Today I went to the Fowler Museum at UCLA. Of all the
exhibitions in the museum, I found the many works of silver to be most closely
related to the intersection of art and science. For example, I learned that the
production of silver products was an art form in and of itself. In an 18th
century goldsmith’s workshop, one would hear the roar of furnaces and the hiss
of metal being plunged into cooling baths. There’s an incessant staccato of
hammers on anvils of every shape and on silver sheets. These artists’ choice of
tools were big and small hammers, wooden and metal. Interestingly, contrary to
what we have learned in class in which technology has helped artists innovate
new forms of art, the techniques used in producing silver products in the 18th
century are still in use today. Modern technology has done little more for the
artists than provide a few powered mechanical aids. The artists still require
pure skill and traditional techniques aging all the way back to the third millennium
B.C., when silversmithing was fully developed. Modern technology has actually
led to the devaluation of the art.
Cup in the Form of a Horse
A particular silver product I found intriguing was the
coffee pot (I promise the fact that I’m addicted to coffee has nothing to do
with this). Coffee and tea had become popular by the mid-17th
century in Europe. Guided by Protestant ideas of sobriety, the newly prosperous
middle class found coffee an “exotic” alternative to drinking. The silversmith’s
work was revolutionized by the demand for new vessels suited to these drinks. Containers
had to retain heart and yet stand on a tabletop without damaging its surface.
This week’s topic showed me how incredibly massive our
universe is. From the “Powers of Ten” video, a film dealing with the relative
size of things in the universe and the effect of adding another power of zero, we
started 1 meter away from a typical couple having picnic in Chicago and zoomed
out ten times farther away every ten seconds. I’ve never really thought about
anything further out into space than our solar system, but actually there are
millions of galaxies that looks like dust scattered across the universe. The
video was created in 1977, and the farthest vision at the time was ten to the
twenty-fourth power, which was about 100 million light years away. I wonder if
technology advancements have allowed us to look even further out into space
today.
What surprised me most about this week’s material was how
fast technology advanced in the space exploration field. The Space Race was sparked
by Sputnik, a twenty-three inch aluminum sphere that was launched by the Soviet
Union in 1957. Sputnik inspired the creation of NASA a year later, and
governments started investing more in the education system, particularly math
and science courses. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to
travel into space. Shortly after in 1969, Neil Armstrong and his team were the
first humans to land on the moon with Apollo 11.
Sputnik
I found a particular blog post, “Black Spidery Things on
Mars,” quite interesting. It shows an overhead image of the Mars surface,
mainly composed of sand dunes. However, there are little black flecks dotting
the ridges, sort of like spiders sitting in rows. Scientists believe that this
is the result from the underground layer of frozen CO2 turning into a roaring
gas, expanding, and exploding rock and ice into the Martian air like geysers. There
is so much of space that humans have not been able to explore physically yet.
Many movies have been produced in recent years that help us depict how space
exploration may be like: Gravity, Interstellar, The Martian.
Image of "Spiders" on Mars
The Martian Trailer
Works Cited
EamesOffice. "Powers of Ten™ (1977)." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 30 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0>.
FoxMovies. "The Martian | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX." YouTube. YouTube, 19 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej3ioOneTy8>.
Marlow. "An Eames Office Website." Powers of Ten Blog. N.p., 2 Jan. 2013. Web. 30 May 2016. <http://blog.powersof10.com/>.
Uconlineprogram. "8 Space Pt3 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, 29 July 2013. Web. 30 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WOqt_C55Mk>.
Uconlineprogram. "Space Pt4." YouTube. YouTube, 30 May 2012. Web. 30 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5ClKO6AJPo>.
Today, I attended Sam Wolk’s Replica Praesens: A Lecture on
Synthetic Life. To be completely honest, I was pretty lost in the first half of
the lecture. As a business economics major, I really had no clue as to what he
was talking about when he showed us strips of DNA, different types of genes,
nutrient fields, phenotype, etc. on the TV screen. Sam went into great detail
about plants being able to sprout, grow, and mutate, but it was a bit too
abstract for me because he visualized the plants as strips of DNA on the
screen.
Strip of DNA of a Plant
Sam’s lecture became extremely interesting when he
introduced the universe he created on the screen. With the red nutrient field,
he was able to produce plants. Furthermore, he created creatures that could eat
the plants, socialize with each other, and have sex with each other for
reproduction. I found this to be intriguing because Sam and his team generated
an artificial universe with creatures that acted on emotions and physical needs
– albeit everything was computer programmed. In one of his slides, Sam
intentionally inserted a bug that crashed the universe. And he said that once
he started the program up again, the creatures in this computer universe would
never know it crashed because they are just moving from one frame to the next.
Sam then related this concept to our daily lives, as a comment or question to
whether there may be a higher order of power in our universe.
I saw the pinnacle of the intersection between science and
art in Sam Wolk. Sam is a sound and visual artist, yet he has so much knowledge
of math and science. He had to learn everything about DNA and genes and life
sciences to understand the growth and needs of plants and creatures. In
addition, he had a deep understanding of statistics, when he explained how he
used the Gaussian distribution with 9 degrees of freedom to be able to
introduce different types of species through standard deviation. Also, Sam had
to learn how to code to generate fluid visualizations onto the computer screen.
Dr. Gimzewski’s lecture on nanotechnology this week was very
insightful. What surprised me most was the fact that nanotech is completely
commercialized and can be found in every day appliances. For example, silver
nanoparticles that have anti-microbial effects can be placed in socks and
underwear to destroy bacteria. Samsung has been able to utilize silver
nanotechnology to generate Ag+ ions that act as a shield against growth of
bacterial and other microbial organisms. The ions have the ability to kill
bacteria and prevent further reproduction, leading to effective protection of
food inside their refrigerators.
Samsung's Silver Nanotechnology
Another interesting topic Dr. Gimzewski covered was the
adhesive properties of gecko feet. The feet of geckos are specifically nano-structured
to be able to stick on to vertical surfaces and carry the entire weight of the
gecko. Although scientists aren’t able to replicate the nano-structures in the
lab for human trials, the potential could mean being able to climb the sides of
buildings with gloves.
Self-organization at the nano level can create a variety of
beautifully unique forms called diatoms. The microscopic images of diatoms seem
more like art paintings than nano-structures. Artists can look towards the nano
level to garner inspiration in new art works. Even architects can learn from
how these diatoms can self-organize and create something much larger and more
stable than by itself.
Examples of Diatoms
In Paul Rothemund’s Ted Talk: “DNA Folding, In Detail,”
he was able to use fold DNA in such a way that it resembled a smiley face. He
created 50 billion smiley faces in one drop of water, and took a picture of
them with an atomic force microscope. This is really interesting because
nano-artwork and “DNA origami” can be used for nano-circuits, which are the
most basic building blocks in computers.
Picture From Atomic Force Microscope
Works Cited
Rothemund, Paul. "DNA Folding, in Detail." Paul Rothemund:. Ted Talk, Feb. 2008. Web. 23 May 2016. <http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_rothemund_details_dna_folding#t-468789>.
Uconlineprogram. "Nanotech Jim Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 23 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0HCNiU_108>.
Uconlineprogram. "Nanotech Jim Pt5." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 23 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OWc8nmHJmY>.
"What Are Diatoms?" :: Diatoms of the United States. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2016. <http://westerndiatoms.colorado.edu/about/what_are_diatoms>.
"What Is Silver Nano Health System in Samsung Refrigerators?" What Is Silver Nano Health System in Samsung Refrigerators? N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2016. <http://www.samsung.com/in/support/skp/faq/23975>.
The subject I found most interesting from this week’s
lecture was about the history and use of cocaine and LSD. In the 1880s, pharmaceutical
houses marketed cocaine as a wonder drug – a drug that could cure nearly
everything from morphine addiction and depression to tuberculosis and fatigue.
It was easily accessible in tonics, powders, wines and soft drinks, which not
surprisingly resulted in many cocaine addicts throughout the years. I was
shocked to learn that Sigmund Freud was a cocaine addict. Even more shocking
was learning how the famed neurologist and father of psychoanalysis almost
killed one of his patients with an overdose of cocaine. Freud had a dream
several nights later about how his patient had blamed him for negligence;
however, he dismissed the malpractice and believed the dream meant that he was just a doctor overly concerned about his patient.
Also nearly as shocking was learning about Albert Hofmann’s
experiments with LSD. He was the first person to synthesize, ingest, and learn
of the effects of LSD. According to Professor Vesna, a typical person only
needs about 25 micrograms of LSD for a full effect, and Albert Hofmann took 250 micrograms for his first test – now
known as Bicycle Day. During his trip, he was convinced that his body was
possessed by a demon, that his furniture was threatening him, that his neighbor
was a witch, and that he had become completely insane. However, he also saw many
kaleidoscopic images exploding in intense color when his eyes were closed,
especially when there were certain sounds (door closing) in his environment. The
vibrant kaleidoscopic images could be a catalyst and incentive for artists to
experiment with acid for inspiration with new artworks.
How I would Imagine Hofmann Was Seeing When He Took LSD
1943 Bicycle Day
Visualization of Psychedelic Drugs
One more topic this week that stood out to me was Mark Cohen’s
lecture. I could not believe that he had participants that would actually agree
to wear the inverted helmet for a month at a time, even while sleeping! It was
really interesting how he related it to wearing glasses. Although it seems quite
impossible to get used living in an inverted visual world, I remember
everything changed when I put on my first glasses.
Mark Cohen's Inverted Helmet
Works Cited
"The Bicycle Day." NewsAndViews24. N.p., 19 Mar. 2014. Web. 15 May 2016. <http%3A%2F%2Fnewsandviews24.com%2Fread.php%3Fid%3Dp_62>.
ExaltedNecrosis. "1200 Micrograms - LSD [Visualization]." YouTube. YouTube, 24 Aug. 2013. Web. 16 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQpVAWFvkbU>.
Markel, Howard. "Sigmund Freud's Cocaine Problem." The Chart RSS. N.p., 22 July 2011. Web. 16 May 2016. <http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/22/sigmund-freuds-cocaine-problem/>.
Ucdesma. "Neuroscience-Mark Cohen.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 12 May 2012. Web. 16 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDq8uTROeXU>.
Uconlineprogram. "Neuroscience Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 16 May 2012. Web. 16 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0>.
This week I
attended Maša Jazbec’s
lecture at the Fowler Museum. She is a PhD student researching robots and
androids in Japan, and talked about her field of study. Simply put, her lecture
was fascinating. Masa went over a brief history of the invention and
development of robots in the first half of the lecture. Just like what I
learned in class, she mentioned how robots were popularized first on the artistic
side – The Gotem (1915) and Metropolis (1927) were two movies that featured
robots.
During the second half of lecture, Maša showed us over twenty
examples of real life applications of robots today. What I thought was quite interesting
was how Maša said Japan’s technology with robots is about harmonization and entertainment,
whereas American robots seem a bit scary. For example, Karakuri automata
(created in Japan) was a mechanized puppet that could bring guests tea. However,
Boston Dynamics design robots for the army and looks more like an attack dog
than a friendly robot. This perspective of robot culture between the East and
West was also taught in class by Professor Vesna.
Boston Dynamics Robots
Japanese Robot Can Serve You Tea
The most
fascinating example Maša showed
us was Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro’s Geminoid. The Geminoid looked exactly like
himself and had visible behaviors such as facial movements. It didn’t look like
a doll or robot at all, as the outside of the Geminoid resembled human skin. If
one closely inspects the hands, one can see the wrinkles on the knuckles and
creases of the fingernails. The details of this robot is no coincidence because
Professor Ishiguro actually wanted to be an artist originally. The Geminoid was
truly a masterpiece and I believe that it is truly the intersection between art
and science.
This week we covered the intersection of biotechnology and
art. Professor Vesna taught us that Tokyo scientists added a glowing jellyfish
gene to mice in 1997, which allowed the scientists to tag certain genes of proteins and
create a tracing ability of a fluorescent glow when the genes are
active. This was one way scientists could find active diseases without the use
of invasive surgery, and mice were specifically chosen because their structural DNA
closely resembles that of humans. Artists found this biotechnology intriguing
and created a new art form: transgenic art. Artists wanted to utilize genetic
engineering to create unique living beings. For example, Eduardo Kac’s “GFP
Bunny” was a transgenic artwork that created a green, living fluorescent rabbit
named Alba. However, animal rights activists claim that transgenic art is
needless and abusive manipulation of an animal.
Eduard Kac and Alba
More on GFP Animals
After learning more about this week’s material, I definitely
side more with the animal rights activists. There should be more stringent
restrictions for artists using biotechnology on animals than for scientists in
scientific research. There were a few bio-art projects Professor Vesna provided
as examples in the lecture that completely shocked me. A few of them include
Kathy High’s Blood Wars, Orlan’s Harlequin Coat, and especially Stelarc’s Third
Ear. Stelarc had an ear engineered with human cartilage put underneath his
forearm skin through a process called a subdermal implant. This was supposed to
be an example of transhumanism – a movement thinking that the human body is not
good enough, and thus biotechnology should be used to overcome human limitations
to improve conditions. Stelarc was also known for saying: “the body is going to
be obsolete.” I completely disagree with Stelarc’s view on the human body. The
human body is extraordinary and can be transformed naturally by specific diets
and consistent training routines. Everyone is already unique in his or her very way, and
artists need not create any “crossbreeding” of skins or have white blood cell
vie for dominance in petri dishes to prove a point.
Stelarc's Third Ear
Orlan's Harlequin Coat
Works Cited
DNewsChannel. "Science Creates Glowing Kittens, Monkeys and Sheep!" YouTube. YouTube, 02 May 2013. Web. 08 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCPtDVnaQ1w>.
"ORLAN - Harlequin Coat." - FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology). N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May 2016. <http://www.fact.co.uk/projects/sk-interfaces/orlan-harlequin-coat.aspx>.
