Extra Credit 1: Making Strange

At Fowler Museums’ exhibit “Making Strange,” Vivan Sundaram brings together two sets of work: Gagawaka and Postmortem. Gagawaka is a set of garments comprised of recycled materials and medical supplies while Postmortem is a collection of sculptural mannequins, anatomical models and wooden props. The two work symbiotically to complement each other and it is difficult to see where one ends and the other begins.

Mannequins are hollow fiberglass but inside Sundaram inserted medical objects to give a feel for the inside of the human body as seen by the image below. The exhibit puts medical objects on a more relatable level and allows for the science to blend with art. It draws to question how clothes relate to the inside of the body and the body’s relationship with its parts. By adding body parts in incorrect places, it makes the humanoid look nothing like the anatomy we know and instead adds to the question of what is considered fashion and what is beautiful.

Sundaram said, “A garment is about covering body and having delight and pleasure in the surface, whereas in Postmortem I can raise many questions about the human condition.” The exhibits emphasizes the fragility of the human ideal of beauty as clothes can be made out of everyday tossed away objects. This piece was interesting to look and see the combination of medical supplies and fashion and I would recommend this to others looking for an art exhibit.

"Current Exhibitions." Fowler Museum at UCLA. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2015.

Dambrot, Shana Nys. "Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem." L.A. Weekly. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 June 2015.

Week 9: Space and Art

For centuries, space has been a mystery and only within the last hundred years have humans begun to explore the new frontier. Beginning in 1957 with the Soviet launch of the satellite Sputnik, the race for space began. Back and forth, the Soviets and the Americans battled for control of space with neither yielding until the dissolution of the USSR. Since then humans have made it to the surface of the moon and have turned their attention towards Mars and the commercialization of space travel.

The space race has spawned numerous pop cultural shows, such as Star Trek and the Jetsons, that continue to impact society today. The Jetsons, first released in 1962, depicted a futuristic world complete with flying cars and robot maids. This is what people of that era envisioned for the future. Interestingly some speculate that the show was set in the 21^st century and as of 2015 neither flying cars nor robot maids are readily accessible to the public. Although only released originally for one season, the cartoon has become a significant point of reference when speaking about the future.

Another movement somewhat related to the space race was that of the Futurists in the 20^th century. Although not solely focused on space, futurists fully embraced the idea of technology and the future. They too sought a world of flying cars and life changing technology. They embraced any medium of art to express this and influence of this movement can be seen in new age looking houses and accents on cars. As the space age continues, it will be interesting to see the influence it has on art and the style of homes, clothes, and machines.

"Futurism Artists." An Introduction to Art History. Art in the Picture, n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.

"Futurism Movement, Artists and Major Works." The Art Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.

"Journey to Mars." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.

Novak, Matt. "50 Years of the Jetsons: Why The Show Still Matters." Smithsonian. N.p., 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 May 2015.

"What Is the Jetsons?" History. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.

Week 8: NanoTech+ Art

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on the nanoscale, at which the laws of classical physics no longer apply. At that level, we can see antibodies and water molecules and are even smaller than a common cell. This technology has many uses ranging from medical application to the development of new materials.

Nanoparticles in particular have come to dominate my undergraduate career. When I first joined a research lab, I began synthesizing polymeric nanoparticles that glowed due to a fluorescent tag which we used to image cancer cells. Now, working with gold nanoparticles I am developing a diagnostic assay to test for malaria. The gold nanoprobes act as a purple colorimetric indicator to visualize test results. What surprised me when I first joined the lab was that, this technology is employed in a generic pregnancy test which is already ingrained in society.

Gold NanoShells

Gold is conventionally visualized as a vibrant yellow color but at the nanoscale this all changes. Due to the oscillating electron cloud, they often appear purple or red for my research as the quantum physics dominates. Using a gold shell instead of a solid particle, gold can even be manipulated to different colors depending on its thickness. This completely changed the way I thought about gold and its actual coloring. My lab often uses these different colored particles in order to visualize material and gain more insight into the work we’re doing.

Visualizing material on a nanoscale can be done using scanning tunneling microscopy. It is amazing to see that each atom can be manipulated one by one and used to create words and beautiful structures. These microscopic technologies have given us great insight into how materials are structured and will continue to improve our understanding of how atoms operate. 

Boysen, Earl. "Nanoparticle Applications and Uses ." Understanding Nano. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015.

Chiu, Ricky Y.t., Erik Jue, Allison T. Yip, Andrew R. Berg, Stephanie J. Wang, Alexandra R. Kivnick, Phuong T. Nguyen, and Daniel T. Kamei. "Simultaneous Concentration and Detection of Biomarkers on Paper." Lab on a Chip Lab Chip 14.16 (2014): 3021-028. Web. 14 May 2015.

"New Nanoparticles Make Blood Clots Visible." NanoWiki. N.p., 7 Feb. 2011. Web. 14 May 2015.

Oldenburg, S. J., J. B. Jackson, S. L. Westcott, and N. J. Halas. "Infrared Extinction Properties of Gold Nanoshells." Applied Physics Letters Appl. Phys. Lett. 75.19 (1999): 2897. Web. 14 May 2015.

"The Scanning Tunneling Microscope." Nobel Prize. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2015.

Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

The brain is the most complex structure in the human body. Due to its difficult nature, much of what is known about the brain has drastically evolved over the years. From Aristotle’s views that the brain was nothing more than a cooling system to Gall’s views on phrenology, many theories behind the brain function have been hypothesized. Ramon y Cajal was the first scientist to speak about neuron theory. He examined the shape and structure of the neurons or the “butterflies of the soul” for scientific advancement and even drew them to allow others to visualize their beauty. A true renaissance man Ramon y Cajal not only pioneered the field of neuroscience but was also an accomplished artist.

Drawing from his work, BioArtist Suzanne Anker, created the MRI butterfly which depicts a series of butterflies over lain on MRI scans. It is beautiful to see the parallelism between nature’s butterfly wings and a part of humans that controls our every thought and action. It helps to remind me that genomically humans are not much different than other organism on the planet.

What is pleasing to see is how art is helping to advance scientific discovery and vice versa. For example, the “brainbow” which uses fluorescent probes to help visualize the intricate neurons. It helped map multiple neurons and is also pretty to look at. Going back to the two cultures lecture, it is apparent that when art and science come together they both can be driven forward symbiotically. 

Event 3: The People's United Nation's

Amidst the never-ending headlines depicting the world’s problems, artist, Pedro Reyes, put on a project The People’s United Nations or pUN at the Hammer Museum. It brought together everyday citizens connected to the 195 member countries of the United Nations it order to create a forum where they could peacefully discuss solutions to the world’s problems. There the delegates discussed everything from the development of the digital world and its impact on privacy to economic equality and water shortages.

Reyes used his artwork to depict the major issues in today’s society. He drew inspiration from professionals with ideas about problems and made them into an artistic piece.  One piece called “Abolish Genetic Tyranny” speaks about the court case Diamond v. Chakrabarty in which the court allowed man-made organisms to be patentable. This has allowed for restrictions on access to medical technology and GMO crops. In particular this piece, falls in line with Professor Vesna’s lectures about BioTech+ Art and the questions surrounding the ethical use of tissues and DNA. As genetic modification becomes more prominent, more questions will arise regarding the proper use of these unique creations.

In another piece “Force Field Analysis”, Reyes depicts a tug of war scene. This piece captures the ideas of Kurt Lewin, a social scientist who relates social change to the laws of physics. He claims that situations are in a constant state of flux and forces impact actions. As Newton’s third law states, for every force exerted on a system, the system exerts an opposing force in response. Through a tug of war, Reyes depicts this phenomenon in relation to social problems. Merging social issues, science, and art, Reyes created a unique exhibit the serves to educate viewers and inspire change in the society. 

"Pedro Reyes: People's United Nations." The Hammer Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2015.

Week 6: Biotech + Art

The week’s topic covered Biotech and Art, or the use of cells and tissues to create unique living art. Working in a research lab I have used fluorescent proteins and the GFP filters in order to visualize the uptake of nanoparticles into cancer cells. Although I knew GFP was a very popular tag for research purposes I did not know that it was being used a cancer diagnostic and even more abstract uses such as with the GFP Bunny, Alba. Through Alba, Eduardo Kac has created a one-of-a-kind piece of art that can never again be perfectly replicated. However, the ethics been his creation is questionable. For now, until it is proven that the insertion of the GFP gene is harmful to the bunny, I think Kac’s attempt to create a social project through the bunny is admiral and at the forefront of forward thinking.

Plants are another tool that have utilized in art. Steichen cross breed irises to create new species. Considering this, Mendel was the pioneer for cross breeding with his study of pea plants to determine the inheritance patterns of the plants. He was able to determine which generations would get a certain color using a certain set of parents. Further along in history, tulips have also been studied for coloring. Multiple books were written to describe the push to create a black colored tulip and the race among plant growers. The Biotech and art displayed in this week’s videos show a new kind of art that will continue to evolve over the next generation.

Dumas, Alexandre, A. J. O'Connor, and Octave Uzanne. The Black Tulip. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1902. Print.

"Luminous Cells from Jellyfish Could Diagnose Cancers Deep within Human Body." ScienceDaily. Yorkshire Cancer Research, 6 Nov. 2010. Web. 07 May 2015.

Kac, Eduardo. "GFP BUNNY." GFP BUNNY. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2015.

Vesna. "5 BioArt Pt3." YouTube. UC Online Program, 17 May 2012. Web. 07 May 2015.

Zimmer, Marc. "Cool Uses." Green Fluorescent Protein. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2015.

Event 2: Happiness Is.

Upstairs amidst the labyrinth of books sits the Spring Arts Collective in the Last Bookstore. Among them is a series of black and white, xylene transfer prints done by Gregory Beauchamp. Beauchamp’s works entitled “Happiness Is.” is his way of answering “Why?” or “Why not?” (Benton)  He produces the prints in a methodical approach as the artwork is transferred inch by inch over a long period of time (Beauchamp). In this way, the technique is very similar to adding perspective as each part of the piece must be carefully thought out and placed in a precise location.

His artwork draws from many influences and appears to infuse science into his prints. My favorite was entitled “The Lovers” with a caption of “A Shakespearean tale of true love”.  In it he makes use of the common medical graph of the EKG. The EKG graphs the potential of the heart over time with a characteristic P, QRS, and T waves. After a series of in sync heartbeats both graphs flat line signifying death for both parties that is common for lovers in Shakespearean plays . The print pulls together medical devices and literary classics to create a new piece of art.

Another print depicts the revolution of the planets around the sun. The sizes of the planets are drawn to scale which the first three planets, Mercury, Venus and Earth, barely visible offering perspective of the small place Earth has in the universe. However, he was not able to replicate the distance from the planets to the sun because “Mercury would be in the corner of a room and Neptune would be half a mile away” (Beauchamping). From these pieces we can see that a bit of scientific knowledge is necessary in order to fully appreciate the work. I enjoyed this collection because I could relate topics I had learned in class to the art at hand. 

"Beauchamping." Etsy. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

Benton, Julia. "Meet the Artist: Simple-Yet-Edgy with Venice Printmaker Gregory Beauchamp." California Home and Design. N.p., 6 Aug 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

"Welcome To 5th & Spring." Spring Arts Collective. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015.

Week 4: MedTech and Art

In this week’s lectures Professor Vesna discussed the intertwining of medicine and art. One of the topics that struck me was the topic of medical imaging techniques. I have taken numerous classes on how the Xray, MRI and CT work and the mathematics behind them, however I never stopped to appreciate that these techniques create a beautiful image of a living thing. In particular, a Doppler ultrasound measures the blood flow through the heart and the velocity gradient is portrayed in a gradient of color (Vascular Ultrasound). These colors can evoke responses to a very specific audience, the medical professionals, but to others it can also be seen as an interestingly colored moving artwork.

In addition, what we know pictorially about the body, ranging from the heart to the bones, could not have been achieved without the work of artists.The famous Gray’s Anatomy by Henry Gray was published in 1858, long before printers and copy machines (Rosenhek). In the book renditions of the body had to be draw by hand and the work is a prime example of the symbiotic relationship of artists and scientists. The influence of this work transcends generations and is an inspiration and a tool to both artists and doctors.

Medicine was been used to create beauty as in Orlan’s numerous plastic surgeries meant to depict famous beautiful women (Rose). In parallel, art has been used to help educate on and advance medical treatments. One technology that is being explored is virtual reality to help facilitate mediation that can help those with chronic pain (Gromala). In simulations a snowy scene is depicted and the sky clears and the patient becomes more relaxed. Another technology is medical avatars which were designed by Virgil Wong to show patients their health conditions in a 3D anatomical model. The program also shows them what they can look like both inside and out and how conditions such as smoking can affect them (Wong). This has shown that through the advances in both art and technology the lives of many can be made better.

• Gromala, Diane. "TEDxAmericanRiviera - Diane Gromala - Curative Powers of Wet, Raw Beauty." YouTube. TEDx, 7 Dec. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
• Rose, Barabara. "ORLAN: IS IT ART?" Stanford University, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
• ROSENHEK, Jackie. "Doctor's Review: Medicine on the Move." Doctor's Review. N.p., Sept. 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
• "Vascular Ultrasound." Vascular Ultrasound. Radiology Information, 27 Aug. 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
• Wong, Virgil. "Research on Time Travel Simulations of Personalized Patient Bodies for Smoking Cessation." Experiments in Art, Medicine, and Technology. Virgil Wong, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Event 1: Sink or Swim

The Annenberg Space for Photography’s exhibit Sink or Swim was proposed as a place for architecture for a cause. Through a series of photos, the artists wanted to educate people on the drastic effects of the rise waters and natural disasters and how infrastructure planning could be used to alleviate the problem (Baan).  This is a good example of the concept of the Two Cultures in which art is being used to convey the necessity of scientific technology to help those in need.

From a massive storm in Bangladesh in 2010 to Hurricane Yolanda in the Philippines in 2013, natural disasters have left many people with the need to rebuild. However, these third world countries suffer from an adaptation deficit because they do not have enough resources to deal with the issue. The photographs showed the destruction left behind and emphasized the people of the community learning to rebuild with the goal of building stable enough infrastructure to withstand similar disasters in the future.

Rising tides do not effect third world countries alone. Following a flood to hit their own country in 1953, the Dutch began to work on how to handle omnipresent water and a lack of land. One of their solutions was floating houses and they are now considered the leading expert on climate change engineering. When Hurricane Katrina hit the US, the Dutch were even called in to help the rebuilding process. More efforts are now being done in the US to create more efficient, more stable structures in at risk areas.

In President Obama’s speech to the 69^th United Nations General Assembly regarding climate change he said, “Someday, our children, and our children's children, will look at us in the eye and they'll ask us, did we do all that we could when we had the chance to deal with this problem and leave them with a cleaner, safer, more stable world?" (Mandel). This exhibit did an excellent job of taking a step towards dealing with the problem by using photography to appeal to a person’s emotions while capturing the scientific advances that can be used to help. 

Baan, Iwan. "Sink or Swim." Annenberg Space for Photography. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Mandel, Ken. "Obama on Global Warming: 11 Climate Change Quotes From President." Newsmax. N.p., 02 Nov. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Week 3: Robotics and Art

As an engineering student here at UCLA, I am required to take an engineering ethics course. Interestingly many of the topics discussed in this Desma class have overlapped with our ethics class. Although the two classes emphasize slightly different points, both draw on historical events to explain current phenomenon (Weltman). One common theme is that scientific progress propels artistic invention. For example, with the advent of machines and assembly line came this idea that humans were being replaced by machines. This inspired works such as Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and movements such as the Futurists (Geoghegan).

Contemporary culture has also recently begun highlighting the next generation of technology. Movies like Her or Big Hero 6 show what life may be like in the future and introduce the topics into society to prepare us for what is possible. Children’s movies especially can inspire the younger generation to take part in the advancement of robotic technology. These movies can also spark innovation for new ideas and take technology to new levels based on stories inspired by a writer’s imagination. In this way both science and art are drawing on each other to move forward.

Robots are one hot area of technological development. Previously they have been used to clean houses and do simple tasks but more recently they have taken on a life-like form and can function as  pets, caretakers, and partners (May). As robots become more life-like there is some artistic beauty in the product that is developed. What is seen as beautiful to humans must also appear in the design of the robot and scientists and artists must work in harmony to put out a winning product. There is even an art show dedicated to the aesthetics of robots that demonstrate emotion and consciousness (ArtBots).

Isaac Asimov most famously wrote the three laws of robotics (Isaac Asimov). As robots because more commonplace it will be interesting to see how well these are followed. Robots have the potential to help many and become the next automobile in terms of the Futurist manifesto, but they also have the possibility of destruction and manipulation.

"ArtBots Gent, the Robot Talent Show 2011." ArtBots: The Robot Talent Show. N.p., 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

Geoghegan, Tom. "Frankenstein: 10 Possible Meanings." BBC News. N.p., 14 Mar. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

"Isaac Asimov's "Three Laws of Robotics",  Auburn University, 2001. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

May, Kate. "9 Covetable Characters That Blur the Line between Robot, Pet and Friend." TED Blog 9 Covetable Characters That Blur the Line between Robot Pet Andfriend Comments. TED, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

Weltman, Gershon, “Computing and Society I”, University of California Los Angeles, 2015, Print. 15. Apr. 2015. 

Week 2: Math + Art

Math has influenced art in many ways; from books like Edwin Abbott’s Flatland to the pyramids of Egypt mathematical principles cannot be escaped (Abbott). Works of art make use of perspective and the golden ratio to construct an ideal image. The golden ratio, 1.618, can be used to define proportions of the human body as seen in the Vitruvian man or the Greek’s Parthenon (Vitruvian Man).

Fractals are a pattern that repeats itself at different scales, perhaps most famously seen in nature in snowflakes. They have been used for hundreds of years in tribal African textiles, sculptures, and even hairstyles. In Western art, Pollack makes use of them in his seemingly splatter paint creations. In 1949, many critics lamented at a reporter calling Pollack “one of the greatest living painters in the US”. However, they did not understand the complexity behind his refined drip technique in which layers upon layers of paint in order to create precise fractals between D=0 and D=3. The fractal characteristic of the artist has even been used to determine counterfeits of his work (Oullette).

The juxtaposition of math and art has become more and more intertwined as time as gone on. The rise in prominence of computers creates the opportunity for the two converge on the same path. Computer technology has already been used to increase the production on animation films and will continue to invade and push the creativity of artists.  

Week 1:Two Cultures

            In C.P. Snow’s The Two Cultures and Scientific Revolution, he discusses the break between the disciplines of arts and sciences. He proposes that in order to solve the major societal issues a new “third culture” must arise to bridge the gap (Snow). John Brockman believed that the current generation of scientists are in fact the third culture and that there was no need to establish communication between art and science (Vesna).

There is, however, a distinct divide between art and science. As students at UCLA, this is most prominently seen in the delineation between north and south campus where students are segregated based on the subject they are studying. It is sad to hear a four-year north campus student ask where is PAB when I believe the building has the most unique elevators on campus.

Because of the gap between arts and sciences, stereotypes surrounding the two arise. For me, this was most apparent when I began working as a designer at the Daily Bruin. During my time there I failed to meet any other engineering majors and many were amazed as to how someone in my major would like the design job. However, I felt that working on the layout of the paper was like a giant puzzle giving the task both scientific and creative aspects.

In the future, Robinson claims that education must shift to promote divergent thinking and work done in groups. This will increase creativity and allow for the development of new solutions (Changing Education Paradigms). Working in lab gives me the opportunity to collaborate with a large team on many problems that have both a scientific and creative side. Together we work to brain storm a wide range of solutions using materials ranging from high-tech centrifuges to simple pieces of paper. Future education should promote more discussion based education so that students can learn from those with a variety of experiences

RSA Animate-Changing Education Paradigms. Prod. Abi Stephenson. Perf. Sir Ken Robinson. RSA Animate. N.p., 14 Oct. 2010. Web.Two Cultures pt2. Perf. Vesna. UCOnlineProgram. N,p. 31 Mar 2012.Web.Two Cultures pt3. Perf.Vesna. UCOnlineProgram. N,p. 2 Apr. 2012. WebSnow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1959. Print.Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-125