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.