Event 3: COLOR LIGHT MOTION

 

Event 3 Registration Email Confirmation

On June 3rd, I attended Claudia Schnugg's meeting, Color Light Motion, that revolved on Experiencing Realities: From Fine-grained Data to Cosmic Events. During the event, Claudia Schnugg was able to share works of various people all who were inspired by topics such as climate change, space, data, and human experiences. 

Screenshot of Tipping Point Introduction Slide

During the meeting, Claudia Schnugg introduced a Greek artist that stuck out to me the most.

Yannis Kranidioti who is influenced by the climate crisis and explores the relationship between science and art. Yannis Kranidiotis is able to do this by utilizing motion, sound, and light (Kranidiotis).

Screenshot of The Tipping Point Piece

During the meeting Claudia Schmuggs presented a presentation of residency by Yannis Kranidiotis called The Tipping Point. This piece fascinated me the most because of the way Yannis Kranidiotis was able to structure it. Claudia Schnuggs explained that this piece was constructed out of 24 light metronomes and was a proposal for data-driven light and sound kinetic installation. This piece incorporated data from IPCC Sixth Assessment Report that allows the metronomes to change in both frequency and brightness. These characteristics are supposed to represent the past and the future of environmental changes due to climate change (European Commission). The metronome represents how fast time can pass to the point where tipping points are reached. Tipping points in regard to climate change are the threshold that signifies a point reached that results in irreversible damage. There are a total of nine tipping points across the globe that could possibly push parts on the Earth into irreversible change (McSweeney). I really enjoyed that Claudia Schnugg introduced us to this piece because I believe it is really important for artists to use their platform to increase awareness on life changing issues such as climate change. 

Works Cited

European Commission. “The Tipping Point.” The Tipping Point | SciArt, science-art-society.ec.europa.eu/tipping-point. Accessed 8 June 2023.

McSweeney, Robert. “Explainer: Nine ‘tipping Points’ That Could Be Triggered by Climate Change.” Carbon Brief, 22 July 2022, www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-nine-tipping-points-that-could-be-triggered-by-climate-change/.

Kranidiotis, Yannis. “About.” Yiannis Kranidiotis, kranidiotis.gr/about/. Accessed 8 June 2023.

Week 9: Space + Art

The Space of Art of B.E. Johnson

This week we learned how space and art are connected. Learning about space + art has been very fun since it is a combination of topics we have learned the past few weeks such as nanotechnology and mathematics (Vesna). It is very interesting to me how art has encouraged exploration and space development. A great example of this would be the Leonardo Space Art Project who aims to “make visible the work of artists, writers, composers and others interested in the exploration of outer space. [They] also aim to help establish contact between artists, scientists and engineers interested in working together on space art projects” (Leonardo Space Art Project). It fascinates me that organizations such as this one allows for artists to potentially create new ideas with scientists. These people promote space and art to allow the advancement of space exploration.

Powers of Ten (1977)

I also really enjoyed watching Powers of Ten which illustrated the size of our world. As they zoomed out by powers of ten, we got to explore the size of the universe compared to something so small as ourselves. This video is a great example of the combination of art and science because it is able to capture great detail of the universe as well as educating the public on the size of the universe and molecular world (Eames Office).

Solar System 

Space and art also come together in order to keep the public in the loop. For instance, scientists can come across obstacles when providing information to the public such as not interpreting their findings in a way that is easy to understand. As a result, scientists collaborate with artists in order to communicate their ideas and findings to the public (Sutter). The division in this world has convinced us that the difference between science and art entails that they aren’t meant to collaborate in any way (ArtworkAbode). However, as I have learned throughout the course, throughout history we have used art and science to understand and describe the world around us. They have allowed us to gain further knowledge about the universes and we have learned that both are equally important to the contribution of human advancement. The combination of art and science has allowed us to learn so much about space and has allowed us to explore so much beyond our world.

Works Cited

Admin, ArtworkAbode, and Admin. “Combining Art and Science – Creativity at Its Best.” Artwork Abode, 10 July 2019, www.artworkabode.com/blog/when-art-meets-science/.

EamesOffice. “Powers of TenTM (1977).” YouTube, 26 Aug. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0.

Leonardo Space Art Project. "The Leonardo Space Art Project Working Group." Leonardo Space Art Project, spaceart.org/leonardo/. Accessed 2 June 2023.

Sutter, Paul M. “The Surprising Power of Merging Science with Art.” Forbes, 24 Feb. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/paulmsutter/2019/02/24/the-surprising-power-of-merging-science-with-art/?sh=4a6f8c5d661d.

Vesna, Victoria. Week 9: Science + Art. Design and Media Arts 9: Art, Science, and Technology. University of California, Los Angeles. May 2023.

Images Cited

B.E.Johnson, Space Artist. “The Space Art of b.e.Johnson.” Space Art, Astronomical Art, Advanced Concept, 3D Animation, Film of B.E.Johnson, imperialearth.com/. Accessed 2 June 2023.

Displate. “‘solar System’ Poster by Anna Mozano.” Displate, displate.com/displate/4847138. Accessed 2 June 2023.

EamesOffice. “Powers of TenTM (1977).” YouTube, 26 Aug. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0.

 

Week 8: NanoTech + Art

https://www.analyticsinsight.net/nanotechnology-is-more-than-just-a-buzzword-big-things-from-a-tiny-world/

Nanotechnology is a combination of science, engineering, and technology (NNI). It is a process that is managed at a nanoscale. The idea of nanoscience was developed by Richard Feynman, a physicist, at an American Physical Society meeting located at the California Institute of Technology  (Gimzewski). Richard Feynman described the process as being able to see and manipulate individual molecules. I found it really interesting learning about how small nanotechnology is. For instance, there are 25,400,000 nanometers in an inch and trying to picture that in my head is mind blowing because we can compare the size to an atom. Manipulating molecules as tiny as this is something that takes great patience and creativity. 

https://www.science.org.au/curious/nanoscience

It is also interesting that the public has gained a different perspective on nanotechnology. In “The Nanomem Syndrome: Blurring of fact and fiction in the construction of a new science” Vesna and Gimzewski argue that there is a blurry boundary between scientific fact and fiction. This blurry boundary has led to misinterpretations and even ethical implications regarding nanoscience. Popular culture has shaped public perception of nanoscience in a negative way and it is important to properly inform the public on it. (Gimzewski and Vesna). 

https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology#12

Something that I found that interested me was a project created by Boo Chapple. Boo Chapple has been creating a project that allows bones to project audio waves, essentially creating an audio speaker out of bone. Chapple has worked with the bone matrix to allow the bone to vibrate and project audible sound (Art.Base). This is something that really fascinated me because it is something that requires tedious engineering and great patience. Nanoart is something that was created to allow the public to familiarize themselves with the nano world and the impact nanotechnology has on our lives today (Orfescu). 

Works Cited

Art.Base. “Art in the Age of Nanotechnology.” Art.Base, art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology#3. Accessed 26 May 2023.

Gimzewski, Jim. Week 7: NanoTech + Art. Design and Media Arts 9: Art, Science, and Technology. University of California, Los Angeles. May 2023.

Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science, vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm. Accessed 26 May 2023.

NNI. “What Is Nanotechnology?” National Nanotechnology Initiative, www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/definition. Accessed 26 May 2023.

Orfescu, Cris, et al. “NanoArt: Nanotechnology and Art.” Academy of NanoArt, 14 Oct. 2021, nanoart.org/nanoart-nanotechnology-art/. 

Event 2: Leonardo Da Vinci + Gravity

Today I attended Leonardo Da Vinci + Gravity and was surprised with what I learned. Attending this event informed me that Leonardo Da Vinvi developed the concept of gravity years before Galileo. It fascinated me hearing that he was able to get so close to understanding the forces of gravity without knowledge of math. He created sketches, notes, and even explained some experiments onto a codex. The hosts stated that Leonardo’s reason for studying gravity was so that he could improve his paintings. An artist has to understand the world properly in order to translate their experiences onto their art. I was able to connect what I learned to the  material we learned on Week 2: Math + Art. Artists use math such as geometry to improve their artwork (Vesna). The way science and math come together as one to create amazing art is something so admiring.

In Leonardo’s world there were three kinds of gravity. He explored the ideas of geometric, natural, and accidental gravity. A specific experiment/sketch that Leonardo created was on the corner of a page. It was a pitcher and a triangle that was meant to demonstrate gravity and acceleration. The pitcher poured out water in a straight line. This meant that he was aware that water wasn’t falling at a constant velocity but would accelerate (Caltech). Leonardo was also aware of a constant of nature, a physics concept known today as the gravitational constant (G). The gravitational constant  quantifies the exact strength of gravity’s pull which determines how quickly it accelerates an object (Broad). It is amazing how much Leonardo knew. It makes me wonder how different of a world we would live in if he officially discovered gravity 200 years before Galileo.

Works Cited

Caltech. “Leonardo Da Vinci’s Forgotten Experiments Explored Gravity as a Form of Acceleration.” California Institute of Technology, www.caltech.edu/about/news/leonardo-da-vincis-forgotten-experiments-explored-gravity-as-a-form-of-acceleration. Accessed 19 May 2023.

Broad, William J. “A Doodle Reveals Da Vinci’s Early Deconstruction of Gravity.” The New York Times, 17 Feb. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/02/17/science/leonard-da-vinci-gravity.html.

Vesna, Victoria. Week 3: Math + Art. Design and Media Arts 9: Art, Science, and Technology. University of California, Los Angeles. May 2023.

Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

Fred Tomaselli

This week we went over the connection between Neuroscience and Art. What interested me the most was learning about Albert Hofmann and LSD. Albert Hofmann was the first person to experience the psychedelic effects of LSD after synthesizing it (Vesna). His experience consisted of restlessness, hallucinations described as "fantastic pictures", and dilated eyes. Lysergic acid diethymide is a drug that "alters the state of your mind in significant ways" (Kaliszewski). What happens is that the drug binds to specific cell receptors and changes the way the brain responds to serotonin. 

https://www.lucid.news/chambers-project-retrospective-psychedelic-art/

What the brain can go through while experiencing this drug is really interesting to me because it's as if you are shifting to a different reality. The world around you changes and can create new perspectives. In 1954, a psychiatrist names Oscar Janiger did research on LSD to discover the creative side of the drug. He gave an artist LSD doses and some art supplies to use while under the influence. He found that LSD guided creative problem solving (Janiger). 

Maya Hayuk

Artists have been inspired by psychedelics such as Maya Hayuk. Hayuk uses creativity boosting techniques to create art and has even experimented with a range of psychedelics to create paintings (Cortés). The inspiration LSD can have on art is amazing and can even be life changing for some artists. It can change their art style completely which can flourish their career. The experience of changes in perspective and alteration of sensory stimuli is what gives inspiration to the artists (Moawad).

Citations

Cortés, Michelle Santiago. “How Psychedelics Can Help Unlock Creativity.” Artsy, 21 Dec. 2018, www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-psychedelics-offer-artists-creative-boost.

Heidi Moawad, MD. “Drugs and Creativity: Fact or Fiction?” Neurology Live, 14 Nov. 2020, www.neurologylive.com/view/drugs-and-creativity-fact-or-fiction.

Janiger, Oscar, and Marlene Dobkin De Rios. “LSD and Creativity.” Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, vol. 21, no. 1, 1989, pp. 129–134, https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.1989.10472150.

Kaliszewski, Michael. “What Does LSD Do to Your Brain?” American Addiction Centers, 11 Jan. 2023, americanaddictioncenters.org/lsd-abuse/what-does-lsd-do-to-your-brain.

Vesna, Victoria. Week 7: Neuroscience + Art. Design and Media Arts 9: Art, Science, and Technology. University of California, Los Angeles. May 2023.

Image Citations

Cohen, Alina. “When Timothy Leary Got Artists to Take LSD.” Artsy, 18 June 2018, www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-timothy-leary-artists-lsd.

Frame, Free. “Effing the Ineffable: The Chambers Project Presents a Retrospective of Psychedelic Art.” Lucid News, 9 Sept. 2022, www.lucid.news/chambers-project-retrospective-psychedelic-art/.

“Maya Hayuk.” Img, mayahayuk.com/. Accessed 19 May 2023.

Week 6: Biotech + Art

This week we went over an artists ability to connect art to biotechnology. Biotechnology utilizes biology in order to develop new technologies and products that could possibly improve our way of living (BIO). An artist's interest in nature is what sparks the motivation to create BioArt. BioArt can be defined as a hybrid of both biotech and art. BioArt combines scientific experimentation with an artists ability to express themselves. An artists palette has been able to expand due to the advances in technology and their interest in nature. BioArt has allowed artists to collaborate with scientists and turn laboratories into art studios (Vesna).  

Marta De Menezes "Nature?"

An example of BioArt that grabbed my attention this week was Marta De Menezes’ “Nature?” project. In this piece, Marta altered the pattern of a butterfly's wings to create one that had never been seen in nature. She described her piece as “art with a lifespan” since the unnatural wings were incapable of being passed down to offspring. Because the wings weren’t genetically modified, this butterfly would not be able to pass them down to offspring, making it one of a kind (De Menezes). The art would die with that butterfly. This artwork however sparked major controversy because the butterfly wings that were modified ended up having holes in them which made people feel uneasy since the butterfly was alive. 

As I try to type this out I am unsure if there should be more restrictions for either artists or scientists using biotechnology because I keep contradicting myself. In my opinion, I believe that artists should be more restricted when it comes to biologically modifying animals as a form of creating art because it can cause damage just like Marta De Menezes’ “Nature?” did. However, throughout history scientists have caused harm to animals when conducting experiments. Thinking about restrictions has allowed me to feel Levy’s perspective even more. I need to admire the contributions artists have made on the concept of life. Reconsidering my assumption on the definition of life can help me view BioArt in a different perspective (Levy).

Cattle Farm by Joachim Süß

Speaking on the benefit of humanity, animal agriculture has used biotechnology to improve farm animal performance. Animal biotechnology genetically improves animals that can be used for agricultural or medical applications. Developing breeds using traditional animal biotechnology is tedious work. They choose which animals they want to breed based on their performance. For example in the dairy cattle industry, artificial insemination is used to breed cattle. Artificial insemination is done by getting a female pregnant by physically inserting semen into her reproductive tract. Using the semen of cows with high milk production has allowed for the development of cows that produce double the amount of milk a normal cow could produce. The semen can even be frozen and shipped off to different parts of the world to breed more cows that produce more milk (UCTV). Now about 70% of the cow population in the US is produced using artificial insemination. 

Artificial Insemination Gun Placement in Uterus

Works Cited

De Menezes, Marta. “Nature?” Marta de Menezes, martademenezes.com/art/nature/nature/. Accessed 11 May 2023.

BIO. “What Is Biotechnology?” Biotechnology Innovation Orgnization, www.bio.org/what-biotechnology#:~:text=At%20its%20simplest%2C%20biotechnology%20is,the%20health%20of%20our%20planet. Accessed 11 May 2023.

Levy, Ellen K. “Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classifications.” Context Providers,

2014, pp.275-298, https://doi.org//10.2307/j.ctv36xvqqx.16.

UCTV. “Animal Biotechnology.” YouTube, 25 July 2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCIvAuwaf-o.

Vesna, Victoria. Week 6: BioTech + Art. Design and Media Arts 9: Art, Science, and Technology.                          University of California, Los Angeles. May 2023.

Images Cited

Selk, Glenn. “Artificial Insemination For Beef Cattle.” Oklahoma State University, 1 Mar. 2017, extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/artificial-insemination-for-beef-cattle.html#:~:text=Maximum%20fertility%20to%20artificial%20insemination,time%20the%20egg%20is%20released.

Süß, Joachim. “Cattle Farm Pictures.” Unsplash, unsplash.com/s/photos/cattle-farm. Accessed 11 May 2023.

The Museum For Insects. “Marta de Menezes.” Marta de Menezes - The Museum for Insects, hypernatural.com/museum/marta_de_menezes.html. Accessed 11 May 2023.

Event 1 - Art and Immunology: a Lifelong Relationship

    

UCLA Broad Art Center

    The first event I attended was hosted by Marta De Menezes on April 27, 2023 located at the Broad Art Center. Marta De Menezes is an inspiring Portuguese artist who has achieved a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Lisbon and her masters from the University of Oxford. After obtaining her masters at Oxford Marta De Menezes decided to stay due to the artistic freedom she was exposed to. She expressed how it was easy to network with other artists which was something that she found difficult to do back in Portugal. She emphasized the importance in communicating and connecting with peers when it comes to being an artist because peers are needed to exchange ideas. As a result of this she founded Cultivamos Cultura which is an institution that allows scientists and artists to collaborate in experimental art in both Portugal and Ectopia. Marta De Menezes also began to host events where individuals were allowed to present artwork to fellow peers. Another event Marta De Menezes has organized is a conference + workshop called Femeeting. This event was made to gather and allow women in the art, science, and technology field to network. She stated during the event that many projects come out of this which is something I find really inspiring. 

 

Digital Flyer of FEMEETING

    Following the introduction, Menezes presented a slide that asked "What is Art?". She mentioned that as a student in art she had a lot of issues with this question, more specifically she had an issue with her being told not to answer it. Marta De Menezes found that it was important for her to answer this question because she is an artist who works with scientists and it is hard for people to understand that what she creates is art. Her understanding of art comes from a conversation from her life partner. He states that following the question "What is art?" is the question "What is the immune system?". The immune system is the most creative organism in the human body. It is a creative organism because it is the only system in the body that edits DNA and creates molecules in our body that have never existed before. She connects this with her work by asking herself if she was creating things that have never existed before. 

What is Art?

    Marta De Menezes also connects biology and art. She stated that both allow us to understand what we are, who we are, and where we come from. Her life partner, Luis, defined the immune system as "perfect". What he meant by this is that perfect is dynamic and ready to deal with what it has encountered before. Marta and Luis collaborated in an experiment art piece called Anti-Marta that represents "the relationship between an artist and a scientist, but also the boundary between art and science, and the limits of our own identity" (Menezes). What they did in order to create this was have an immunologist perform a transplantation of skin grafts. Although the transplants were rejected due to immunity differences, their pact lives on as the rejection has permitted antibodies to be formed that are able to identify one another. 

     This can be connected to this weeks material on the human body and medical technology. Professor Vesna stated that body modification such as plastic surgery can be considered a form of art. (Vesna) This is represented by Anti-Marta and works of other artists such as the French artist Orlan. Orlan has used her face and body as tools for creating art. Orlan has experienced a total of nine constructive surgeries to create art. Each surgery performed on Orlan has been a representation of former famous paintings. For example, she had work done on her forehead to appear similar to Leonardo's Mona Lisa as a way to represent the beauty standard (Rose). It is very fascinating to me that many artists incorporate the human body into their artwork. Overall, I enjoyed listening to Marta's lunchtime talk. I would highly recommend you go to one of her events because she is very inspiring. I had fun connecting the course material to her experiences and work. 

Proof of Attendance

I was able to sign in on the sign-in sheet that was located at the entrance. We also took a group picture with Marta, but I was unable to get ahold of it by the time this was posted. However, Professor Vesna should have the picture. 

Works Cited

De Menezes, Marta. “Immortality for Two.” Marta De Menezes, https://martademenezes.com/art/immunity/immortality-for-two/.

Rose, Barbara. “ORLAN: IS IT ART? ORLAN AND THE TRANSGRESSIVE ACT.” Stanford University, https://web.stanford.edu/class/history34q/readings/Orlan/Orlan2.html.

Vesna, Victoria. "Human Body & Medical Technology." Design Media Arts 9, April 2023, University of California Los Angeles. Lecture.

Week 4: Medicine + Technology + Art

MRI Scan of Human Brain

                This week’s lectures on Medicine Technology and Art have been the most interesting to me so far because of my personal experience with medicine technology. Growing up I had an arteriovenous malformation which allowed me to experience MRIs several times. Professor Vesna mentioned in lecture that x-rays, CAT scans, and MRIs are all forms of art and it has been very interesting to view my experience in a new perspective (Vesna). Knowing that I spent so much time in these machines making art has allowed me to view my experience in a positive manner. 

    

                       Whole-Body MRI

                Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses radio waves and magnetic fields to help construct an image of organs, blood vessels, bones, and muscles. Unlike x-rays, there is no radiation being produced when the MRI machine is on (John Hopkins). When you get an MRI done, you are asked to lay down and are placed inside a tube-like structure. When the machine is on, it is usually really loud which is why they provide earplugs and noise canceling headphones for you to wear. I would spend around 30-60 minutes inside of the machine which was pretty scary to experience because I was trapped in an enclosed space for so long.               

     

                Magnetic Resonance Imaging has allowed us to further connect art, science, and technology. MRIs have been used in artistic ways to create visuals of the body and the brain. These images have allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves. They are forms of portraits that represent our physical and emotional state (Casini). MRI technology has allowed doctors to see the inside of the body without performing any surgical procedures. A very popular invasive procedure that has been performed is illustrated by the Visible Human Body Project. The project shows a man and a woman's body which were cut in the axial plane at 1 millimeter intervals (Micheau). During the process the body was photographed and digitalized. The man was a Texas murderer who agreed to donate his body for scientific research. However, he was not aware it would be visible to the public which sparked an ethical debate. This issue can be related to the relevance of ethics and the Hippocratic Oath in modern medical practices. Today the Hippocratic Oath ensures a doctors duty to endorse patient confidentiality and provide the best possible care without inducing harm to patients (Tyson).

The Visible Human Body Project

                

Works Cited

Casini, Silvia. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts." Leonardo, vol. 47, no. 5, 2014, pp. 480-485.

“Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).” Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | Johns Hopkins Medicine, John Hopkins Medicine, 6 Dec. 2021, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/magnetic-resonance-imaging-mri.

Micheau, Dr. Antoine, and Dr. Denis Hoa. “Visible Human Project: Normal Anatomy: E-Anatomy.” IMAIOS, IMAIOS, 4 Oct. 2022, https://www.imaios.com/en/e-anatomy/whole-body/visible-human-project.

Tyson, Peter. “The Hippocratic Oath Today.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Mar. 2001, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/hippocratic-oath-today/.

Vesna, Victoria. "Human Body & Medical Technology." Design Media Arts 9, April 2023, University of California Los Angeles. Lecture.

Images Cited

Cumbers, John. “The Latest Quantified Self Trend: Whole-Body MRI.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 9 Nov. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncumbers/2021/03/24/the-latest-quantified-self-trend-whole-body-mri/?sh=3f7c253b6d5c.

Merydolla. “MRI+Scan Images .” Adobe Stock, Adobe, https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=mri%2Bscan&asset_id=220350807. 

“Visible Human Project.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Dec. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visible_Human_Project.