Week 4: Medical Technology and Art

It is amazing to think that something as concrete as medical technology is capable of being an assistant to creating art, something so fluid. From this week’s lecture and resources, I learned that using medical technology as a tool, one can take the human body as a canvas to express oneself through art.

Art is usually either aesthetically pleasing or it causes the audience to feel some sort of emotion. Technological advances allows us to create and view art not only from the outside of the body, but also the internal body. One way of using the human body for art is through using MRIs. Marilene Oliver took MRIs and created 3D sculptures (Abbot, S17). Casini talks about how MRI is seen as a portrait, which is why it can be considered art because it does require photography (Casini, 88).

MRI Art

(http://www.marileneoliver.com/current_projects/currentprojects.html)

Although I can see using MRIs as a form of art, plastic surgery crosses the boundary in my opinion. The objective of plastic surgery used to be mainly for health benefits such as curing someone, but in popular culture now, it is used for enhancing one’s beauty. To me, art should be natural. Like Walter Benjamin states, “Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its

Presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be” (Benjamin, 1936). The reasons for why people use plastic surgery is not an art form because they are following and creating standards for people to follow. Art is about being creative and different, not conformity. Orlan goes through several rounds of plastic surgery to demonstrate how the male artist portrays female beauty. This is so harmful and stressful on the body that, it does not seem like a form of art. The more she works on her body, the more disfigured she appears. I also found it very ironic because in an interview, she says, “my goal was to be different”, but is she being different if she is taking the most notable body parts of these female portraits and placing it on herself (Jeffries, 2009).

Plastic Surgery

(http://www.budapestbylocals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/plastic_sugery.jpg)

Orlan 

(https://scarlettgoeswest.wordpress.com/2013/06/24/lost-in-narcissus-mirror/)

As far as medical technology and art going hand and hand, I think there is a fine line that should not be crossed because it can become dangerous when used in the wrong ways. Also, I find it debatable whether some medical technologies really can be used to create art or not because it defeats the technologies main purpose and as you work and alter a piece more and more, it holds less essence of art.

Works Cited

Abbott, Wynn. "Feature: Medical Interventions—visual Art Meets Medical Technology." The Lancet 368 (2006): S17-18. Web.

Bejamin, Walter. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” 1936. Web.

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

Jeffries, Stuart. "Orlan's Art of Sex and Surgery." The Guardian. The Guardian, 1 July 2009. Web.

"Orlan." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web.

UConlineprogram. “Medicine pt1-pt3.” Youtube. Youtube, 21 April 2012. Web.

Week 3: Robotics and Art

The industrialization of the US and Japan led to different representations of robots in films. Kusahara points out that the West portrays robots as evil or scary, while in Japanese movies, robots are usually portrayed to help and rescue people (“Robotics MachikoKusahara 1”). Benjamin Walter talks about a loss of aura with the progression of time and how that aura is the originality that cannot be reproduced (Walter, 1936). I found this very interesting, especially as to how industrialization comes into play and how movies influence us today.

In the west, robots were created as a “response to the mechanization of labor” (“Robotics pt 1-3”). As industrialization took place, many laborers lost their jobs in response to these robotic machines. An example of this is in the movie “The Imitation Game”. At first, many workers were working by hand to decode a message from the Nazi communication device, Enigma. Soon, Alan Turing builds a machine that could decode the messages, so there is no need for people to do this by hand anymore.

Fig 2: Alan Turing and his machine

(http://www.highdefdigest.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/imitation-game.jpeg)

In the movie Big Hero 6, there is a bit of Japanese culture mixed into it even though it was produced in the US. Baymax is a robot that is created as a personal healthcare companion. His purpose was to provide better healthcare essentially. If Baymax worked properly, then there would be a mass production of him and thus minimizing the need for actual doctors and workers.

Fig 3: Baymax

(http://www.cinesnob.net/baymax-big-hero-6/)

The different portrayals of robots in film show how industrialization has affected different cultures. In the west, one could conclude that robotics and machines are leading to loss of Walter’s “aura” because people do not have to work as hard since machines can do it all for us. There is a constant battle of doing what is easy and trying to keep people employed. I personally think that some humans can be evil because of our selfishness and not caring what happens to other people as long as things are done quicker and it benefits ourselves. Whereas when you look at the reasons why Japan has built robots, they are trying to better the community by helping others and improving society. Also, in a lot of Western films, robots are deemed as violent where as in Japanese films, robots are cute and more child friendly. It really reflects on the West and how violence is embedded into our culture.

Fig 3: Robotic machines 

 (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/business/new-wave-of-adept-robots-is-changing-global-industry.html)

Works Cited

"History of the United States Industrialization and Reform (1870-1916)." Theusaonline.com. The USA Online. Web. 17 Apr. 2015..

"Japan's Modern History: An Outline of the Period." Japan's Modern History: An Outline of the Period | Asia for Educators | Columbia University. Asia for Educators. Web.

UConlineprogram. “Robotics MachikoKusahara 1.” Youtube. Youtube, 14 April 2012. Web.

UConlineprogram. “Robotics pt1-pt3.” Youtube. Youtube, 15 April 2012. Web.

Walter, Benjamin. “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” 1936. Web.

Week 2: Math and Art

Math and art are constantly being juxtaposed, but I am used to it as more of a contrast than a comparison. From this week’s lecture, I learned that mathematics actually has a lot of influence of art and its history. Lamb mentions in an article that, “Mathematics in general is the study of patterns, structures, relationships, the same ways of thinking and looking for patterns can be applied to formal artwork.” It is through mathematics that images such as drawings become more realistic.  

                                          

Perspective plays a big role in art and how we perceive reality. In the image, all the rectangles are the same size, but as you can see, the ones near the edges look like parallelograms versus rectangles. There is one vanishing point where all these parallel lines meet up.

http://www.brianlemay.com/Pages/animationschool/layout/perspective/assignment01intro.html

I did some research on the golden ratio, and found it amazing how there is a derivation for this. Usually I think of derivations for equations in strictly math or science, but here, there is this golden ratio. It’s amazing that the Great Pyramid of Giza basically mimics or the great ratio mimics the architectural aspect of the pyramid. A simple number can create something as majestic and amazing as the famous pyramid.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v464/n7287/fig_tab/464362a_F1.html

Art and math, although usually are not compared to one another, actually work well with each other to create beautiful pieces. Through the usage of mathematics, art becomes more realistic and patterned. Mathematics helps explain the “unexplainable” that we sometimes see in images such as different perspectives and what not.

https://www.dartmouth.edu/~matc/math5.geometry/unit14/unit14.html

Works Cited

"Geometry in Art & Architecture Unit 2." Geometry in Art & Architecture Unit 2. Web.

Lamb, Evelyn. "Bridging the Gap Between Math and Art [Slide Show]." Scientific American Global RSS. 23 Aug. 2012. Web.

"Phi, Pi and the Great Pyramid of Egypt at Giza - Phi 1.618: The Golden Number." Phi 1618 The Golden Number. 18 Aug. 2012. Web. 

 "Vanishing Point." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.

  

Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 9 April 2012. Web. 

Week 1: Two Cultures

The idea that a third culture exists never crossed my mind. C. P. Snow’s idea of “two cultures” is what I was familiar with. The two cultures are separated as scientific culture and artistic or literary culture. At UCLA, there is a similar semi-concrete idea of “two cultures” by defining students as belonging to North or South Campus, each majoring in humanities or science respectively. The University system seems to break this barrier by having students take additional classes outside of their majors; these additional courses usually being at the opposite spectrum of what the student is used to learning about when compared to their major courses. This is important in helping us expand our mind and to think differently, whether factually or creatively.

http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/04/25/e-o-wilson-on-art/

In Kevin Kelly’s “The Third Culture”, he points out the idea that “how ironic, then, that while science sat in the cultural backseat, its steady output of wonderful products—radio, TV, and computer chips—furiously bred a pop culture based on the arts.” It seems the original two cultures are being merged together through the help of the emerging “third culture” which appear to have originated from technology. As time progresses, it seems as though the fusion of both is inevitable at the rate that technology is being advanced.

http://society6.com/product/space-radio_print

My own personal view on the two cultures has to do with the way I was brought up. Being born in America, but being raised with a Chinese background, I feel like the concept of “two cultures” have always been a part of my life. There are many times when the cultures are at divide, but still there are ideals that are similar between the two. As I get older, I sense there is a definite need for this “third culture”, which in my sense is the commonalities between American and Chinese culture. My parents always gave me the freedom, which America is recognized for, to pursue my dreams, but also taught me that morals and many Chinese traditions are also important in shaping me to be disciplined. With the combination of the two, I feel it has shaped me into a person I am proud to be.  

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/chinese-american-flag-tony-rubino.html

Overall I feel that, the intersecting of the two cultures is important in the future advancement and growth of society.

Works Cited

Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture." Science. 13 Feb. 1998. Web. 

Kieniewicz, Johanna. "Why Art and Science?" At the Interface. 19 June 2013. Web.  

Pomeroy, Steven. "From STEM to STEAM: Science and Art Go Hand-in-Hand | Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network." Scientific American Global RSS. 22 Aug. 2012. Web. 

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Web.  

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward A Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-25. Web. 

Wilson, Stephen. "Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology." (2000). Web.