Sunday, August 4, 2013

Event #3

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND ENTERPRISE

For our last event my classmate and I visited The School of Arts located in Pomona, CA. I felt it was necessary this place because it is dedicated for mainly for arts. Since we have been talking about the separation of art and science we thought this place would be a great example. The art they have set up is part of a public charter high school that dedicates itself to the arts.

My goal during this visit was to attempt to point out how in reality science had a big role in this school of arts. However, it was extremely difficult for me. All we saw were paintings which really didn't relate to science at all.

These were two of the paintings we first encountered. At first I made no connections but I began to think that maybe the science in this were the tools that were created in order for these performers to to perform in a circus. Its actually more like 'inventions' to me. That was the closest connection I was able to make. 

My classmate Rebeca and I kept trying and trying to connect art and science at The School of Arts but it seemed impossible until we came to this beautiful painting. Quickly we connected it to Orlan who put herself through surgery many of times to change appearances. Orlan's entire face is formed from multiple inspirations which is why this picture reminded us of her.

We came to a conclusion that students who attend this school probably never attempt to make connections with art and science. Their main and only focus is art. They attend a school of only art which eliminates any of their thinking connected to science. It would be nice if students who attend The School of Arts incorporated science into their paintings. 

Students who attend this charter school have various talents whether its painting, singing, dancing, designing. Although we weren't able to make too much of a connection with the paintings I'm sure the majority of the students there are involved with science without even being aware of it due to the fact that their school is called "The School of Arts". I feel this school is an example of education attempting to make separations between the arts and science rather than having it voluntarily work together.






Event #2

AMOCA MUSEUM
American Museum of Ceramic Arts

Out of all three places my classmate and I visited, this particular one was my favorite. This museum is located in my hometown Pomona, CA. It is dedicated for ceramic art and historic innovations in ceramic technology.

Just by reading the history behind AMOCA I have gained a better understanding of the connection with arts and sciences. "Ceramic technology" is a perfect example. Ceramic is art which includes beautiful pottery and well technology is scientific. It has already became obvious to me that all of the beautiful art I had the honor to see at this museum would have never been possible if technology wasn't used.




Art and science working together. On the right I posted a picture I took of some of the technology used in ceramics. Its amazing that such technology can make such beautiful art.




















One of the first things my classmate and I noticed was this masterpiece by the entrance that said Race To The Finish. This was probably one of our favorites because to the left there was a computer keyboard that showed the scientific part and to the right the keyboard showed the artistic part.

Observing the museum, we noticed the art but as we looked around and started noticing the little details we also saw the science.
 As we read the words of the artist we noticed they wrote in scientific ways. Their long paragraphs would explain the process of making their ceramics. They included details such as the temperatures of the technology to the geometric shapes. My classmate and I found it entertaining that this artist probably had no idea they were talking more in scientific than artistic terms.

Overall, I had an amazing experience at AMOCA museum. I would highly recommend this museum to anyone. We had the chance to go into a room they have that has beautiful ceramics for sale. We were so shocked to see the prices go as high as 10,000 dollars for one product. Without the ceramic technology, artist would not have been able to create such beauty. I truly hope that these artist appreciate the sciences because they will always be part of one another.


Saturday, August 3, 2013

EVENT #1

RUTH CHANDLER WILLIAMSON GALLERY

This museum is one closer to my home in Claremont California. Unfortunately, the museum was partially under construction so I didn't have the opportunity to see the lovely ceramics they usually have. A classmate and I got to take pictures of the paintings they did have up but I did some research on some of the beautiful art they usually have up. This is me to the left next to a poster advertisement they had.


As my classmate and I first started looking around in the museum we became extremely confused because we could not figure out how this place related to both art and science. We saw the art but we weren't noticing the science. However, little by little we began to make more and more connections that we would have never really thought of if we hadn't had the opportunity to be in this class.



The first thing I ran into that helped me make a connection was this book to the right. There I was ready to give up on trying to make a connection when suddenly I ran into this book they had on display. Towards the bottom of the book I read "Intersections of Art and Science". I became surprised to actually find this in there. I did more research behind it and i found out that this particular museum was having an exhibition on this.
" This exhibition features works by six artists who create imaginative spaces that take their point of departure from scientific phenomena at extreme scales, both vastly huge or vanishingly small. In light of the recent decoding of the human genome and the many implications of this breakthrough, this exhibition’s scientific focus is particularly compelling."

-I found this on their site and felt it was more scientific rather than related to art. Again, I was shocked. 

My classmate also made other wonderful connections in this museum related to art and science. For example, she had taken a picture of a painting of the industrial era which had a railroad painted as well and quickly she made the connection with technology advances. This painting was the art of what made possible the US expansion.


Overall, our experience in this museum located in the Scripps College was a pleasant one. I wish I would have actually visited the museum during the time that it was completely set up but regardless I still got good things out of what I saw.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

NANOTECH + ART/ SPACE + ART

Nanotechnology + Art

This weeks topics were very different from our previous topics. At first I felt unsure about how it was relatable to art. Gimzewski's lectures all seemed more complex in the science form but as I kept watching I began to make the connections just as I did in the previous weeks.






What surprised me the most about this weeks topic was the word nanotechnology. I became ashamed that I actually had  no understanding of what the definition of this word even was. Nanotechnology, nanoparticles, nanosizing, nanomedicine, nanoshells, nanosomes, etc. As mentioned in lecture part 1, nano is greek for Dwart and is a billionth of a meter. Lecture 1 helped me become more familiar with nanotechnology but lectures 2 and 3 helped me build a connection with art and also helped me realize how much nanoparticles really take place in our lives. Something I had never heard of suddenly became something that had always been involved in my life. I became amazed. Sports wear, stain glass, lotus leaf, tennis balls, plastic beer bottles, diatoms and even cosmetic products! Never would I have guessed that L'oreal is investing a lot of money   into nanotechnology.

Space + Art 
The interesting fact about Space is that everything we have learned about in this course from two cultures to robotics all has something to do with space. This was mentioned in our professors intro video. Vesna said space is, "The place where all comes together." 
So is space the true inspiration to everything? It could be. Or maybe this is why the world was so interested in flying into space as we saw in lecture part 4. Space to me seems like the actual inspiration, the reason why so many brave astronauts risked their lives to learn more about space. 




I really enjoyed lecture part 6. As a little girl I spent much of my time watching The Jetsons meet the Flintstones. Now I truly see how space was an inspiration before to the world. Many shows and movies were created because of it and in my perspective, even art was inspired. 




Links/Sources
http://www.askmen.com/entertainment/special_feature_150/184_special_feature.html

http://www.funfactsgo.com/tech-fun-facts/nanotechnology/

http://www.ski.org/CWTyler_lab/CWTyler/Art%20Investigations/C20th_Space/C20thSpace.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXdj-zwLyBY



Works Cited
Gimzewski, Jim. "NanoTech + Art PT1." NanoTech and Art. UCLA. UCLA, Los Angeles. 27 July 2013. Lecture.
Gimzewski, Jim. "NanoTech + Art PT2." NanoTech and Art. UCLA. UCLA, Los Angeles. 27 July 2013. Lecture.
Gimzewski, Jim. "NanoTech + Art PT3." NanoTech and Art. UCLA. UCLA, Los Angeles. 27 July 2013. Lecture.

Vesna, Victoria. “Space + Art Intro.” Space and Art. UCLA.UCLA, Los
Angeles. 27 July 2013. Lecture.

Vesna, Victoria. "Space + Art PT4." Space and Art. UCLA. UCLA, Los Angeles. 27 July 2013. Lecture.

Vesna, Victoria. "Space + Art PT6." Space and Art. UCLA. UCLA, Los Angeles. 27 July 2013. Lecture.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Biotechnology + Art/ Neuroscience +Art

BIOTECHNOLOGY + ART
For the first part of this weeks lecture we learned about biotechnology plus art. As professor Vesna said, "Artist have entered the laboratories." Its amazing how I would have never made all these connections with art if I would have never watched these lecture videos. For these past three weeks I have became more open about these sort of subjects. Scientist like Eduardo C. and Osamu Shimomura mentioned in lecture part one are not only scientist but artist as well. I found their Albino Bunny "Alba" and the glowing jelly fish very fascinating. At first I was excited about the subject and my imagination started wondering about the beautiful art they can create but then I wasn't sure whether I agree about the abusiveness of animals or not. The animal rights claim its abusive and honestly it might just be.

I became more against the actions of these scientist/artist once while I was watching the lecture part 3. Martha D. modified the wing patterns of live butterflies in attempt to create art work in nature but instead caused these butterflies to have holes in their wings. Its beautiful when experiments come out the way scientist/artist desire them to but when all goes wrong its extremely heartbreaking to me. If Martha's experimentation with this nature would have kept working properly I'm sure beautiful wing designs would have been created. However, this did not occur. I strongly feel butterflies already have their own natural beautiful designs and there is no need to experiment on them. 





NEUROSCIENCE + ART
The second subject for this week was neuroscience and art.  Santiago Ramon y Cajal from lecture 1 was a neuroscientist who originally wanted to become an artist. I am fond of him because he is one of the greatest examples of an artist and scientist together. After all, the overall purpose of our topics is to make the connection between art and science.

Lecture Part 3 was the one that grabbed my attention the most. This was where I really began to think about what restrictions should be made when experiments are being done. It was slightly hard for me to believe that cocaine and LSD were both widely available.   I strongly believe there should have been strict limitations when Albert Hofmann founded LSD. The fact that so many people easily were able to get a hold of this drug was awfully wrong. I also had no idea that Bicycle Day existed as a celebration of the discovery of LSD. 
Works Cited
"A Meeting of Mind: Neuroscience, Art & the Creative Process | IdeaFeed | Big Think." Blogs,

             Articles and Videos from the World's Top Thinkers and Leaders | Big Think. N.p., n.d.


            the-creative-process>.
"Art Inspired by Neuroscience - RobotSpaceBrain." RobotSpaceBrain - A Discovery of Science & Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2013. <http://www.robotspacebrain.com/brain/art-inspired-by-neuroscience-2/>.

Vesna, Victoria. "BioTech + Art PT1." BioTech and Art. UCLA. UCLA, Los

              Angeles. 19 July 2013. Lecture.

Vesna, Victoria. "BioTech + Art PT3." BioTech and Art. UCLA. UCLA, Los

             Angeles. 19 July 2013. Lecture.

Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience + Art PT1." Neuroscience and Art. UCLA.

             UCLA, Los Angeles. 19 July 2013. Lecture.

Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience + Art PT3." Neuroscience and Art. UCLA.
   
             UCLA, Los Angeles. 19 July 2013. Lecture.




Sunday, July 14, 2013

MedTech+Art

I was extremely fascinated by this week's topic. I was able to put together a somewhat reasonable connection with technology and art but once I tried making the connection with medicine, I couldn't. After watching this week's lectures/videos and doing the readings my perspective of this entire subject has changed tremendously. I have became amazed about the topic. The human anatomy has always been of interest to me and now even more that I have made the realization that art has so much to do with it. The human body itself is art, it's a beautiful creation. It is amazing what the human body can be put through, the changes that can be done to it, the beauty it creates.








The first lecture mentioned human dissection. Before the lecture, i thought human dissection was something that hadn't been around for long. In contrary, I learned that the start of human dissection goes all the way back to ancient egyptians. This lecture also helped in making another connection between medtech and art. The Human Genome Project and the HMP were said to be very inspiring/influential to artist. Again, I was proven wrong. I would have never believed that genes in the human DNA is something artist were actually fascinated about. 







Lecture Part 3 was another one of my favorite videos this week. Learning about the material has made me realized that I have been missing out on so much information. This lecture's main subject was plastic surgery. When I think of plastic surgery I picture those celebrities constantly making changes to their body in order to 'look more beautiful'. It's something that seems as if its recent, brand new. However, plastic surgery started back during WWI where plastic surgery was necessary. Technology and science advanced with war. I related plasticles with art. I figure those performing the surgery feel as if them themselves are artist as they give mold or form to something.

The video which shocked me the most this week was Orlan-Carnal Art. Watching the things she puts herself through in order to create art truly made me understand that there actually are people who see this connection with medicine/technology and art. Many believe that she is just gambling with her life but as the video mentioned, she is actually gambling with the loss of her identity. I am very inspired of Orlan. I have never heard of her before but after this video I have expanded my thinking. Are we really who we are born as?


Sources/links

http://gizmodo.com/5925721/pioneering-wwi-plastic-surgery-was-way-ahead-of-its-time

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/performance-artist-orlan-interview-beauty-surgery_n_2526077.html

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/medart/


Works Cited
"ORLAN Talks Plastic Surgery, Beauty Standards And Giving Her Fat To Madonna (PHOTOS, INTERVIEW, NSFW)." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/performance-artist-orlan-interview-beauty-surgery_n_2526077.html>.
"Orlan - Carnal Art (2001) Documentary - YouTube." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no_66MGu0Oo>.
"Plastic Surgery Art - YouTube." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2BVEQrABF8>.
"Surreal Watercolor Paintings of Anatomical Self-Dissections - My Modern Metropolis." My Modern Metropolis. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2013. <http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/danny-quirk-anatomical-self-dissections>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine Pt1." MedTech and Art. UCLA. UCLA, Los Angeles. 12 July 2013.

Lecture.

Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine Pt3." MedTech and Art. UCLA. UCLA, Los Angeles. 12 July 2013.

Lecture.




Sunday, July 7, 2013

MATH+ART/ ROBOTICS+ART

As mentioned in this weeks intro for math and art, "Computers through mathematics brings art and science together." I found the topic of this week very fascinating due to the fact that math and art and interconnected with each other. Before reading this weeks material I considered art and math entirely different topics. However, I now have been proven wrong. Computers unite the two as almost one. One can say they absolutely hate math but they are unaware that mathematics is what makes possible the reality in the computers that they love. 

The same thing goes for math involved with paintings. Proportion/perspective is what helped paintings become so realistic. Artist and mathematicians learning from one another. 

This weeks topic also included robotics and art. As mentioned in the intro video, we cannot possibly look at robotics without also taking a look at industrialization. It is because of mechanization of labor that robots began to be used. I actually agree with Walter Benjamin about mechanical reproduction putting an end to uniqueness. If we take a look at Benjamin's epilogue he mentions, "Society has not been mature enough to incorporate technology as its organ." As i kept reading his epilogue I came to this astonishing sentence, 

"Instead of draining rivers, society directs a human stream into a bed of trenches, instead of dropping seeds from airplanes, it drops incendiary bombs over cities; and through gas warfare the aura is abolished in a new way."

Instantly I felt as if I agreed with him but then I realized that this is not true. Society has used some technology for the wrong purposes but we have indeed been mature enough to use it to better the world. Planes have been used for bombing cities but they have also been used to put fires out. 
This weeks topic was extremely interesting to me. "A Romance of Many Dimensions", was a fascinating reading. While reading the example we were given about looking at a penny from the corner of the table I began to truly understand the connections art has with so many other subjects like art and robotics. 





Sources and Links:

http://www.computersforcreativity.com/about/programming-art-math

http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/teaching/math-art-arch.shtml#Objectives

http://www.artbots.org/2011/

http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/sc/web/series/1003002/mighty-planes/3361529/martin-mars

Works Cited
Abbott, Edwin Abbott. Flatland a romance of many dimensions. Champaign, Ill.: Project Gutenberg, 199. Print.
Benjamin, Walter, Michael William Jennings, Brigid Doherty, Thomas Y. Levin, and E. F. N. Jephcott. The work of art in the age of its technological reproducibility, and other writings on media. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2008. Print.
"Mighty Planes: Martin Mars | Smithsonian Channel." Smithsonian Channel: Telling America's Stories. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2013. <http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/sc/web/series/1003002/mighty-planes/3361529/martin-mars>.
"Planes swoop in to put out Rolling Hills Estates fire - YouTube." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj8njha25Co>.
"Programming-Art-Math - computersforcreativity." computersforcreativity. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2013. <http://www.computersforcreativity.com/about/programming-art-math>.
"See How Computers Add Numbers In One Lesson - YouTube." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBDoT8o4q00>.










Sunday, June 30, 2013

Laura Hermosillo DESMA9


Week 1 Two Cultures

We apply to college and instantly we're forced to decide which major we are seeking to pursue. Reaching a decision becomes extremely frustrating because of the separation between arts and sciences. It's either you chose one path or the other, or as for UCLA it's either you chose north or south campus. I am a second year at UCLA and come from Pomona California. Choosing which path I want to strive for has been one of my most difficult struggles at this prestigious university. I am currently a Human Biology and Society major but when I am questioned about my major I always respond with a “I'm not really sure yet”. Arts and sciences are two completely different things in universities. At UCLA not only the two are completely separate cultures but the location of where your classes are located are separated as well. Choosing your major takes a huge effect on many things including which side of the school you park your car.


As C.P. Snow mentions in “Two Cultures and Scientific Revolution”, Literary intellectuals stand at one side of the pole as scientist on the other. Snow believes schools and universities are a major part of the problem with the separation. He gives us a perspective on how scientist think of of the non-scientist and vice versa. Non-scientist believe scientist are shallowly optimistic, “unaware of man's condition”, and scientist believe non-scientist lack foresight.

In this link scroll down to "So many ways we don't understand each other"

Even at UCLA the north and south majors always talk against one another. The separation of the two has created a mini competition between the two.

 Scroll down to "Can Science be Art? Can Art be Science?"

“Science has traditionally accepted the smartest students”, mentions Kevin Kelly in “The Third Culture”. The sad thing is that students actually follow this statement. Numerous times at UCLA i've heard students say that north campus is the easy way out or that chemistry is hard to point out all the non-smart people who cannot become doctors.
Kelly also speaks about the new third culture based on technology and how it is an offspring of science. I agree with this new culture being technology as Kevin's article says, “Scientist would measure and test a mind, artist would contemplate and abstract it. Nerds would manufacture one.”

Follow this link to read opinions about who is more intelligent


Art Vs Science youtube video :)
The student's perspectives

Works Cited
"Dinosaur Footprints For Sale." Experimental Creative Ideas : Intercontexting. N.p., n.d. Web.

1 July 2013. <http://intercontexting.com/dinosaur-footprints-for-sale/>.
"Science Major Mouse - Abstract Art, Page 7." About.com Chemistry - Chemistry Projects, Homework Help, Periodic Table. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 July 2013. <http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryfunhumor/ig/Science-Major-Mouse/Science-Major-Mouse---Abstract-Art.htm>.
"Science Ramblings." Science Ramblings. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 July 2013. <http://science-ramblings.blogspot.com/>.
Snow, C. P.. The two cultures and the scientific revolution. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1959. Print.
"The Third Culture ." Science . N.p., n.d. Web. 1 July 2013. <http://www.sciencemag.org/content/279/5353/992.full>.
"The philosophy of science." Understanding Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 July 2013. <http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/philosophy>.
coincidence, odd, and a brilliant work of literature forms spontaneously in the Andromeda galaxy. No one ever reads it.. " Science vs. art - Less Wrong ." Welcome to Less Wrong . N.p., n.d. Web. 1 July 2013. <http://lesswrong.com/lw/30/science_vs_art/>.