many straight lines and arches used in this picture. The golden ratio was also used here in order to create realistic proportions as well as perfect symmetry. The young angels face, as well as the pottery on the side show symmetry and are representative of the golden ratio. From the surface this painting shows no signs of mathematics, but underneath the use of math aided in creating symmetry and realistic proportions.

Another example was this painting called "Salome Dancing before Herod." This painting was representative of another concept used in my week 2 blog post, the fibonacci sequence. The fibonacci sequence is a sequence of numbers that creates a spiral. From my view, it looks as if this painting contains this spiral, and ultimately aids in communicating the message of the painting. It looks as if the outer boundaries of the painting are mostly irrelevant, but as you follow the spiral towards the center it seems as though the closer you get, the more relevant the material becomes. Although it looks as if the subject is the dancer, ultimately the three servants are there for the king, who is seated in the middle of the spiral.

These interpretations are all subjective to the individual, but any way these paintings are interpreted, mathematics played an important role in establishing realism and symmetry in this artwork.

Cultural Event 1: Griffith Observatory

To preface this event I would just like to say I had never been to the Griffith Observatory prior to this trip. I had heard wonderful things about the marvelous views, but i was curious as to how this could have related to DESMA 9. When I arrived there, I knew immediately. The week one topic, studying the two cultures in our society, was the most relevant. When I got out of my car I noticed the beautiful architecture of the observatory, with a giant dome that dwarfed me.

My initial reaction was that this landmark was more representative of the artistic culture in society. Starting with the marvelous dome, all of the marble architecture, and beautiful pendulum in the front room, this place was a sight for sore eyes. Not to mention the view of the entire city that was breath-taking, even with the Los Angeles smog. There was something there for everyone to marvel at and appreciate. After I took all of the art and architecture in, I noticed the inside of the grand dome was dedicated to the science of the universe.

With tens and tens of exhibits inside, there was everything from the science of the seasons, to the life cycle of the star, to vivid visuals of the universe we live in. My favorite part of the array of exhibits was the telescope pointed directly at the sun. I was surprised and confused that i was staring at a live visual of our sun, and i was not getting blinded. The collection of these exhibits was something I had never seen before, and was very interesting to me.

After taking everything in, from the unbelievable views and architecture, to the descriptive exhibits dedicated to the science of our universe, I realized this place was the ideal combination of the two cultures. Instead of separating the two cultures, as it seems to be done on the UCLA campus, the Griffith observatory does an excellent job of integrating the two in a beautiful representation of both. Something I noticed was that the view encompassed all of Los Angeles and its inhabitants, theoretically containing a wonderful combination of both cultures, which in turn was a symbol for the cultural content of the observatory. Overall, this would be an excellent place to spend your day and learn about our universe, as well as take in the beautiful views.

Week 8 Post

The first thing that popped out at me when beginning to discuss nanotechnology and art is just how small the scale that nanotechnology is working on. Dr. Gimzewski explained the scale using examples such as a tennis ball, which is approximately 100,000,000 nanometers across. So when nanotechnology is referred to, this science is clearly not visible to the human eye.

One very cool example of the combination of art and nanotechnology is the example of nanoparticles in ancient materials. “Roman artists found a way to introduce nano sized gold particles,” (Gimzewski) which had properties different from the gold that we have come to know. This use of gold in Roman pottery 400 A.C. was green in sunlight, but turned red when illuminated from the inside out. Contrary to the belief that nanotechnology is new to the present time, the romans discovered a way to use this tech a long time ago.

Another example that I was unaware of and probably pertains to my life in a big way is the use of silver nanoparticles. Dr. Gimzewski explained “silver nanoparticles have a antimicrobial effect,” so they’re used in a lot of sports equipment such as socks and underwear and can be worn for a long time and never smell. These nanoparticles can penetrate the bacterium and destroy them, making them useful for other things such as stay fresh bags and food packaging, and even major companies such as Samsung are using these particles in their refrigerators.

            I find it very interesting that there is an entire world not visible to the human eye that surrounds us everyday. At the pace that nanotech is advancing, it may very well be an integral part of our society, soon, in fields such as electronics and medicine. I also found it interesting that our ancestors discovered these nano particles such a long time ago and integrated them into their artwork.

"Activist Post." : The Arrival of Nanotech Medicine and What It Means for Health and Privacy. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <http://www.activistpost.com/2012/01/arrival-of-nanotech-medicine-and-what.html>.

"Nanotech Jim Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE>.

"Nanotech Jim Pt2." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEp6t0v-v9c>.

"Nanotech Jim Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0HCNiU_108>.

"Smithsonian.com." Smithsonian Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/This-1600-Year-Old-Goblet-Shows-that-the-Romans-Were-Nanotechnology-Pioneers-220563661.html>.

Week 7 post

The combination of art and neuro science cannot be easily identified in every day life. One of the more interesting topics from this week that established a connection between neuroscience and art was the use of drugs. I have personally never used any type of drug, but this is the reason I am so intrigued, sometimes I like to live vicariously through the stories of others who have taken these drugs. Professor Vesna introduced many influential doctors and authors who advocated the use of psychedelic drugs. These drugs, in particular LSD, would take the subject to an alternate reality with different shapes, colors experiences, and would often times mix the human senses and create certain visual responses for noises they heard.

Aldous Huxley argued that the use of these psychedelic drugs were essential in order to experience an alternate reality that was much different than our “dull” universe. Another notable person professor described was Dr. Humphry Osmond, who prescribed LSD to his patients as a cure for alcoholism.

Another interesting study was the brainbow project, which triggered each individual neuron to express different combinations of red, blue and green. 

While creating an interesting and cosmetically pleasing picture, it also contributed to the study of the neural connections of the brain. Earlier labeling techniques proved greatly inferior to this one as they could only map a few neurons, whereas this technique could map hundreds individually. Not only were these useful, but they also have won prizes in science photography competitions. Previous topics we have covered have left me unconvinced on the purpose of combining the two, but this week I approve this combination as I can see the benefits to both worlds.

Bibliography

 "Brainbow." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 May 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainbow>.

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

"Life." LIFE. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://life.time.com/culture/life-photos-from-an-lsd-inspired-art-show-1966/>.

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

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

Week 6 post

In my opinion, the human body is a piece of artwork in itself and is perfect as it is. If you really think about it, the human body is a miracle with all of the different systems working in perfect harmony. For me, the mixture of art and biotech is not as much a perfect fit as the recent topics we have gone over. If the medical procedure does not have a purpose that betters the human body, then there is no point in doing it. Many of the examples in lecture are experiments with pointless mutations or art works that I do not understand or approve of.

            One that really stuck out to me was the ear that was implanted into the arm. This process is called 3-D implanting, and for the life of me I cannot figure out the purpose of creating this “artwork.” With no scientific gain, or advantage to the human body there is no point to alter the human body in the name of artwork. Also there was the fluorescent rabbit experiment. This experiment was done to utilize an important protein, but as said in the lecture, did not answer very many questions.

            These experiments cause a lot of ethical questioning, and whether or not there is a purpose. The only gene experimenting that I would approve of is something like a gene that repels cancer, or heart disease, or something along those lines. Religion also could play a big role in this topic in the ethics of altering the human body. The common biblical teaching is that every person is a creation of God and therefore it would be against his will to be altered. 

Bibliography

"Animal Biotechnology." YouTube. YouTube, 25 July 2008. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCIvAuwaf-o>.

"Green Fluorescent Protein - Cool Uses - Alba." Green Fluorescent Protein - Cool Uses - Alba. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.conncoll.edu/ccacad/zimmer/GFP-ww/cooluses8.html>.

"Performance Artist Stelarc Implants "third Ear" in Forearm." Engadget. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/16/performance-artist-stelarc-implants-third-ear-in-forearm/>.

"Www.universityedu.si | Businessplan.si." St. Patrick's Church. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.stpatselkhorn.org/AdultFormation/BibleStudy.aspx>.

"Lecture Part 2." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7>.