Space + Art Week 9

This week's topic was particularly interesting to me because it combines nearly all of the class topics we have learned thus far.  Like Professor Vesna says in this week's introduction lecture, "Space is a place where all of the previous lessons come together." Throughout this lecture, I especially enjoyed learning about the history of the solar system and Copernicus, as well as the creation of several different bombs, Sputnik, and the telescope.

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/galex/pia15417.html

While I enjoyed deepening my knowledge on this history of space, what particularly stood out to me this week was all of the artists and organizations that have created projects by using the correlation of art, space, and technology. "The Mars Patent" founded by Helene Von Oldenburg and Claudia Reiche is an interplanterian project that allows users to create art and theories that challenge Earth-culture. The MES (Mars Exhibition Site) offers a free experimental area and invites people to share their ideas, objects, or art that does not necessarily "fit" on earth but leans more toward the MES. This was all made possible by the development of a device called the HRM_10.n, also known as the "High Reality Machine." The HRM_1.0n transforms the vision of a viable martian place to reality through global sharing.

Screenshot taken from a project posted to THE MARS PATENT: Live Report

Another way we see a relationship between space and art is through movies and T.V. shows. From the 1950s on, the amount of space exploration fantasy and fiction increased tremendously. There is so much about space that is undiscovered, and because of this, it has given the film industry endless opportunities to take advantage of the unknown; and use their creative and imaginative abilities to fill in the blanks. Some of the most famous movies that come to mind when I think of space and sci-fi are E.T., Star Wars, and Star Trek. All three of these movies used creativity and imagination through the use of special visual effects to produce films that allowed the audience to experience the depths and mysteries of outer space.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/

Sources:

MARS PATENT: Live Report, www.mars-patent.org/report/report.htm.

MARS PATENT: MES, www.mars-patent.org/mes/mes.htm.

Online, UC. “Space Intro.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 Mar. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzN08A6UBoo.

Online, UC. “8 Space pt2 1280x720.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 July 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLZMDpoP-u0.

Online, UC. “Space pt6.” YouTube, YouTube, 30 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYmOtFjIj0M.

“Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 25 May 1977, www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/.

Nanotechnology + Art Week 8 Blog

In this week's lecture, we explore and learn about nanotechnology and how important it truly is. Dr. James Gimzewski, former IBM Researcher and current UCLA professor for over 35 years, educated us that nearly every aspect of science and technology is influenced or affected by nanotechnology.

https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/11621-nanotechnology-being-proactive

So, what exactly is nanotechnology? Well, the word nano is the Greek word for Dwarf, but looking at it from a scientific standpoint, it refers to a billionth of a meter. The nanometer is smaller than the wavelength of visible light and a hundredth thousandth of the width of a human hair, and the nanoscale generally refers to the size scale of 1-100 nm. (1 nanometer (nm) = 10^-9 m) Nanotechnology is a field of research that involves building materials and products through the scale of atoms and molecules and has become especially beneficial to scientists from all different types of expertise.

http://www.trynano.org/pdf/whatisanano.pdf

After watching the lectures and doing the readings, I gained a better understanding of the principals and concepts of nanotechnology, but I still struggled to find its connection with art. This was up until I discovered Cris Orfescu, a degreed scientist, self-taught artist, and the creator of NanoArt. Orfescu has spent over 40 years experimenting with different mechanics and various art forms to develop this transition from science to art through technology. The way he makes the production of this colorful, abstract art possible is by the manipulation of chemicals and the creation of nano-sculptures. He then captures these monochromatic scans he designed into a computer and furthermore manipulates them with scientific imaging and abstract coloring. Lastly, to make these pieces visual to the public eye, he enlarges the final product onto canvas or certain types of fine art paper.

http://www.nanotech-now.com/Art_Gallery/Cris-Orfescu.htm 

Additionally, Cris Orfescu has created an organization called NanoArt 21, with the hope to promote the technological movement of NanoArt throughout the world continuously. His goal is to raise the public awareness of Nanotechnology, and the impact it has on our everyday lives. I believe his goal is hugely achievable, mainly because this is a relatively new scientific advancement that has come upon technology, and has a substantial amount of potential to grow steadily.

 Sources:

Online, UC. “Nanotech Jim pt1.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE.

Cris Orfescu, crisorfescu.com/.

 “NanoArt - Atomic / Molecular Sculptures and Landscapes.” Interalia Magazine, 27 Aug. 2015, www.interaliamag.org/articles/cris-orfescu-nanoart-atomic-molecular-sculptures-and-landscapes/.

The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science, vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm.

Online, UC. “Nanotech Jim pt4.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHCuZetAIhk.

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Neuroscience + Art Week 7 Blog

Starting this lecture, I was quite confused on this week's topic and was struggling to figure out what I was going to write my blog post about. It wasn't until I watched Victoria Vesna's Neuroscience-pt2.mov where I found a greater understanding on this week's topic. Fortunately for me, I have done an abundance amount of recent research on the state of consciousness and unconsciousness in the brain, due to the fact that my recent midterm project was based on the study of dreams that occur in our minds.

http://time.com/4921605/dreams-meaning/

Have you ever wondered, "Why did I dream about that last night?" Well, Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist and founder of the psychoanalysis approach to psychology might have an answer for that. He developed an interesting theory that divided the mind into three parts: the preconscious mind, the conscious mind, and the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind is all the processes of the brain, which are not available to consciousness. In his book The Interpretations of Dreams, Freud explains that the unconscious mind is an accumulation of thoughts, urges, feelings, and memories that are outside of our conscious awareness, and a majority of these unconscious contexts are socially unacceptable or represent displeasing feelings. He believed that these thoughts and feelings of the unconscious part of the mind are expressed through human dreams. This is where the art of psychoanalysis therapy comes in; the investigation of the unconscious thoughts and the attempt to bring them into the conscious mind, ultimately to help the individual understand their own feelings better.

https://www.amazon.com/Interpretation-Dreams-Complete-Definitive-Text/dp/0465019773

Another type of dreaming is called lucid dreaming, where we are fully conscious that we having a dream. In order to have a lucid dream, the person must be aware that they are experiencing a dream while they are dreaming. Like 95% of all dreams, lucid dreaming occurs in the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) state, which is the state of the deepest sleep. There are several different types of reactions to lucid dreaming, some people can recognize that they are in a dream and wake up right away, or some others actually have the ability to influence their actions and manipulate parts of their dreams. Essentially, I believe lucid dreaming is a type of creativity ability that certain people possess.

https://therooster.com/blog/lucid-dreamer-reveals-benefits-and-risks-controlling-your-dreams

Sources:

Cherry, Kendra. “How Psychoanalysis Influenced the Field of Psychology.” Verywell Mind, Verywellmind, 30 Mar. 2019, www.verywellmind.com/what-is-psychoanalysis-2795246.

Online, UC. “Neuroscience-pt2.Mov.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFv4owX3MZo.

Cherry, Kendra. “What Are Freud's 3 Levels of Mind?” Verywell Mind, Verywellmind, 11 Mar. 2019, www.verywellmind.com/the-conscious-and-unconscious-mind-2795946.

Cohut, Maria. “Lucid Dreams: What They Are, and How to Experience Them.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 14 Sept. 2018, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323077.php.

Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretations of Dreams. China Social Sciences Pub. House, 1999.

Event Two: Sound + Science 2.0 Symposium

For my second event, I attended the Sound + Science 2.0 Symposium. This symposium was held at the California NanoSystems Institute on campus here at UCLA. First, I got to see a DIY experimental electroacoustic instrument performance/sculpture by Dillion Bastan, and then I attended Carol Parkinson's talk shortly after. It was a really fascinating event for me, because I had never experienced an exhibit like this before.

Prior to the event, I did some research on Dillion Bastan and some of his previous work. I noticed a common theme, and it was really interesting to see his approach on art; his work does not fit under the category of paintings or drawings, but he uses the collaboration of sound and technology to create unique performances. This particular display was extremely captivating because of how interactive it was. Bastan had a projection up on a screen and a small platform to stand on, and each time you stepped on a different part of the platform, the images on the screen would change and this movement would link with various different sounds.

As for Carol Parkinson's presentation, I became educated on the New York Electric Art Festival. It was so interesting to learn about an event that specializes in showcasing interdisciplinary work and technological virtuosity. This event has been going on for over ten years, emphasizing a focus on how technology is correlating with art in several different disciplines. One particular exhibit that she spoke about was the Marco Donnarumma and Heidi Boisvert; a multi-disciplinary, interactive dance performance. Music is generated from dancers' muscles and blood flow via biophysical sensors that CAPTURE sound waves and TRIGGER complex neural patterns projected onto multiple screens as 3D imagery. 

Overall, this event was very enlightening to me from experiencing Bastan's exhibit, to learning about the New York Electric Art Festival and it's variety of different displays. In the future, I hope to experience another one of Dillion Bastan's creations, and one day, eventually attend the New York Electric Art Festival. 

Biotech + Art Week 6 Blog

Before starting this week's lecture, I had very to little knowledge of biotechnology and what it entailed. Being the extreme animal lover I am, I immediately took an interest to discover how animals were used in this field of science. As I began researching and learning about how animals were used in medical experiments, art, and technology; I was informed on several benefits that can come from animal biotechnology, but several negatives that come along as well. Animal testing is a very controversial topic in today's society, and it was interesting to learn more about the pros and cons, and ultimately shaped my opinion on this matter.

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/large-animal-biotechnology/index.aspx

I started by watching the very informative video Animal Biotechnology, and learned about some benefits of biotechnology within animals. For instance, artificial insemination is used to improve the genetics of farm animals. One of the main benefits of artificial insemination is that the use of one semen collection can be dispersed and spread into several females instead of just one, so it creates a greater efficiency.

https://www.afimilk.com/afiblog/cow-insemination-how-does-it-work

Where I feel that Biotechnology with animals gets very controversial is when animals are used in experimental lab testing. For example, several cosmetic companies use animals in toxicity testing to assess whether their products and ingredients are safe to sell to consumers. These animals, such as rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, etc., go through all sorts of tests like having chemicals put down their throats, placed into their eyes, or directly onto their skin at extremely high doses to see if the product causes any irritation or negative reactions. Unfortunately, in these labs, there is no pain relief of any sort if an animal reacts badly to the chemicals administered. Lastly, the International Humane Society reports that approximately 100,000-200,000 animals suffer or die from the testing of these cosmetics every year.

https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/cosmetic-household-products-animal-testing/

Another experiment I question is Eduardo Kac's "genetic art" biotechnology bunny Alba. Kac genetically engineered a new species by injected green fluorescent protein from the Aequorea Victoria jellyfish into an albino rabbit's fertilized egg, and once the bunny was born, it would glow a green color when it was in a certain light.

http://scribol.com/science/biology/what-became-of-the-glowing-green-bunny/

Although Kac said there was no harm to the bunny in this experiment, was it really worth the risk of killing another innocent animal in lab testing as a creation of art? I believe Biotechnology with animals can be beneficial if used in the right way, but if there is danger in harming these animals I believe it is cruel and unethical.

Sources:

“Cosmetics Testing on Animals.” National Anti-Vivisection Society, www.navs.org/the-issues/animals-used-in-cosmetics-testing/#.XNTKy-tKjOQ.

“About Cosmetics Animal Testing.” Humane Society International, 3 May 2019, www.hsi.org/news-media/about_cosmetics_animal_testing/.

Online, UC. “5 Bioart pt1 1280x720.” YouTube, YouTube, 18 Sept. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg.

(UCTV), University of California Television. “Animal Biotechnology.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 July 2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCIvAuwaf-o.


GFP BUNNY, www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor.

TAYLOR_JOHNSON_DESMA9_MIDTERM

file:///Users/taylorjohnson/Downloads/TAYLOR_JOHNSON_DESMA9_MIDTERM.pdf