Week #4

This week in lecture we learned about how artists used medicine and technology in their exhibits. 
I never really thought of how an MRI machine can be used to create art.  I found it was interesting how the altering of ones perspective of from the machine is able to change the experience. 

I found the plastic surgery part very interesting as well.  The human body is a canvas and the doctor is like an artist creating art by changing the body.

 I also found the discussion on gene editing entertaining. Maybe because I just saw "Endgame", but the first thing that came to my mind was super heroes such as Iron Man or Wolverine.   The editing of human genes  also sparks the debate of its ethics.  Is being able to pay for the enhancement of intelligence or strength ethical?





Resources

Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts.” Configurations, vol. 19, no. 1, 2011, pp. 73–99., doi:10.1353/con.2011.0008.

Orlan - Carnal Art (2001) Documentary, 13 Mar. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch time_continue=1215&v=no_66MGu0Oo.

Vesna, Victoria, director. Medicine pt1. Medicine pt1, 22 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4.

Vesna, Victoria, director. Medicine Pt3. Medicine Pt3, 22 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4.

“​What Are the Ethical Concerns of Genome Editing? | NHGRI.” ​What Are the Ethical Concerns of Genome Editing? | NHGRI, www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/Genome-Editing/ethical-concerns.

Event #1 Los Angeles Science Center

For Event #1 I visited the Los Angeles Science Center.
 When I first arrived at the venue I was a bit curious on how
I was going to connect the center to our class.  But the longer
I stayed there, the more I noticed the connection.

The first exhibit that stood out to me was the work done by the
children at the Science Center School.  On the top of this exhibit
it says, “As a scientist I will discover…..”. What I noticed is the
children decided to draw images with words rather
than stating facts.  I personally feel this relates
to the discourse we discussed in week 1. Typically one would
assume these kids are in a science museum so they would respond
with strictly words. I enjoyed the way in which it was depicted with
a more creative route.

 

The blending of discourses was
displayed in another exhibit of the museum.
 Another group of students were asked what
 they learned during their visit.  A group of
children decided to express what their learned
 through art. And used colorful pictures to
depict what they learned.

The last exhibit I would like to discuss
is the exhibit that displays the amount of trash an
average american throws away a year(150 pounds).
 I felt the way this exhibit is presented also symbolizes
the combination of discourses. It really provides the
audience with a visual representation of how much
waste there is.

I would recommend visiting the science center.  
I thought it was visually a very cool place,
and ended up learning some interesting facts.  

Robotics

When I first think of mass production the first things that come to mind are the printing press and the assembly line. In lecture the professor speaks of the printing press and how it created new avenues for spreading knowledge.  Like the printing press, the assembly line allowed the mass production of items such as cars to be rapidly manufactured.

When the professor speaks of Faraday’s project of digital art I think of last week's material.  Without the combination of math and art this project is impossible. The math is involved in the coding of the barcodes, while the art is the cut out and placements of the designs of the barcodes.

 

 

Walter Benjamin states how there is sometimes a negative impact of technology on art. This can be because of the lack of originality when everything is mass produced.  For example, in the Middle Ages, Items that were made of Iron were produced for an individual by a welder. Nowadays, the same Item is made in mass production for a cheaper price.  However I do believe that individuals can still create the originality can be put on after the mass production. For example, cars are made through mass production, but people change certain features to make them more unique.  There can be multiple changes, such as paint color, rims, or interior designs. I believe these changes from the norm bring back the creativity and originality that is lost.

References

Hanson, David. Robots That “Show Emotion”. TED. 2009.

Online, UC. “Robotics pt2.” YouTube, YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAZ8bo9T_Pk.

Solly, Meilan. “Christie's Is First to Sell Art Made by Artificial Intelligence, But What Does That Mean?” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 26 Oct. 2018, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/christies-first-sell-art-made-artificial-intelligence-what-does-mean-180970642/.

“10 Auto Industry Jobs That Will Die Due to Automation.” Money Inc, 9 Nov. 2016, moneyinc.com/10-auto-industry-jobs-will-die-due-automation.

“Printing Press.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press.

Art + Math

The Professor’s first point really opened my eyes. The Professor stated how when she was growing up she had a bad math teacher which pushed her into art.  For me it was the other way around.  The schools I went to  during my childhood never had a proper art program, and if they did it was minimal. I feel that is why I have never had the opportunity to be drawn towards art.

The Professor then adds that the education system reduces our focus or perspective of what we see as “degenius-ing”.

In lecture the professor discusses the division pushing students to math or art, not both.  The material this week we have learned that there are intertwined.  A perfect example of the combination of art and math is architecture.  The professor speaks of this combination as the “Golden Ratio”. 

In lecture we also learned that artists use linear perspective, vertexes, and vanishing points when creating their artwork.  

An artist that used linear perspective correctly from the west was Brunelleschi in 1413.  An example of Brunelleschi’s system can be seen in Donatello’s relief, St. George Killing the Dragon.

I would explain the juxtaposition of art and math as; although they are two separate disciplines, they are in fact overlapping in many ways.

References

 “AMS :: Feature Column from the AMS.” American Mathematical Society, www.ams.org/publicoutreach/feature-column/fcarc-art1. 

“April 2019.” Discover Magazine, discovermagazine.com/galleries/2014/april/math-art. 

Blumberg, Naomi. “Linear Perspective.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 17 Mar. 2016, www.britannica.com/art/linear-perspective. 

Online, UC. “TwoCultures pt2.” YouTube, YouTube, 31 Mar. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUr4xxZ_0gw&feature=youtu.be.

“St. George Killing the Dragon.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/St-George-Killing-the-Dragon.

Unit 1 : Two Cultures

Hi!  My name is Blayne Martinez.  I immediately thought of north and south campus at UCLA, when reading The Two Cultures and Scientific Revolution by C. P. Snow.  The north and south campus differ intellectually, visually and with language.

 South campus is often for those studying science, while the north is for art, theory, and literary works.  I am a political science major, and I find myself surrounded by the culture of the north.  

The visual representation of these cultures are different as well. North Campus often incorporates plants and artwork into and around their buildings,  while the south campus' buildings are more modern.  On the right is a picture of the sculpture garden in north campus and a typical building of south campus.







At the end of the day, the members of these cultures are a lot more similar than one might think.  Regardless of the material they are studying, these cultures have students pursuing their goals through handwork and determination.  

I relate to the point in which Snow address how these cultures make an audience feel if they are listening to different languages.  Sometimes when I am with my friends in south campus and they are talking about their research I am left completely confused. 
However, I feel an appreciation after they are finished explaining a basic understanding. After this process has occurred numerous times I feel as if I become apart of the third culture that Vesna speaks of.  I feel as if I am better off and more of a well rounded person once I have an understanding of both cultures.

References 

“Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden - Hammer Museum.” The Hammer Museum, 18 Aug. 2016, hammer.ucla.edu/collections/franklin-d-murphy-sculpture-garden/.

Rosu, Orlando Florin. “Question Mark. Confusion Stock Illustration. Illustration of Decision - 32590363.” Dreamstime, 31 July 2013, www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos-question-mark-confusion-d-people-man-person-image32590363.

Snow, Charles Percy. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution: The Rede Lecture. London: Cambridge U P., 1959. Print

Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo, vol. 34, no. 2, 2001, pp. 121–125., www.jstor.org/stable/1577014.