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