Week 9 - Space + Art

As defined by the PBS website, astronomical art is a collaboration between art and space. “The delights of observing the night sky long have inspired artists, composers, and poets” (PBS). The famous rock guitarist Brian May of the rock band, Queen, earned a PhD in astronomy. The composer William Herschel became an influential astronomer of the 18th century. Astronomical art started way before 1950, when space exploration started. According to Mario Livio’s article on Huffington Post, “the ancient Babylonian, Chinese, North European and Central American cultures all left records and artifacts related to various astronomical observations” (Livio).

Adoration of the Magi by Giotto di Bondone
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mario-livio/astronomy-art_b_3748900.html

 Italian painter Giotto di Bondone’s fresco “Adoration of the Magi”, which is painted around 1305, features a very realistic depiction of a comet. “The Battle of Issus”, by the German painter Albrecht Altdrofer is the first painter in which the curvature of the Earth is shown as seen from a great height. All these works were created around the time of the Copernican revolution.

The Battle of Issus by Albrecht Altdrofer
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mario-livio/astronomy-art_b_3748900.html

As explained by Sally Ruth May in “Perceptions of Space: Objects from the Art Institute of Chicago”, “the Maya civilisation was among the early cultures to erect monuments that investigated the human relationship to the cosmos and the cycles of life”. 

Ron Miller's work!
http://qz.com/366109/how-space-art-is-made/

With advances in technology, astronomical art has changed since then. Ron Miller, a renowned artist in the field of space art, stated in the article, “The artist who showed you what space looks like”, “Up until a decade ago I worked entirely in traditional media but I now do all my work digitally.” In fact, recently there was an Art of Astrophysics competition hosted by MIT and its website says, “whether you’re a photographer or a poet, a crafter or a coder, a musician or a moviemaker, we want you to use your talents and creativity to illuminate the beauty of astrophysical results”. Astronomical art has developed from paintings and sculptures to a variety of art forms, both traditional and digital. 

References:

"Astronomy & the Arts." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.

Livio, Mario. "Astronomy in Renaissance Art." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 May 2015.

May, Sally Ruth. "Objects from The Art Institute of Chicago." Objects from The Art Institute of Chicago. The Art Institute of Chicago, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.

Quito, Anne. "The Artist Who Showed You What Space Looks like." Quartz. Quartz, 20 Mar. 2015. Web. 27 May 2015.

"The Art of Astrophysics." The Art of Astrophysics. MIT, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.

Extra Credit Event 2 - Natural History Museum

I visited the Los Angeles Natural History Museum this Saturday! 

Me at the Becoming Los Angeles exhibit!

 It had been a long time since I last went to a natural history museum so I was extremely excited. I spent the first half hour in the “Becoming Los Angeles” exhibit; it displays certain items and photographs that showed Los Angeles at a point in time. It showed how technological advances pushed the Los Angeles community to progress in its culture and art. The Fender Stratocaster guitar was displayed as it was first developed by Southern California inventor Leo Fender, and thus shaped the sound of popular music worldwide. 

Fender Stratocaster guitar

Perhaps the most impressive displays that embodies both science and art are the lifelike animals in their respective region halls. The backdrop paintings are incredibly realistic in order to show the public a close-up view of the natural environments where are sadly becoming rare due to pollution and man-made problems. The diorama artists are talented painters, like Frank J. Mackenzie who studied at the Royal Academy and won the Turner gold medal. 

Elephants in Africa

Apart from the background painting, the animals are also pristinely preserved. With the art of taxidermy, a sculpture of the animal is created over its skeleton with clay. Then the skin is pulled over the lightweight mannequin. This process requires a sculptor’s dexterity and expert knowledge of animal anatomy. So this undoubtedly shows a merge between art and science. 

Chimpanzees in a rainforest

I highly recommend all animal lovers to visit the Natural History Museum! You will definitely see at least one rare animal species that you have yet to see! This entire museum displays the collaboration of art and biology, as explored in some of our lectures. 

Sources:

"Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County." Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015.

Extra Credit Event 1 - LACMA

I visited LACMA this Saturday for the second time! 

"Silkworm Book" by Xu Bing

The first thing that caught my attention was the exhibits at “The Language of Xu Bing”. Xu Bing is a highly influential Chinese artist who is trained in the art of printmaking. One of his amazing artworks is the “Silkworm Book”. Xu Bing combined nature with art by raising live silkworms and making them spin silk over books instead of into cocoons to show the cultural significance of silk in China. This shows a close relationship between art and biology, that is talked about in our lectures. 

"Five Plates, Two Poles" by Richard Serra

There is a collection of exhibits - “Art and Technology at LACMA, 1967,1971”. Under the leadership of curator Maurice Tuchman, artists are paired up with scientific industries such as aerospace, scientific research to produce art using cutting-edge materials and technologies. One of such displays is “Five Plates, Two Poles” by Richard Serra. He made numerous sculptures by stacking and balancing steel plates; he utilised principles of weight and counterbalance to produce such large-scale sculptures.

Tony Smith's "Installation for Art and Technology"

Another art piece that combines art and science is Tony Smith’s “Installation for Art and Technology”. He used his knowledge of geometry and balance to build huge sculptures by gluing together hand-folded paper tetrahedrons and octahedrons, producing a cave-like structure through which people could walk. 

Me with Andy Warhol's "Daisy Waterfall" print at LACMA! :)

I would highly recommend this museum to anyone who is especially interested in a huge variety of art forms. LACMA had art from so many different countries; therefore, it displays the close relationship between art and science interpreted by artists from around the world. 

Source:
"Los Angeles County Museum of Art." Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 24 May 2015.

Event 3 - Fowler Museum

I had the pleasure of visiting Fowler Museum this Thursday! I spent the most time in the exhibit, “Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem” by Vivan Sundaram. 

Me next to the Poisoned Robe, 2011 (made of surgical masks)

As a massive fan of fashion, I was immediately attracted to the Gagawaka project, a project with 27 garments made from recycled materials and medical supplies. I loved this idea using “rubbish” to create fashion. There were dresses made from surgical masks, tampons and ties, challenging the usual fashion industry’s traditional materials. Despite the garments’ rather strange materials, their intricate designs seem on par with the top designers’ clothes.  

T Toga, 2011 (made of tampons!)

Nowadays, rubbish disposal has become a global problem; rubbish collection centres are gradually getting full. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is therefore born; a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. “The amount of debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch accumulates because much of it is not biodegradable… About 80% of the debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch comes from land-based activities in North America and Asia” (National Geographic). Since Vivan’s project uses mainly everyday waste materials - plastic cups, sanitary napkins and bras, it brings public attention to the reusability of waste. This display can also spark interest in the newest technology - harvesting energy from waste. Modern waste-to-energy technologies are being developed that could turn rubbish into renewable electricity or fuel for vehicles. 

Silverfoil Suit, 2011 (made of foil medicine wrappers!)

I highly recommend this exhibition to anyone who loves fashion and art. This display really demonstrates a strong relationship between art and environmental science - using waste materials to create art. 

References

"Great Pacific Garbage Patch." - National Geographic Education. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 22 May 2015. <http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/?ar_a=1>.

"Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram | Fowler Museum at UCLA." Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram | Fowler Museum at UCLA. Fowler Museum, n.d. Web. 22 May 2015. <http://www.fowler.ucla.edu/exhibitions/making-strange-gagawaka-postmortem-vivan-sundaram>.

"Turning Trash into Renewable Energy." ASME Energy Forum. ASME, Aug. 2013. Web. 22 May 2015. <https%3A%2F%2Fwww.asme.org%2Fengineering-topics%2Fmedia%2Fenergy%2Fwebinar-turning-trash-into-renewable-energy>.

Week 8 - Nanotechnology + Art

According to Stefan Lovgren’s article on National Geographic, “The old adage “seeing is believing” hardly applies to nanoscience, which operates on a scale of atoms and molecules. So how do you make something so minuscule and abstract appear real to the ordinary eye? Why not through art?”¹ Nano art is a medium to help people understand abstract concepts like quantum physics; the Quantum Tunnel is a nano art that projects images of visitors’ faces on two opposing walls and they become fractured into particles and waves. This display brings attention to the science behind the art.

Nanotechnology also helps to preserve art. “Acrylic polymers were once used to try to preserve murals, but they slowly damaged the very paintings that they were trying preserve. Now they can be removed safely using nanotechnology.”² This was discovered by Piero Baglioni and scientists at the University of Florence. They were able to preserve the Mesoamerican wall paintings in Mexico using this technique.

Fish by J Sha
http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=1743.php

“Nanotechnology could soon create an art gallery full of art that nobody can see not even the artists who created it.”³ An example would be Fish, the first of several works by Artist J Sha; it is the world’s smallest piece of flat artwork, at a mere 40 microns tall with features as small as 250 nanometers. 

Zinc Oxide under Nanoscope! looking like a deep sea creature
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/art-nanotech.html

Nanoart even helps advances in science! “A garden patch of plastic nano-orbs was created through self-assembly with magnets to mimic a cascade of watermelons.”⁴ They were able to turn the orbs and change their colours with magnets. This ability offers promise for possible future use in drug delivery and rewriteable papers.

The nanoart exhibition at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington
http://www.macdiarmid.ac.nz/interface_article/art-of-nanotechnology/

Nanoart has steadily become more mainstream, with a recent exhibition at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington, displaying 29 best images from scientists around the country working in the field of nanotechnology. “The researchers liken what they see down powerful microscopes to things from the everyday world - silver ferns, cobwebs, pyramids and daisies.”⁵ 

Sources:

1.Lovgren, Stefan. "Can Art Make Nanotechnology Easier to Understand?" National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 23 Dec. 2003. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/1223_031223_nanotechnology_2.html>.

2.Camara-Campos, Amaya. "Preserving Art at the Nanoscale." Preserving Art at the Nanoscale. Royal School of Chemistry, 7 July 2010. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemScience/Volume/2010/08/Preserving_art.asp>.

3."The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel: Sci, Space, Tech." 'The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel: Sci, Space, Tech' The Daily Galaxy, 9 Apr. 2007. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/04/nanoart_the_wor.html#more>.

4.Lilley, Maiken. "The Art of Nanotech." PBS. PBS, 18 Nov. 2010. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/art-nanotech.html>.

5."Art of Nanotechnology." MacDiarmid Institute. Macdiarmid Institute, 20 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.macdiarmid.ac.nz/interface_article/art-of-nanotechnology/>.

Event 2 - Hammer Museum

I finally had the opportunity to visit the Hammer Museum this Sunday. I had most fun looking at the exhibitions from the Heatherwick Studio and Charles Gaines’s Gridwork collection. 

Me at the Hammer Museum :)

Numbers and Trees by Charles Gaines

As a maths major, I was immediately entranced by Charles Gaines’s work. The first thing that caught my eye was the “Number and Trees” artwork. They are a series of work which painted acrylic sheets are layered over drawings of trees. The painted tree is composed of numbered squares that are overlaid so that the numeric information about the other trees in the series is collapsed into one image. From afar, I did not even notice the numbers; the combination of the colour form a cohesive presence on the grid. According to Ken Johnson’s article on the New York Times, “most immediately apparent in the number-based works is the relationship between the analog and the digital: between the organic, natural forms captured on photographic film and the abstract mapping of these forms by the numbered squares of the rides”¹. This coincides with the relationship between art and science in artwork. 

Landscape: Assorted Trees with Regression by Charles Gaines

Another number-related artwork by Charles Gaines is “Landscape: Assorted Trees with Regression”. As a statistics minor, this really brought me back to all the regression graphs I drew during class. He combined regression graphs with different drawings and photographs of trees - the perfect example of combining art and science. According to an interview article on LA Times which explores the underlying idea behind the Gridwork series, Charles Gaines stated, “I have been looking for something that was a systematic way of realising a form. In Western society, the grid is it.”²

Expanding Furniture!

As I wandered around the Heatherwick Studio, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the “Expanding Furniture”, which is created by the collaboration of art and science. It displays an aluminium table that can change its shape to fit different living spaces. Nowadays, the average home size in New York City is 1124 square feet and is steadily decreasing with increasing property prices.³ It is incredibly convenient to have malleable furniture when living in a city.

I would really recommend this museum to everyone since I believe the displays show the close relationship between math and art, which is discussed in lectures of unit 2. Also, the Heatherwick Studio is a whole lot of fun with a lot of creative inventions! 

Sources

1.Johnson, Ken. "Systematized Postmodernism." The New York Times. The New York Times, 31 July 2014. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/01/arts/design/charles-gaines-gridwork-at-studio-museum-in-harlem.html>.

2.Miranda, Carolina A. "How the Dense Grids of Artist Charles Gaines Took the Ego out of Art." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2015. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/miranda/la-et-cam-charles-gaines-interview-20150228-column.html#page=1>.

3.Calin. "Average Home Sizes in Washington D.C., Atlanta Twice As Much as in New York | PropertyShark.com." PropertyShark Real Estate Blog. Property Shark, 04 Jan. 2012. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://www.propertyshark.com/Real-Estate-Reports/2012/01/04/average-home-sizes-in-washington-d-c-atlanta-twice-as-much-as-in-new-york/>.

Week 7 - Neuroscience + Art

This week we explored the topic of Neuroscience and Art. The lecture touched upon neuroaesthetics, a relatively new art form with the improvement in medical scanning technology. According to Semir Zeki, “art is governed by the laws of the brain. It is brains that see art and it is brains that make art.” Therefore, it seems perfectly logical for neuroaesthetics to become such a hot field. In a Daily Mail article, Victoria Woollaston described the images painted by Greg Dunn, who has a Ph.D in neuroscience show that “beauty and brains really can co-exist”. Greg Dunn combined the traditional Asian sumi-e ink painting style with neuroimages. All of his images are painted by hand and are inspired by microscopic images of complex brain structures. 

Cortical Columns by Greg Dunn
http://www.livescience.com/49060-brain-artwork-gallery.html

The lectures also talked about art and consciousness, which made me think about an article I read written by Anjan Chatterjee. He stated, “Brain damage can alter patients’ artistic abilities, sometimes causing notable improvements”. He found that some people with OCD develop a gift to produced extremely detailed and realistic artwork - the graphical embodiments of acquired obsessive-compulsive traits. For example, one autism-afflicted child was able to draw lifelike horses by the age of three. 

Dementia patients drawing amazing portraits :)
http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2012/apr/10/dementia-tackled-through-arts

Perhaps the most controversial part of neuroscience and art is the experiments with drugs. Ned Hepburn introduced Bryan Lewis Saunders in his article: “Bryan Lewis Saunders is an artist from Washington DC who has drawn over 8000 self portraits, one for every day of the last 21 years and has taken a lot of drugs in that time, too”. The results were absolutely fascinating, with a collage of creative portraits. Sadly, a lot of people refused to recognise this as art. However, I agree with Leo Tolstoy’s definition of art - “Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that other people are infected by these feelings and also experience them.” Bryan definitely evoked emotion and thoughts in people who saw his portraits so it undoubtedly is an art. 

Self-portrait after bath salts by Bryan Lewis Sauders
http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/188778/25-self-portraits-drawn-on-25-different-drugs/bathsalts-4/

Sources

Chatterjee, Anjan. "Neuroaesthetics." Neuroaesthetics. TheScientist, 1 May 2014. Web. 12 May 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.the-scientist.com%2F%3Farticles.view%2FarticleNo%2F39802%2Ftitle%2FNeuroaesthetics%2F>.

Hepburn, Ned. "25 Self-portraits Drawn on 25 Different Drugs." Deathandtaxes. Deathandtaxes, 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 12 May 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deathandtaxesmag.com%2F188778%2F25-self-portraits-drawn-on-25-different-drugs%2F>.

MailOnline, Victoria Woollaston for. "A Beautiful Mind: Japanese-style Art Inspired by Neuroscience Reveals Grey Matter in Much More Colourful Glory." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2874373/A-beautiful-mind-Japanese-style-art-inspired-neuroscience-reveals-grey-matter-colourful-glory.html>.

Noe, Alva. "Art and the Limits of Neuroscience." Opinionator Art and the Limits of Neuroscience Comments. The New York Times, 04 Dec. 2011. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/art-and-the-limits-of-neuroscience/?_r=0>.

Tolstoy, Leo. "Tolstoy's What Is Art?" Tolstoy's What Is Art? N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://denisdutton.com/tolstoy.htm>.

Event 1 - National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City

During the weekend of 1/5, I travelled to Mexico City for the first time! I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of Anthropology, which had quite a lot of displays showing the merge of art and science. Sadly, when I asked the people working there for a picture, they politely refused. So I decided to take a picture with the iconic fountain inside the museum. 

This amazing sculpture has metal column that depicts the merging of the Spanish and the Indigenous to create a new nation. This extravagant inverted fountain is truly a display of both art and science.¹ It is engineered such that the water is recycled from the ground and transported up to the top of the four storey fountain. Another amazing feature that it has is that if you were to walk through the curtain of water, you would be able to hear the water falling and also the echo of flute music from the front of the museum, which you wouldn’t be able to hear otherwise outside the fountain.

Another incredibly intriguing display is the miniature model of the Mayan pyramids in ancient times. According to the explanation next to the model, the Mayans were able to incorporate science into their pyramids. They had such an advanced understanding of astronomy that they were able to align the pyramid’s shadow with a carving of the Mayan serpent god. In order to build the 650-square-foot Pyramid of the Sun standing 210 feet high, they needed the help of physics to move materials, using wheels and rubber to transport heavy materials for long distances. What is even more impressive is that they were able to create 91 steps on each side of the pyramid with a platform on top, which adds to 365 steps in total - the number of days in a year.²

Perhaps the most well-known Aztec display in the museum is the 24-ton Sun Stone. This ancient art piece is heavily influenced by science. Each symbol represents a natural element - the five suns in Aztec astronomy and 20 day signs of the Aztec calendar. It is a perfect combination of artistry and geometry. It reflects the Aztec understanding of time and space as wheels within wheels.³ 

I really recommend this museum since there is so much to see! I spent half a day in this museum and still wasn't able to see everything. The massive Sun Stone just takes your breath away by its detailed sculpting and impressive size! I also learnt so much about the history of Mexico and was so blown away by how incredibly advanced the Aztecs were.

Resources:

1.Galicia, Angie. "Inside México." Inside Mexico. Inside Mexico, 7 Feb. 2015. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.inside-mexico.com/the-national-museum-of-anthropology/>.

2.Hiebert, Melissa. "Celestial and Mathematical Precision in Ancient Architecture." Celestial and Mathematical Precision in Ancient Architecture. Red Ice Creations, 10 Jan. 2006. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.redicecreations.com/specialreports/2006/01jan/ancientarchitecture.html>.

3."Aztec Calendar Stone." Aztec Calendar Stone. Aztec History, n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-calendar-stone.html>.

Week 6 - Biotech+Art

“Biotech and Art” has always been a highly controversial artform. Perhaps the most debated type is transgenic art. “Transgenic art, I propose, is a new art form based on the use of genetic engineering techniques to transfer synthetic genes to an organism or to transfer natural genetic material from one species into another, to create unique living beings” (Kac). A famous piece of transgenic art would be Alba, a transgenic albino rabbit. She was created by French scientists who injected jellyfish protein into the fertilised egg of an albino rabbit. According to Penny Tilton’s “Transgenic a new form of animal cruelty”, transgenic animals “have fewer rights than an animal born from nature, so a human can use them and dispose of them just like their fast food containers that are empty” (Tilton). As a strong supporter of animal rights, I have always rejected makeup that used animal testing and therefore oppose the use of transgenic animals. 

Glow-in-the-dark Rabbits at the University of Hawaii
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/08/12/glow-in-the-dark-rabbit-clones_n_3742240.html

However, I do understand the benefits of biotech+art. For example, according to an article by Organic Consumers Association, “genetically modified potatoes that glow when they need watering have been developed by scientists”. This invention was inspired by Alba and created a lot of controversy as the public was worried about the possible health implications from ingesting GM food. Farmers welcomed the idea as it would be able to help them produce a greater supply of crops. 

Glow-in-the-dark POTATO!!!!
http://www.foodtechsource.com/emag/015/gadgets.htm

One biotech+art project that really inspires me is the “Paradox”. As explained in “Art and Biotechnology: When art looks into science”, “Natalie Jeremijenko- an artist and engineer- with the help of experts, clones a walnut variety called “Paradox” a thousand times over in order to plant the cloned plantlets in different locations around Sans Francisco”. The scientist argued that since the plants are genetically identical, their differences in growth will show the social and environmental differences that they are exposed to. This drew public attention to the natural environment and the climate change. 

Natalie Jeremijenko
http://salon.seedmagazine.com/salon_profile_jeremijenko.html

In conclusion, I believe what Neal Overstrom stated in “Science and Art: Why Choose? A Biotech Entrepreneur’s Dual Life” sums up the relationship between biotechnology and art: “Both science and art are grounded in deep observation. Piece by piece, our scientific colleagues get a different sense, of maybe there are other ways of looking at this, of seeing patterns.”

References:

Gkoutzioulli, Katerina. "Art and Biotechnology: When Art Looks into Science." The Rest Is Art: Art and Art-icles. The Rest Is Art, 26 Oct. 2010. Web. 07 May 2015. <https://therestisart.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/art-and-biotechnology-when-art-looks-into-science/>.

Kac, Eduardo. "Eduardo Kac - Transgenic Art." Eduardo Kac - Transgenic Art. University of Chicago, 11 July 2001. Web. 07 May 2015. <http://www.uoc.edu/artnodes/espai/eng/art/kak1101/kak1101.html>.

"Potatoes with Jellyfish Gene Glow When Thirsty." Potatoes with Jellyfish Gene Glow When Thirsty. Organic Consumers Assocation, 18 Dec. 2000. Web. 07 May 2015. <https://www.organicconsumers.org/old_articles/gefood/glowingpotato.php>.

Tansey, Bernadette. "Science and Art: Why Choose? A Biotech Entrepreneur's Dual Life | Xconomy." Xconomy RSS. Xconomy, 21 May 2014. Web. 07 May 2015. <http://www.xconomy.com/san-francisco/2014/05/21/science-and-art-why-choose-a-biotech-entrepreneurs-dual-life/>.

Tilton, Penny. "Transgenic a New Form of Animal Cruelty." Examiner.com. Examiner, 22 May 2012. Web. 07 May 2015. <http://www.examiner.com/article/transgenic-a-new-form-of-animal-cruelty>.

MIDTERM :)

Midterm Link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5U1eQDLrEEsM2t1NmczcDY3Nnc/view?usp=sharing

Week 4 - MedTech + Art

“For successful practice, a doctor has to be an artist armed with basic scientific knowledge in medicine.” (Panda) The debate of whether medicine should be classified as science or art is further explored in S.C. Panda’s “Medicine: Science or Art?”. He concludes in the end that medicine cannot exist without its art or science aspects. As all my family members apart from myself are doctors, I find myself agreeing with Panda. My sister, a radiologist, often says that radiology is an art and that each x-ray image or CAT scan is a unique artwork. According to East Tennessee State University’s Imaging Sciences website, "radiography is the art and science of using radiation to provide images of the tissues, organs, bones, and vessels that comprise the human body". In fact, there is an annual art competition at my sister’s hospital where radiologists find interesting x-ray images and transform them into little pieces of artwork.

Capital D appearing in x-ray image (provided by my sister)

Capital E appearing in x-ray image (provided by my sister)

Apart from radiology, my brother, a cardiovascular surgeon often reminds me that surgery is also a work of art. As Christopher F. Hyer explains in “When the Science of Surgery Becomes an Art”, like artists, "surgeons learn skills by training with others and honing their skills through individual enhancements". My brother once told me that every surgeon has a distinct way of doing the same surgery; every artist has a unique way of creating an art piece. 

The art of plastic surgery :P
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/celebs-plastic-surgery-didn-gallery-1.29463?pmSlide=1.2000207

Perhaps the most obvious type of art form in medicine is plastic surgery. “The human body is their medium, the operating room their studio” (Cotter). In Holland Cotter’s “Artist’s Life: Cut, Nip and Tuck”, she suggests that every plastic surgery requires the surgeon’s creativity as each face is different and therefore, plastic surgery is an artform. 

Medicine and Art Exhibition at Mori Art Museum
http://we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2010/02/medicine-and-art-at-the.php#.VThHAK1Viko

In conclusion, I believe Robert Pearl’s “Medicine is an Art, Not a Science: Medical Myth or Reality?” has the closest depiction of the relationship of medicine and art: “Make no mistake, medical practice is a skilled profession. And there is art to that skill, particularly in building good doctor-patient relationships and eliciting a clear patient history.”

References:

Cotter, Holland. "Artist’s Life: Cut, Nip and Tuck." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Apr. 2009. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/arts/design/20apex.html>.

Hyder, Christopher F. "When the Science of Surgery Becomes an Art." PodiatryToday. Podiatry Today, 11 Sept. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. <http://www.podiatrytoday.com/blogged/when-science-surgery-becomes-art>.

Panda, S.C. "Medicine: Science or Art?" Mens Sana Monographs. Medknow Publications, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3190445/>.

Pearl, Robert. "Medicine Is An Art, Not A Science: Medical Myth Or Reality?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 12 June 2014. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertpearl/2014/06/12/medicine-is-an-art-not-a-science-medical-myth-or-reality/>.

"What Is Radiography?" What Is Radiography? East Tennessee State University, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015. <https://www.etsu.edu/crhs/alliedhealth/radiography/whatis.aspx>.

Week 3 - Robotics and Art

One of my favourite films during my childhood has to be the Matrix; the action and stunning visual effects definitely caught my attention. It wasn’t until I got older till I understood the movie references of the dangers of being too reliant on the Internet and machines. According to the the Matrix’s Wikipedia page, it became the fourth highest grossing movie of the year, which came as no surprise to me due to its thought-provoking story. The Matrix illustrates an apocalyptic universe where machines and artificial intelligence have taken over and using humans as “batteries”. This idea of machines able to have free thought might be far-fetched back in 1999. However, nowadays, some machines have been programmed to solve problems like how humans do.

The Matrix

https://subliminalspaces.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/thematrix.jpg

As explained by CNN’s article on the Flash Crash in 2010, a market crash was caused by a system flaw in an automated trading program used by a large investor. Automated trading programs are programmed to execute trade entries and exits based on market changes; they can make business decisions that used to be made solely by humans. We already have programmed machines to think for themselves and adapt which we have thought before to be only a human trait. 

The Flash Crash in May 2010

http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/01/markets/SEC_CFTC_flash_crash/

Another rather scary invention is the famous Google Car. With this invention, human drivers may no longer be needed. Traffic accidents due to careless driving may be drastically decreased; yet the economic damage and potential danger are quite daunting. Human drivers will be considered obsolete, and what will happen when the navigation system breaks down or gets hacked?

Google Car

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-google-car-is-a-huge-threat-to-the-auto-industry-2015-1

Microsoft Hololens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aThCr0PsyuA

As time passes, technology advances and we get more and more reliant on these machines around us. Microsoft has recently released Hololens, which is a virtual reality machine for daily use. I can’t help but be reminded by how humans were so absorbed by the virtual reality in the Matrix that they gradually let the machines dominate their lives. 

SOURCES

Folger, Jean. "The Pros And Cons Of Automated Trading Systems." Investopedia. Investopedia, 07 June 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <http://www.investopedia.com/articles/trading/11/automated-trading-systems.asp>.

"Google Self-Driving Car Project - Videos - Google+." Google Self-Driving Car Project - Videos - Google+. Youtube, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <https://plus.google.com/+GoogleSelfDrivingCars/videos>.

Newman, Lily Hay. "With Google Glass’ Future Uncertain, Microsoft Debuts Holographic Glasses." Microsoft Debuts Holographic Lenses. Slate, 21 Jan. 2015. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/01/21/microsoft_announces_hololens_glasses_that_show_responsive_real_time_holograms.html>.

Rooney, Ben. "Trading Program Sparked May 'flash Crash'" CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 1 Oct. 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/01/markets/SEC_CFTC_flash_crash/>.

"The Matrix." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix>.

Week 2: Math + Art

As a maths major, I see myself as someone who is well acquainted with how mathematics influences different fields like the arts. Before the lecture and readings, I knew that mathematics is often used in sculptures, like the golden ratio for the Pantheon as explained in the lecture and the geometry of space for Escher’s impossible drawings like “Up and Down” introduced by the website, “The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher”. 

Up and Down; lithograph, 1947

http://platonicrealms.com/minitexts/Mathematical-Art-Of-M-C-Escher/

I also understood the intricate relationship between music and maths as I was classically trained in piano: each note on a piano has a specific frequency and all major and minor chords follow a specific pattern. As suggested by “Music and Computers”, technology has helped music progress through the years through improving its storage and production. 

Mathematical relationship between musical beats

https://infinitepiphany.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/note-duration-relationship.png

However, when I watched Robert Lang’s “Mathematical Origami” and read his “Origami Mathematics”, I was pleasantly surprised as I have not read or heard anything about that before. I have folded little origami hearts and birds since I was little, but I didn’t realise the mathematical ideas behind each paper fold. Robert explained that origami actually follows mathematical axioms and by understanding them, we can make impressive figures like a 3D beetle or goat just by using one piece of paper. In fact, back in the day in Japan, origami was very simple. With the advanced understanding of mathematics, the art of origami nowadays has risen to an impressive level.

Koi fish origami using one piece of paper

http://www.langorigami.com/art/gallery/gallery.php?name=scaled_koi

 I believe this is a perfect example of how mathematics interacts with art: as the understanding of mathematics progresses, art is therefore improved. Art also encourages the development of mathematics, as shown by Escher’s “Waterfall”. It challenges the natural law of conservation of energy and displays an “impossible” concrete illustration to what mathematicians thought was a purely abstract idea.

Sources

 Burk, Phil, Larry Polansky, Douglas Repetto, Mary Roberts, and Dan Rockmore. "Music and Computers." Music and Computers. Columbia University Music Department. Web. 5 Apr. 2015. <http://music.columbia.edu/cmc/MusicAndComputers/>.

Lang, Robert. "Origami Mathematics." Origami Mathematics. Web. 5 Apr. 2015. <http://www.langorigami.com/science/math/math.php>.

Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov. Youtube, 2012. Film.

Mathematical Origami. TED Talk, 2008. Film.

 Smith, B. Sidney. "The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher." Platonic Realms Minitexts. Platonic Realms, 13 Mar 2014. Web. 5 Apr 2015. <http://platonicrealms.com/>

Week 1: Two Cultures

According to CP Snow’s “The Two Cultures And The Scientific Revolution”, closing the gap between the arts and sciences is necessary for a society to function properly. Before this week, I was not aware of how our educational system created the divide between the arts and sciences. I have always just accepted how the arts and sciences are complete opposites; yet according to the lectures and the RSA's "Changing Education Paradigms", this segregation is a relatively new theory. 

                                           http://memegenerator.net/instance/60654965

Ever since I was in primary school, I was taught that everyone had a dominant left or right brain. As I showed promise in mathematics at a young age, my teachers were convinced that I should follow the sciences path in my future studies. When I picked my GCSEs and A-levels (standardised high school exams in England), my teachers encouraged me to pick science subjects. Even at UCLA, the North (arts) and South (sciences) campuses are quite far from each other; it literally took me around 20 minutes to walk from Botany to Broad Art Centre! Also, my maths major is quite a long major, requiring a lot of courses; thus, the opportunities for me to explore arts subjects seriously apart from GEs are rather scarce. The divide between the two cultures is fairly prominent from my personal experience.

           http://www.ucmas.ca/our-programs/whole-brain-development/left-brain-vs-right-brain/

Another idea from the readings that fascinated me is the one about creativity from David Bohm’s “On Creativity”. He explained that in fact scientists are also creative, but in a different way than artists. Scientists have always been labelled as overly pragmatic and unimaginative, having dominant left brains. This theory debunks the age-old “left-right brain” theory, which I thought was true for years. Perhaps scientists and artists are not as different as I thought they were. 

Last but not least, Kevin Kelly’s “The Third Culture” mentions the emergence of a third culture from the two cultures: the nerd culture. I could not help but think of the Big Bang Theory, and how nerd culture has taken over popular culture nowadays. Steven Pinker also suggests that the third culture will bridge the gap between the arts and sciences. 

http://i1.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/011/946/bazinga-with-sheldon-tshirt-logo-hr.jpg

Having gained new perspectives as to how intricately linked the arts and sciences are, I will try to stop caging myself in the sciences field and maybe start using my right side of my brain from time to time, embracing the arts and sciences simultaneously. 

Sources
Bohm, D. "On Creativity." JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2015.

Changing Education Paradigms. Prod. Abi Stephenson. Perf. The RSA. Changing Education Paradigms. The RSA, 14 Oct. 2010. Web. 02 Apr. 2015.

Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture." The Third Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. Feb. 1998

Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.

Two Cultures Steven Pinker. Perf. Steven Pinker. Two Cultures Steven Pinker. Seedmagazine.com, 18 May 2010. Web. 02 Apr. 2015.

DESMA 9, HERE WE GO :)