Event 5: LACMA

Once again, I couldn't help but notice how much of science is integrated into art during my visit to LACMA. There was an entire exhibit on Art and Technology, and there were so many other beautiful paintings and sculptures where I could distinctly see what a great influence science had in creating and building them.

The turmoil of World War I affected artists across Europe and the United States. A specific sect of artists called “Dadaists” created works from everyday objects, discarded materials and street trash. The Red-Blue Chair pictured below was created using such discarded materials. Blocks of wood that were in the trash were picked up and this beautiful chair was created. The works by the “Dadaists” pushed the conventions of how art was defined.

The painting pictured below really fascinated me. It is a painting made by a young American artist during the Second World War. While usually one would only notice its beauty and morbidity, I could not help but think about how the artist perfectly captures the aspect of the human body and anatomy.

The painting of the life-sized can of Spam also intrigued me. It is interesting to see how the can is sailing like a comet in the sky. In this way we see how the artist, Ruscha, adds an element of space into his artistic work. It is also interesting to note that the element of space is added with the intention of referencing the US-Russian Space Race.

Thomas Wilfred studied music and art in Europe. After moving to America, he began constructing machines, which were based on the physical characteristics of light- refraction, reflection and color. Wilfred was a pioneer in the field of light art, art based on the manipulation of light. He orchestrated silent performances of amorphous, moving forms that he hoped viewers would experience as “the fundamental rhythmic flow of the universe.”

The Art and Technology exhibit was truly amazing to see. Andy Warhol had three prototypes for artificial weather machines- one that simulated snow; another, wind; and the third, rain. Warhol wanted to pair these machines with holographic/3-D images and managed to successfully create the Rain Machine- 3D prints of four plastic daisies on a bed of artificial grass and in front of the prints, two layers of “rain” fell from metal water nozzles that moved from side to side.

Another thing that caught my attention in this exhibit was Robert Rauschenberg’s Mud Muse. Rauschenberg started working with a technology company by had become very interested in art that actively engages its viewers. He designed Mud Muse, which emulated the bubbling mud of Yellowstone National Park’s geothermal “paint pots.” It is a sound activated piece that reacts to both external sounds and an internal soundtrack of noises sampled from daily life. The actual and recorded sounds are then translated into electrical “on-off” signals relayed to a system of pressurized air inlets at the bottom of the mud tank.

After taking this class, every time I visit a museum now, I cannot help but notice how many different disciplines are integrated to produce a work of good art. I have started appreciating art so much more. People need to realize that art does not simply involve mindless painting; there is so much more that goes into it!

Event 4: Griffith Observatory

My visit to the Griffith Observatory was nothing short of spectacular. I have visited the Griffith before and I have been enthralled by all the knowledge and beauty. However this time round, my experience was quite different. I began to notice, all around me, the integration and overlap of science and art.

Just as one enters, one sees the Observatory Pendulum, a 240-pound giant brass sphere suspended from a 40-foot steel wire. At first glance this looks like nothing more than just a beautiful oscillating pendulum. However, one quickly realizes that this is not simply a piece of art. A ring magnet above the ceiling keeps the pendulum in motion, without influencing the direction of its swing. Every ten minutes the pendulum knocks over a peg, but in fact it is not the pendulum that has moved over to hit the peg. The earth has moved the peg into the path of the swinging pendulum. The pendulum is essentially disconnected from the turning of the earth and the earth rotes beneath it, making it look as if the pendulum is changing the direction of its swing. I thought it was so fascinating how much of artistic thought and effort has gone into building this scientific object.

At the Griffith Observatory, one can also see the largest astronomical image to ever be put on display called the Big Picture. It is an astronomical photograph of a small sliver of the night sky and embedded in the Big Picture are thousands of stars from our own Milky Way Galaxy. Looking at this I could not help but think about how its creation was the result of the two disciplines of art and science working together. While astronomers and scientists were required to observe, study and plot the night sky, it was the duty of the artists to perfectly capture and recreate what they had observed. If not for the astronomers/scientists and the artists, the Big Picture would never have been created with such accuracy and perfection.

The earth experiences four seasons because our planet is tipped on its axis and the two poles point to the same direction in space all year. Summer occurs on the hemisphere that is tipped towards the sun and our seasonal weather depends on where we live. While I was always aware of this knowledge, it was only now that I started thinking about how fascinating it was that a purely scientific phenomenon is used by artists to convey emotion in their works, be it in paintings, movies or short stories. Winter is used to convey a sense of gloom and despair, summer suggests joy and freedom. Never before had I really given much thought to this.

The last thing that I thought was super interesting was that countless meteorites fall to the earth every year. However finding and identifying them is tricky. While meteorite hunters are undoubtedly scientists, they can also be considered subtle artists. Recognizing a meteorite is an art because not all strange-looking rocks are meteorites. The meteorite hunters must study the shape, size, surface, etc. of the rock to determine whether or not it came from space.

This time round, my visit to the Griffith Observatory was completely different. It was for the first time that I recognized how much of art exists even in the context of space and the endless universe!

Event 3: The Getty Center

I was always told about how the Getty Center was nothing short of a visual treat but when I went there this past week I was absolutely amazed. I was completely taken in by the sheer beauty of it. I simply could not believe that I had never been there before. It was such a peaceful spot, buried away from the hustle and bustle of life in LA. It was so fascinating to actually pay attention to and notice how science has always been used to create beautiful art.

In the 1300s Venetians started adding tin oxide to the glass mixture in order to produce a kind of opaque white glass. They called this glass “lattimo” (latte means milk in Italian). In the 1500s craftsmen started using thin sticks of lattimo to create filigree glass- glass with beautiful patterns and designs. The white thin sticks were manipulated with hot glass to create parallel stripes, spirals or twists.

During the Renaissance period, talented artists in Tuscany developed a special type of decoration referred to as “relief-blue.” Ceramics were painted in a thick cobalt blue glaze and the blue pigment used was mixed with a large proportion of lead. The addition of lead would cause it to swell during firing, which made it stand out in relief. I thought this picture of a Relief-Blue Jar with Rampant Lions was absolutely beautiful and perfectly demonstrated how the integration of art and science is not a relatively new phenomenon.

Another thing that I found particularly interesting was the stream outside, which ran though the Central Garden. I thought it was amazing how the designers of the garden strategically placed boulders and rocks of varying sizes in the streambed to vary the sounds at different points from the flowing water. The designers had to have had some scientific understanding to be able to add this special touch to what would otherwise just be a beautiful flowing stream.

My visit to the Getty Center only made me further realize how deep and interrelated the relationship between art and science is. It made me think about how, as discussed in the lectures of Week 1, people are naïve to believe that artists and scientists have nothing in common and that opting for art implies that one has given up completely on science and vice versa.

Week 9: Space + Art

I thought this week’s topic was particularly interesting because from the beginning of time people have been fascinated by space- the endless sky, the faraway stars and the mysterious planets. What I found really interesting was how the entire American education system changed after the Soviets first launched Sputnik in 1957.

It is interesting to note how for many Americans, the launch of Sputnik was proof that American education, especially in science had fallen behind. This led to the Congress passing the National Defense Education Act in 1958 to provide, amongst many other things, college scholarships and other help to aspiring scientists, engineers and mathematicians.

In this way we see how that little aluminum sphere called Sputnik not only kick started the Space Race but also jolted the nation’s education system. Schools now started focusing on particularly bright and gifted students, handpicking them for upper level STEM courses. Schools also started receiving more funding, not just for math and science but also for foreign languages.

During this time, baby boomer families started buying educational toys like telescopes and plastic models of the human body. Parents now wanted their children to grow up to be intelligent and help improve the United States space program and overtake the Soviet’s in the Space Race.

Thus we see that with the launch of Sputnik, the United States became quite concerned that the Soviet Union had a head start in the Space Race. The United States began to realize how important the support of talented scientists and mathematicians was to national security. This led to a number of reforms in the education system, with special emphasis on science, mathematics and foreign languages. No longer did teachers focus on rote learning of technical terms. Instead more emphasis was given to teaching broad concepts. Students were now encouraged to understand and not just memorize.

WORKS CITED:

Boyle, Alan. “Sputnik Started Space Race, Anxiety.” NBS News. 4 October 1997. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077890/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/sputnik-started-space-race-anxiety/#.VWuKIWRViko>

Dawson, Christopher. “Space Race or Education?” ZDNet. 7 May 2009. Web. 31 May 2015. <http://www.zdnet.com/article/space-race-or-education/>

Dean, Cornelia. “When Science Suddenly Mattered, in Space and in Class.” The New York Times. 25 September 2007. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/25/science/space/25educ.html?pagewanted=all>

Toppo, Greg. “Sputnik Heralded Space Race, Focus on Learning.” USA Today. 10 March 2007. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-10-03-sputnik-education_N.htm>

Vesna, Victoria. “8 space Pt2 1280x720.” Online video. YouTube. UC Online Program, 29 July 2013. Web. 30 May 2015.

Event 2: Fowler Museum

The exhibit “Making Strange” by Vivan Sundaram at the Fowler Museum was absolutely fascinating. I thought it was so interesting how Sundaram designs garments from recycled materials and medical supplies. We rarely give a second thought to discarded medical materials but Sundaram created such unique and aesthetically pleasing displays. He succeeded in highlighting the interaction and inseparability of clothing/fashion and the human body.

Sundaram beautifully designed a woman’s dress and shoes made solely out of lycra orthopedic supports. He also tastefully used compressed cotton tampons, surgical masks as well as x-ray film to create an outfit. These are all materials that we only think of in terms of their medical usages, and once we use them, we nonchalantly toss them into the trashcan. It is intriguing to see how an individual can broaden the scope of his imagination so far and conceptualize striking designs such as these.

A paper cup is something that people usually see as nothing more than simply a cheap, invaluable, disposable object used for the purpose of drinking. However, Sundaram saw greater meaning in these used paper cups and constructed a giant paper cup display that was an absolute visual delight.

In this way we see how Sundaram skillfully uses trash as a starting point of his creativity. There seems to be an anti-aesthetic element in his works because he is using trash materials to create “beautiful” garments. The discarded x-ray films, bandages, paper cups, etc. when collected and put together with love and care finally acquire a sense of beauty. Even if one tries, one can no longer view them as pieces of garbage.

When one sees a mannequin in a shop window, one does not look back at it and one certainly does not go on to think about it. However, in the case of these mannequins, each one has a certain beauty and character. All the garments are made from objects one would normally see in a trashcan. In this way we see how beautifully art and medicine has been integrated. It is naïve to think that only new, shiny, beautiful things can make for good art. There is art in everything that is around us- we just have to look for it. 

Week 8: NanoTech + Art

I thought this week’s lectures on nanotechnology were particularly interesting. It is fascinating to think how we consider nanotechnology to be a relatively new concept, when in fact it has actually been in existence for a long time.

We see nanotechnology being used by the ancient Romans, as far back as 400BC. The British museum has a Roman chalice from this period and when you look at the cup in the daylight, it appears to be green. However, if the cup is illuminated from the inside, it looks red. This coloration is due to the fact that the Romans had managed to find a way to introduce the dye for nanosized gold particles. These particles do not look golden colored but have very specific coloration properties. In this way we can rightly conclude that the Romans were nanotechnology pioneers.

Similarly, artisans glazing pots in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Umbria (Italy) were practicing an early form of nanotechnology. The coloration was not due to chemical type glazes, but instead due to the use of nanoparticles like copper and silver. In this way we see how during the Renaissance potters were nothing short of skilled nanotechnologists, using nanoparticles to give their finely painted ceramics a rich luster.

Today, silver nanoparticles are incorporated into an increasing number of products for its anti microbial properties. Fabrics containing engineered nanosilver are used in the manufacture of athletic wear, socks, etc. as it prevents the buildup of bacteria and fungi, thus helping to prevent the nasty odor that they cause. Nanoparticles of zinc oxide are incorporated into textiles to protect one’s garments and one’s skin from sun damage. 

However, too much of a good thing can be harmful to the environment. The excessive use of silver nanoparticles in products due to its antimicrobial effect has resulted in silver sulphide nanoparticles now being found in sewage sludge. The risks associated with this are enormous. Silver nanoparticles are toxic to many aquatic as well as soil microorganisms and organisms as well as many plants. It bio accumulates in the food chain, thus leading to a number of harmful ecological consequences.

WORKS CITED

Ball, Philip. “Renaissance Potters were Nanotechnologists.” Nature. 30 June 2003. Web. 20 May 2015. <http://www.nature.com/news/2003/030630/full/news030623-17.html>

Ferguson, Cat. “Silver Nanoparticles: Useful But Dangerous?” Real Clear Science. 1 April 2014. Web. 20 May 2014. <http://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2014/04/01/silver_nanoparticles_useful_but_dangerous_108578.html>

Gimzewski, James. “Nanotech Jim Pt 3.” Online Video. Youtube. UC Online Program. 21 May 2012. Web. 20 May 2015.

Merali, Zeeya. “This 1,600-Year-Old Goblet Shows that the Romans Were Nanotechnology Pioneers.” Smithsonian Magazine. September 2013. Web. 20 May 2015. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-1600-year-old-goblet-shows-that-the-romans-were-nanotechnology-pioneers-787224/?no-ist>

Russon, Mary-Ann. “Romans Used Nanotechnology to Turn Lycurgus Cup from Green to Red 1,600 Years Ago.” International Business Times. 6 October 2014. Web. 20 May 2015. <http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/romans-used-nanotechnology-turn-lycurgus-cup-green-red-1600-years-ago-1468746>

Urquhart, James. “Silver Nanoparticles in Clothing Pose No New Risk.” Scientific American. 15 July 2014. Web. 20 May 2015. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/silver-nanoparticles-in-clothing-pose-no-new-risk/>

Week 7: Neurosci + Art

What fascinated me in this week’s lecture is how people have been using different kinds of chemicals and herbs to alter their mental states throughout history. Many people, including myself, think that drugs are a relatively common phenomenon and fail to realize how prevalent the use of drugs was in the past.

Albert Hofmann first synthesized LSD for the first time in the 1930s, however its hallucinogenic effects were unknown until the early 1940s when Hofmann accidentally consumed some LSD. It is interesting to note that LSD was actually used by psychiatrists in experiments in the 1940s,’50s and ‘60s. No medical use for the drug was ever discovered, but the widespread distribution of free samples by Sandoz Pharmaceuticals for the experiments led to the rampant use, and even misuse, of this substance.

Aldous Huxley was a renowned British author and playwright who advocated the use of psychedelics.  His descriptions of the drugs in his works did much to spread awareness to the generalized public. Although he was very serious about the use of these drugs to cure illnesses and also help further artistic expression, his descriptions ended up glamorizing their recreational use.

Psychologist Timothy Leary also further popularized LSD in the 1960s. He was a professor at Harvard who distributed LSD to his graduate students as part of his experiments. He believed that this psychedelic drug would give them opportunities to explore their inner consciousness and broaden their minds. Many undergraduate students at Harvard began to hear of the experiences of those who were under the influence of LSD and started taking the drug recreationally, since at this time LSD was still not banned.

LSD was also used as part of government experiments designed to explore the possibilities of pharmaceutical mind control. Many people belonging to difference sections of society and having different occupations, ranging from soldiers to prostitutes, were given the drug, often without even their knowledge and/or consent. Many people died as a consequence of these experiments, making people realize that the effects of LSD were highly unpredictable and unreliable.

 In this way we see how drugs that many people deem to be a “new age phenomenon” were actually in circulation among the general public for hundreds of years. While a fair number of people argue that by altering our mental state, these drugs have the ability to improve our expressions of art and allow us to explore the inner realms of our mind, one cannot ignore the grave consequences of the use of such psychedelic drugs.

WORKS CITED:

“LSD: A short History.” Foundation for a Drug Free World. Web. 16 May 2015. <http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/lsd/a-short-history.html>

 

Merv, Griffin. “Dr. Timothy Leary interview-LSD (Merv Griffin Show 1966).” Online Video. YouTube. Merv Griffen Show, 15 April, 2012. Web. 16 May 2015.

 

Szalavitz, Maia. “The Legacy of the CIA’s Secret LSD Experiments on America.” Time. 23 March 2012. Web. 16 May 2015. <http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/23/the-legacy-of-the-cias-secret-lsd-experiments-on-america/>

 

Vesna, Victoria. “Neuroscience Pt 3.” Online video. YouTube. UC Online Program, 16 May 2012. Web. 16 May 2015.

 

Williams, Alexandra. “Swiss Scientist who Invented LSD and had First Ever Bad Trip Dies at 102.” Daily Mail. 30 April 2008. Web. 16 May 2015. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-562990/Swiss-scientist-invented-LSD-bad-trip-dies-102.html>