Week 5: Space+Art

The final lesson for DESMA 9 is about the relationship between space and art. Space is something that most of us are familiar with. Whether it be learning about the solar system or about the phases of the moon, many of us have some sort of knowledge about space.

Nicolaus Copernicus was a mathematician and astronomer who believed in a solar system in which the Sun is only slightly off from the center. It was known as the heliocentric solar system. Although his belief is similar to how we view the solar system today, he was afraid of publishing his work in fear of the church.

Several centuries later came the Space Race. It was strange to think that contemporary space age development started only after World War II with the invention of the atomic bomb. Sputnik, a satellite, was launched by the USSR in 1957 prompting the Space Race. Every nation began competing with one another in terms of space exploration. The Russians sent Laika, a dog, into space proving that creatures are able to survive in space. Followed by Laika, came Ham, the chimpanzee, which was sent to space by America and successfully returned alive. Ham's flight into space proved once again that living creatures can survive in space.

After launching animals to space, humans were finally sent. The first human to enter space was Russian Yuri Gagarin in 1961. In the same year, Alan Shepard, an American, became the second man to enter space. Then came Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon in 1969, and so on.

It is amazing to see how space affected art. After entering space came many TV shows such as the Jetsons, Star Trek, and Star Wars. Theories of alien life followed prompting people to create movies involving aliens such as E.T. We can see how much space exploration has affected artists and intrigued their imagination regarding space. Furthermore, art is also affecting science. The science fiction that artists think and come up with influences scientists. The imagination of a space elevator prompted scientists to research the possibilities of creating a real one. Even with space, I continue to see the real relationship between science and art. My initial thoughts before this course were disproved. Artists and scientists are not separate but rely and relate with each other.

Sources:

1. "Nicolaus Copernicus Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 23 July 2016.
2. Dunbar, Brian. "Biography of Neil Armstrong." NASA. NASA, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 23 July 2016.
3. "Laika." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 23 July 2016.
4. Lavender, Gemma. "Heroes of Space: Ham the Chimpanzee | Space Facts - Astronomy, the Solar System & Outer Space | All About Space Magazine." Space Facts Astronomy the Solar System Outer Space All About Magazine. N.p., 21 Aug. 2014. Web. 23 July 2016.
5. Redd, Nola Taylor. "Nicolaus Copernicus Biography: Facts and Discoveries." Space.com. N.p., 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 23 July 2016.
6. "The Space Race." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 23 July 2016.
7. Vesna, Victoria. "8 space pt1 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, 29 July 2013. Web. 23 July 2016.

Images:

1. Gu, Nini. "Fight for the Heavens: The Role of Religion in Shaping Attitudes toward Space Policy." Chicago Policy Review. N.p., 01 Apr. 2016. Web. 23 July 2016. <http://chicagopolicyreview.org/2016/04/01/fight-for-the-heavens-the-role-of-religion-in-shaping-attitudes-toward-space-policy/>
2. Latson, Jennifer. "The Sad Story of Laika, the First Dog Launched Into Orbit." Time. Time, 3 Nov. 2014. Web. 23 July 2016. <http://time.com/3546215/laika-1957/>
3. Lavender, Gemma. "Heroes of Space: Ham the Chimpanzee | Space Facts - Astronomy, the Solar System & Outer Space | All About Space Magazine." Space Facts Astronomy the Solar System Outer Space All About Space Magazine. N.p., 21 Aug. 2014. Web. 23 July 2016. <http://www.spaceanswers.com/space-exploration/heroes-of-space-ham-the-chimpanzee/>
4. Moon, Mariella. "Solar System Simulation Makes Sweet Planetary Music." Engadget. N.p., 13 Sept. 2015. Web. 23 July 2016. <https://www.engadget.com/2015/09/13/solar-system-simulation-music/>
5. "Pics about Space." Neil Armstrong On the Moon. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 July 2016. <http://pics-about-space.com/neil-armstrong-on-the-moon?p=1>
6. "Which E.T. Character Are You?" PlayBuzz. N.p., 31 Jan. 2015. Web. 23 July 2016. <http://www.playbuzz.com/lollipop23410/which-e-t-character-are-you>

Event 3 Blog: Griffith Observatory

The last place that I visited was the Griffith Observatory. I never realized how high up it was, but its altitude makes sense in order to be able to view the sky and space more clearly. I remember coming here before, but I did not visit the planetarium. I was excited to see what was in store for my visit there.

Proof That I Went in Picture Below

Upon entering the planetarium, I came across the Foucault Pendulum. This was created by French physicist Jean Bernard Léon Foucault which gave the first direct proof that Earth rotates on its axis. It was interesting to see this work of art that involves science in its process.

Upon looking at the ceiling directly above the Foucault Pendulum was The Ballin Ceiling Mural. The mural depicts the early myths that people believed in to understand what they saw in the sky. There are illustrations of Jupiter with thunderbolts, Venus and the four seasons, Saturn, etc. I was in awe of this beautiful art piece. There were many intricate details and if I focused on one part of the mural, I saw and learned more about what people believed in and how it led to our naming of materials in space.

I looked at the telescope next. It was amazing that this device allowed us to view even further out into space than with the naked eye. Now, with spacecrafts, we are able to view farther out into the galaxy and even see the death of stars and supernovas. These amazing events are depicted in the form of art such as with wallpapers. They are truly spectacular sights to behold and it does not seem weird to think of space as a form of art.

Lastly, I observed the difference in making things look bigger in space with a telescope and in art with forced perspective. In order to view faint or distant objects, we need to use a telescope to magnify them. In art, artists use a concept called forced perspective in order to make objects look bigger. Juxtaposing the two indicates that scientists and artists share in the tasks that they complete.

It made me happy to come to the Griffith Observatory. I got to see the famous Hollywood sign and take a picture of it as well learn more about the relationship between space and art. Once again, I was able to verify what I learned in lecture.

Images (Stars and Forced Perspective) Sources:

1. Kikkert, Sarah. "Exploring the Stars | Chant Claire Chamber Choir." Chant Claire Chamber Choir. N.p., 08 Feb. 2016. Web. 24 July 2016. <http://chantclaire.org/exploring-the-stars/>
2. Nėjė, Julija. "People Playing With Clouds And Forced Perspective." Bored Panda RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2016. <http://www.boredpanda.com/cloud-photography-forced-perspective/>

Event 2 Blog: LACMA

For my next trip, I decided to visit LACMA on the free admission day which is on every second Tuesday of the month. I was extremely excited to come here because it had been a long time since I came and I wanted to see how much I would remember from my last trip to LACMA in elementary school. It turned out that I did not remember anything.

I first entered the Ahmanson Building. I came upon the Stowe Vase exhibition. There were three different versions of the vase. The first is the original Roman Stowe vase. The second is a silver version of the vase created by Paul Storr from London, England. The last is a 3-D representation of the vase created by Michael Eden. By observing these vases, we can analyze the different materials as well as histories of the vase. Each vase belongs to a different period in time and the last vase, actually involves science. It was truly spectacular seeing how science was used to create art.

Next, I want to mention the sixty photographs of palm trees in the Ahmanson Building. As I was leaving the building, I saw these photos by Philipp Scholz Rittermann and I could not help but admire these pictures. I thought that they were great pictures and works of arts, and I also believed that they were very informative of the diversity among the trees in Robert Irwin's Primal Palm Garden.

I visited the Hammer Building afterwards and came across the Shooting Wallpaper by Brigitte Zieger. At first, I thought that it was just a picture, but soon realized that it was actually a film. A woman sat in the center and a few moments later, she stands up and starts shooting in different directions towards the viewers which included me. I thought this was a powerful piece of art in that not only did it include science in its nature as a looped animated film, but it also perpetuated gender stereotypes as well as indicate that we are so desensitized to on-screen violence which I believe is due to the violent games that we are exposed to as children and teens.

My experience at LACMA was amazing and truly eye-opening. Like at the Getty Center, I was able to validate what I learned from lectures. I hope that I can come back again and visit the tar pits!

Event 1 Blog: Getty Center

I went to the Getty Center for my first event blog. It had been around 5 or so years since I had been to a museum in general and it was refreshing to see and view art. However, my goal during my trip was to view the relationship between art and science in the museum.

Luckily, admission to the Getty was free and so, I only had to pay for the Uber to get there. I had the option of riding the tram or walking to the center. I decided to take the tram on my way up and walk on my way down. It was a somewhat scary experience being close to the freeway on the tram, but the view was amazing. Finally, I arrived at the center.

My initial thought was that the place was very big. I truly admired the many buildings, sculptures, and the garden in the center. However, I decided to focus on the architecture in this blog. I found out that the architecture of the Getty Center was done by artist and architect, Richard Meier. His goal was to bring both nature and culture together. In all honesty, I have never truly appreciated architecture until now especially in the stone of the architecture. The stone called Travertine, which is found in Italy, is used in Getty Center, approximately 1.2 million square feet. I even noticed fossilized leaves embedded in the stone. It was truly remarkable.

What I learned from Week 1 on the topic of Math+Art came to my head. Many of the buildings uses the golden ratio in its architecture. In the pictures below, you will be able to see how the golden ratio was fit into certain buildings at the Getty Center.

It was enlightening and mind-blowing coming to the Getty Center. Through this experience, I was able to witness first-hand that art and science really depend and learn upon each other. It was surprising and amazing to see the validity of what I am learning. I really enjoyed my trip to the Getty Center and I hope that I will be able to visit in the future.

Week 5: Nanotechnology+Art

The first lesson from this week was about Nanotechnology and Art. I am surprised and amazed each week at how art can be related to each of these sciences. I had always heard of nanotechnology, but I never actually understood what it meant. However, I learned that nanotechnology refers to the branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometers.

This week's lecture on nanotechnology and art was taught by James K. Gimzewski, a nanoscientist and professor at UCLA. He mentioned Richard Feynman and his lecture, "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom", which was a talk on nanotechnology before the word even existed. One of Feynman's first challenges was to write 25,000 pages of the Encyclopedia Britannica on a pin head. At this point in the lecture, I thought to myself, how is that even possible? Later on, I learned that 260,000,000 pages of the encyclopedia on a pin head and that truly amazed me.

After learning about what nanotechnology was, I wondered how it fit into art. I learned that nanoparticles is not something that was created recently, but had always existed. For example, in Roman pottery from 400 B.C., the red color came from nanosized gold. The blue color on the Blue Morpho Butterly was not due to pigmentation but to nanoparticles. Even the stained glass in churches and cathedrals had nanoparticles inside of them. To me, this was amazing. Science had a lot more to do with art than I ever thought.

What blew my mind even more involves the different properties of materials in the normal scale vs. the nanoscale. What may appear as a solid in the normal scale can be a liquid on the nanoscale. An insulator can become a conductor on the nanoscale. Moreover, I learned that the size of a material on the nanoscale can also affect its color. I wonder what new masterpieces artists will be able to create by using science and manipulating colors.

This topic was my favorite so far. I never knew what nanotechnology really was, yet alone figured that art was related to it. It was so strange to learn that nanotechnology is involved in our everyday lives and that it is even used in colors and art. At this point, I'm convinced, art and science are truly not two separate cultures, but ones that learn and depend on each other.

Sources:

1. Boysen, Early, and Nancy C. Muir. "How Materials Change in Nanoscale - Dummies." Dummies. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2016.
2. Bradley, Paul. "Everyday Applications of Nanotechnology." Everyday Applications of Nanotechnology. N.p., 3 Oct. 2011. Web. 22 July 2016.
3. Chan, Chi. "From Nanotech to Nanoscience | Chemical Heritage Foundation." From Nanotech to Nanoscience | Chemical Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2016.
4. Gimzewski, James K. "Nanotech Jim pt 1." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 22 July 2016.
5. "Nanoparticle Stained Glass (cart Demo)." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2016.
6. "Richard P. Feynman - Biographical." Richard P. Feynman - Biographical. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2016.
7. "What's So Special about the Nanoscale?" Nano. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2016.

Images:

1. Captain, Sean. "Nanotech Squeezes Bible onto a Pinhead." Popular Science. N.p., 21 Dec. 2007. Web. 22 July 2016. <http://www.popsci.com/article/2007-12/nanotech-squeezes-bible-pinhead>
2. Hafiz, Yasmine. "The Most Stunning Stained Glass Windows In The World (PHOTOS)." The Huffington Post. N.p., 9 May 2014. Web. 22 July 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/03/stained-glass-windows-photos_n_5256052.html>
3. "Nanotechnology." Emaze Presentations. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2016. <https://www.emaze.com/@AOIQIOTW/Nanotechnology>
4. Rogers, SA. "Castle in a Grain of Sand: Tiny Nanoscale 3D Printing." WebUrbanist Castle in a Grain of Sand Tiny Nanoscale 3D Printing Comments. N.p., 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 22 July 2016. <http://weburbanist.com/2012/03/13/castle-in-a-grain-of-sand-tiny-nanoscale-3d-printing/>
5. "The Use of Nanotechnology in Sports." The Use of Nanotechnology in Sports. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2016. <http://www.nanobusiness.org/the-use-of-nanotechnology-in-sports.html>

Week 4: Neurosci+Art

I found this week's lesson on Neuroscience and Art very interesting. I took the course Psychology 10 and during lectures, I remember learning the same subjects in that class. For example, we learned about Pierre Paul Broca and about the Broca's area in the brain which is responsible for articulated language which I also learned in this week's lecture. From learning about the inner workings of the brain to understanding different psychological concepts, I never realized that art could be tied to these subjects as well.

First, Santiago Ramón y Cajal caught my attention. Cajal was known as the founder of neuroanatomy and was both a scientist and an artist. He is also considered the father of neuroscience. He is the individual who developed the "neuron theory". In my Psychology 10 class, when I look at neurons and see the connection between neurons, I saw a complex tree that left me feeling confused. However, Cajal saw it as a form of art. In fact, he "developed his artistic skills and applied his talents to drawing the architecture of the nervous system" (RobotSpaceBrain). It amazes how he could read out the connection system of neurons just by looking at them. Although the inner workings of neurons is still confusing to me, I have a newfound respect of art contributing to the science of the nervous system.

The second topic that I found fascinating was brainbow. Brainbow is the term used to describe the process by which individual neurons in the brain can be distinguished from neighboring neurons using fluorescent proteins. By simply looking at a picture of brainbow, most people would think that is a piece of art and brainbow could actually be considered as art. However, the truth is that that piece of art was created by randomly expressing different ratios of red, green, and blue derivatives of green fluorescent protein in individual neurons. Again, I see how art and science come together in the form of brainbow.

It was quite intriguing learning understanding how what I learned related to art. I have started to appreciate the stunning artwork that presents itself in science. From brainbow to neural networks to even the brain, I understand now that science and art are behind them. To me, the neuroscience is no longer just science to me, but also a work of art.

Sources:

1. Bentivoglio, Marina. "Life and Discoveries of Santiago Ramón Y Cajal." Life and Discoveries of Santiago Ramón Y Cajal. N.p., 20 Apr. 1998. Web. 16 July 2016.
2. "Brainbow Hippocampus | Greg Dunn Design." Greg Dunn Design. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 July 2016.
3. "Brainbow." Center for Brain Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 July 2016.
4. "Broca's Area Is the Brain's Scriptwriter, Shaping Speech, Study Finds - 02/17/15." Broca's Area Is the Brain's Scriptwriter, Shaping Speech, Study Finds - 02/17/2015. N.p., 17 Feb. 2015. Web. 16 July 2016.
5. "Santiago Ramón Y Cajal - Artist and Nobel Prize Winning Scientist." RobotSpaceBrain. N.p., 4 Dec. 2013. Web. 16 July 2016.
6. Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 16 July 2016.

Images:

1. Brooks, Katherine. "Artists' Brains Have More 'Grey Matter' Than The Rest Of Ours, Study Finds." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 July 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/22/artist-brains_n_5187216.html>
2. Potter, Christopher. "Brainbow 101." IGTRCN. N.p., 20 Apr. 2015. Web. 16 July 2016. <http://igtrcn.org/brainbow-101/>
3. Fan, Shelly. "#SfN14: Art of Neuroscience, with Michele Banks." Neurorexia. N.p., 15 Nov. 2014. Web. 17 July 2016. <http://www.neurorexia.com/2014/11/15/sfn14-art-of-neuroscience-with-michele-banks/>
4. "How Not to Give a Nobel Lecture." Nobel Prize Watch. N.p., 06 Dec. 2011. Web. 16 July 2016. <https://nobelprizewatch.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/how-not-to-give-a-nobel-lecture/>

Week 4: BioTech+Art

I never knew that BioTech and Art could be combined to create bio art. It still amazes me that bio art is valid and real. Bio art is defined to be an art practice in which humans work with live tissues, bacteria, living organisms, and life processes producing artwork in laboratories, galleries, and studios. As the pioneer of bio art, Joe Davis contributed many different and interesting pieces to bio art. In some of his experiments, David sought to examine how E.coli interacts with jazz music, set out to send genes to space, and even "invented a bacterially-grown radio and a frog-leg powered airplane" (McKenna). It was very interesting to see that even the musical arts can be associated and mixed with science. Overall, I came to know what bio art is and how people work with it.

Eduardo Kac is an individual who was known for his transgenic organisms. One organism that is well known in particular is Alba, an albino bunny. Eduardo Kac "collaborated with a French laboratory to insert the green fluorescent protein gene (GFP) from the jelly fish Aequoria victoria into a white rabbit egg" in order to create Alba, a green glowing albino bunny (Labiotech). However, here comes the question of: "Is life a valid expressive medium?". At first, I would have said no to that question. I believed that people should not tamper with life in any sort of way. However, after viewing the different artworks involved with life and the potential to learn from them, I realize now that life is a valid expressive medium.

Furthermore, Stelios Arcadious's implant of an ear onto his arm demonstrates transhumanism. Transhumanism is going beyond human limitations with the aid of science and technology. I saw Arcadious' third ear as another way of expressing art. Stelios Arcadious "said he thought art 'should be more than simply illustrating ideas'" (DailyMail). After 4 weeks of learning in DESMA 9, I can say that I agree with him. Art is not just paintings or illustrations. Art involves learning, researching, using resources, and developing ideas.

After going through this lecture, it truly reinforced the idea that science and art can and have been mixed. They are not two separate cultures, but ones that depend and learn from each other. This lecture also made me wonder about the limits of human thought and ideas. What can we not imagine or achieve?

Sources:

1. "Artish Implants 'Third Ear' on His Own Arm." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 11 Oct. 2007. Web. 15 July 2016.
2. "BioArt: Eduardo Kac and His Transgenic Organisms." Labiotecheu. N.p., 15 Jan. 2016. Web. 15 July 2016.
3. "BioArt." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 July 2016.
4. "Eduardo Kac." (biography). N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2016.
5. McCafferty, Georgia. "The Man with an Ear on His Arm." CNN. Cable News Network, 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 July 2016.
6. McKenna, Phil. "Joe Davis: The Mad Scientist of MIT?" CultureLab. N.p., 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 15 July 2016.
7. "Transhumanism." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 July 2016.
8. Vesna, Victoria. "5 bioart pt1 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 15 July 2016.

Images:

1. Cascone, Sarah. "Artist Grows Third Ear to Let the Internet Listen In on His Life." Artnet News. N.p., 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 July 2016. <https://news.artnet.com/art-world/artist-stelarc-grows-third-ear-324745>
2. Collman, Hannah. "Bio Art: An Overview of New Media's Thriving Sibling. by Hannah Collman." Tiltfactor. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2016. <http://www.tiltfactor.org/bio-art-an-overview-of-new-medias-thriving-sibling-by-hannah-collman/>
3. Eddy, Cheryl. "Science And Art Need Each Other, And Here's Why." Io9. N.p., 27 Jan. 2015. Web. 15 July 2016. <http://io9.gizmodo.com/science-and-art-need-each-other-and-heres-why-1682062572>
4. "DARPA Launches Biological Technologies Office - Pakalert Press." Pakalert Press RSS. N.p., 02 Apr. 2014. Web. 15 July 2016. <http://www.pakalertpress.com/darpa-launches-biological-technologies-office/>
5. "Green Fluorescent Protein - Cool Uses - Alba." Green Fluorescent Protein - Cool Uses - Alba. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2016. <http://www.conncoll.edu/ccacad/zimmer/GFP-ww/cooluses8.html>