Week 4: Medical Technology and Art

This week Professor Vesna addressed the role of medicine, the technologies surrounding the medical field, and how the two are related to the world of art. The development of X-rays, CT scans, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines have become a modern day necessity for injuries and finding significant medical issues, such as concussions and finding cancerous tumors. I want to specifically discuss the role that medical machines have significantly developed over time into becoming an integral part of society today.

X-rays are an intrinsic part of our society and used in a plethora of medical situations. Additionally, the creation of x-rays has allowed for it to be implemented in every day life, not only constricted to the medical field. With relation to art, x rays have allowed for artists to delve into new depths of the human body and art, but it can also be used on other everyday materials such as the clothing (seen in the picture).

Secondly, CT scans have become imperative in the imaging of brain function, specifically analyzing potential concussions or tumors. In the art world, CT scans can be seen through Kai-Hung Fung who adds color to the scans themselves, which provide a “rainbow technique”. He allows the images to stand alone, as they are poignant and depicting an individuals brain function.

Lastly, MRI’s are an integral creation and used for a countless number of medical concerns. MRI’s have been able to discover tumors and other serious medical diagnosis. Angela Palmer has taken MRI scans to an elevated art form as she layers glass sheets on top of one another, each with an individual MRI image to create a representation of the imaging which takes place.

All three technologies have had a great impact in our medical world, as well as have allowed for individuals to artistically develop works based off of the development within the medical field.

Casini, Silvia. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Con Gurations between Science and the Arts." (n.d.): n. pg 73-99. Web.

Jobson, Christopher. "Layered MRI Self-Portraits Engraved in Glass Sheets by Angela Palmer." Colossal. N.p., 25 Oct. 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.

Massey, Nick. "SELECTED WORKS - Nickveasey." SELECTED WORKS - Nickveasey. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.

"Scientific Scans Show Natural Art Inside of Human Bodies | Gadgets, Science & Technology." Gajitz RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.

"X-Radiography." The Art Institute of Chicago. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2016.

Week 3: Robotics and Art

            The world we live in today is a result of progress. This progress can be attributed to the industrial revolution where there became the birth of technical and mechanical innovation. Dating back earlier than the industrial revolution, was the cotton gin, America’s first economically beneficial mechanical device, and even further back, Gutenberg’s bible, which led to the mass growth of a product. The innovation of mass reproduction has created a society which new works can be shared with many individuals over great distances.

            However, mass reproduction has its negative effects, as Walter Benjamin writes in his essay about this having a negative affect on art, as its “aura” is diminishing. He claims throughout his writing that the reproduction of a single piece of art loses the value and integrity it should carry standing alone. This is the negative effect of mechanical industrialization and reproduction.  I find this claim to be somewhat valid, a reason why some things are not reproduced; however, for the betterment of society, reproduction is a necessary must and one that has helped develop our society into one of great ingenuity.

            Robotics is the modern model of technological innovation and has impacted our knowledge of the world beyond our pre-established notions. I want to specifically discuss Mars Exploration Rovers as the ideal form of robotics. Rovers were created as a way for our world to discover the complexities of space, specifically the contents that lie on the surface of Mars. This complexity is the combination of mechanical ingenuity, scientific innovation, and artistic designs, all of which are elements that combined are beneficial to our current society. The current Mars Rover project involves the search for water on the surface of the planet, truly displaying the magnitude mechanics and robotics has on our society today.

            Benjamin, Walter. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

"Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Overview." Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Overview. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.

"Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Technology." Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Technology. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.

"Overview - Mars Science Laboratory." Overview - Mars Science Laboratory. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.

            "Opportunity Mars Rover Marks 12 Years on Red Planet." Space.com. Web. 16 Apr. 2016.

            

Week 2: Math + Art

          Mathematics has always been an integral part of my life; a subject I have become very fond of as it has a significant impact on sports statistics and analytics. My vision towards math as a subject has been narrowed to my interests; however, math has a direct impact on both art and science to a much greater effect than I believed.  After this week’s material, I now see art and architecture having significant mathematical influences. Through vanishing points, Leonardo da Vinci’s perspective in his artwork, and the golden ratio, math has a fundamental and structural influence on art.

            Specifically taking a look at the work of vanishing points and perspective from Leonardo Da Vinci we can see the importance math plays on his artwork. A vanishing point in his paintings can be seen where all the lines on a plane that are parallel to one another have the same vanishing point. Using this definition of a vanishing point, the image using the perspective of The Last Summer displays that there is a vanishing point in the center of the artwork just behind the figure of Jesus. This artwork depicts the fundamentals of math, where lines, rectangles, and squares are used in a plethora of ways to create a piece of art representative of something more complex than just basic shapes.

            This week I have learned that artists use mathematics as the most basic and structural part of the artwork as a whole. Math dictates the imagery of the art and how another individual will view the completed piece. Using math, an artist is able to create a foundation to express ideas and concepts that may not have been realized without it.

            The juxtaposition of mathematics, art, and science is that they all are distinctly different subjects, which together can be combined to create more sophisticated elements and products. Mathematics is simply numbers and shapes, while art and science is taking those shapes and extending upon that concept to create a much more sophisticated product.

          

            

            Art and Math. 2013. Art and Math. Web Image. 10 Apr. 2016.

Frantz, Marc. "Vanishing Points and Looking at Art." 2000. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

Hague, Matthew. "In Search of the Golden Ratio in Architecture." The Globe and Mail. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

Last Supper Perspective Lines. N.d. Leonardo Da Vinci. Web Image. 10 Apr. 2016.

Smith, Sidney B. "The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher." The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

            

Week 1: Two Cultures

The two cultures concept provides a schism between the intellectual life of the whole Western society being split into two polar groups, the scientific intellectuals and the literary intellectuals. C.P. Snow takes the position that science is the foundational backbone of progress within the world and it is the artistic and literary elements, which fall subsequent to it. It is not that the two realms are distinctly separate from one another, but these two worlds are specifically differentiated from one another. For Snow, two cultures can be seen with the aforementioned science and art, the rich and the poor (the title he wished to keep), and even males and females, all of which have different mannerisms and operate their lives differently.

To illustrate the two cultures divide we can look to the UCLA campus geography. The university is split into two distinct sectors: North Campus, for humanities and the arts, and South Campus, for the math and sciences. This separation is a direct source to Snow’s claim that our world is shaped by the two cultures of art and science, which struggle to interact with one another. Moving away from the geography of the campus itself, two cultures can be seen within athletes and non-athletes. The notion of athletes having a different college experience than normal students is completely valid, where these two groups have differing schedules and operate differently on a daily basis. This is an unfortunate part of the culture we are apart of, one that Snow may see as the “third culture” solving.

Snow addresses two cultures as a separation of two systems; however, he also addresses the notion of finding a “third culture”. This culture is a hopeful integration of the arts and sciences, where these two different worlds can eventually become one functional unit, where progress can truly be created. I feel that this is best encompassed at UCLA through sculptures, where the combination of art and scientific ingenuity create a lasting product.

Dizikes, Peter. "Our Two Cultures." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Mar. 2009. Web. 03 Apr. 2016.

Ontario Science Centre S Cafe Scientifique Presents. N.d. Ontario Science Centre:. Web Image. 03 Apr. 2016.

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

UCLA Sculpture Garden. N.d. www.losangelesloveafair.wordpress.com. Web Image. 03 Apr. 2016.

UCLA Baseball. N.d. www.uclabruins.com. Web Image. 04 Apr. 2016.