Week 9 | Space+Art

The topic this week is space and art.  Personally I am quite fascinated by space and the universe.  It seems so surreal that we are just a tiny part of the universe. People have been studying space for centuries and yet we still have little knowledge of our surroundings.


While space technologies have greatly improved and the first satellite,  Sputnik, was only launched in 1957.  Movies and books have been greatly influenced by space and its mysteries. We all try to tell our own version space.  Movies like Interstellar, ET, Gravity, and much more are the results of people's imaginations of space exploration.




















Space is a region that is filled with patterns of beauty and  art.  Space art is actually a modern genre that shows the wonders of the Universe.  Some of the art in this genre is simply breathtaking and hard to imagine is real.



References

B.E. Hill. "Sputnik." Nov 20. 2011. Web. 31 May. 2015. <http://bashapedia.pbworks.com/w/page/13961343/Sputnik>
Boucher, Marc. "Space and Art." NASA Watch. N.p., 29 May 2013. Web. 29 May 2015. <http://nasawatch.com/archives/2013/05/space-and-art.html>.

Dunbar, Brian. "July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap For Mankind." NASA. 14 July 2014. Web. 30 May 2015.

Melina, Remy. "What Exactly Is a 'Sputnik Moment?" Space.com. 7 Dec. 2014. Web. 30 May 2015.

Vesna, Victoria. "Space Exploration + Art." UCLA, Los Angeles. 29 July 2013. Web. 29 May 2015.

Week 7 | Neuroscience + Art

This weeks lecture talked about Neuroscience and Art.  The brain takes in what we see and feel and produces an understanding of art.  Everyone is different and yet some people perceive things the same way.  People of different cultures and backgrounds often have similar dreams of similar meanings.  Often times, when people dream of being chased, they are usually running away from something or someone.

Studies have shown that smell is the strongest memory of the brain.  A scent that you smell years ago can trigger a memory that you thought you had forgotten. The brain has different profiles and can trigger strong emotions.  A museum was even opened to focus on smells as a true artistic medium.

With the introduction of devices like the Oculus Rift, humans are leaning toward a field of virtual reality.  It creates a whole new world for a person that could fool them into believing different experiences and reactions. You enter an immersive world that replicates the world and recreate sensory experiences.  Its an exciting field that could in the future lead to skydiving inside your own home.

References

Neuroscience pt 3. Dr. Victoria Vesna. Youtube. Uconlineprogram, 16 May. 2012. Web. 17 May. 2015.

Neuroscience- Mark Cohen. Dr. Victoria Vesna. Youtube. Uconlineprogram, 16 May. 2012. Web. 17 May. 2015.

Dowdey, Sarah.  "How Smell Works"  29 October 2007.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/perception/smell.htm>  17 May 2015.

 "14 Common Dreams and Symbols and Why They're Important." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 13 Jan. 2014. Web. 18 May 2015.  

 Stamp, Jimmy. "The First Major Museum Show to Focus on Smell." Smithsonian. 16 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 May 2015. .  

Week 6 - BioTech+Art

Biotechnology and art is a topic of great controversy.  The ethics of this subject brings in a lot of debate even though it brings new creative methods of solving genetic problems.

Oncomouse- a lab mouse that was genetically modified to increase susceptibility to cancer

There have been many cases of genetic testing on animals, both for medical and artistic purposes.  One popular case was the work on the GFP gene.  Osamu Shimomura wanted to use the gene to trace drug effectiveness while Eduardo Kac used the gene to turn a bunny green.

GFP animals/plants

Its hard to say whether animal testing and genetic modification is okay and if humans are allowed to essentially play God.

A look into GMOs today that shows how important they can be

Although genetic engineering has shown to be helpful with crops being genetically modified to be bigger and more resistant.  Biotechnology can help improve our quality of life; however, it is a dangerous field and restrictions need to be met to ensure people safety.

References


5 Bioart pt1.mov. Dr. Victoria Vesna. Youtube. Uconlineprogram, 18 Sep. 2013. Web. 8 May. 2015.

5 Bioart pt3.mov. Dr. Victoria Vesna. Youtube. Uconlineprogram, 17 May. 2012. Web. 8 May. 2015.

 "GFP BUNNY." GFP BUNNY. Web. 8 May 2015.  

"Green Fluorescent Protein." Biotechnology. 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 8 May 2015.  

High, Kathy. "The Politics of Empathy." Embracing Animal. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://www.embracinganimal.com/ratlove.html>.

Kac, Eduardo. "GFP BUNNY." Rabbit Remix. Eduardo Kac. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor>.

Week 3 - Robotics and Art

With the advancements in technology, we see a shift of the purpose of machinery and robotics.  As the Internet develops, it allows for a network of artwork and ideas to be spread across the globe.  Everyone has easy access.

Professor Vesna's lecture about the industrialization held the concepts of assembly lines which first led the way to mass production in our society.  Back in the day, the mass production allowed more and more people to have access to cars and other objects at a cheaper cost.  Eventually, these repetitive tasks were assigned to robots and these robots were able to achieve production rates much greater than human labor alone.


Robots are not just used in production assembly lines for cars, they can also be applied to art.  Objects can be duplicated with ease and mass produced.  With the new introduction 3D printing, people are able to make figurines of their own or even download schematics and create an object of art in their own home.


Robotics and technology can also be used in non-physical forms.  As technology grows more advanced, machines become smarter and smarter and thus the ways we can use technology grows as well.  Animated films have become very common.  Computers are necessary to create the special effects that earn films millions every year.


Technology has become smarter and smarter as time goes on.  Almost twenty years ago the first computer chess AI was developed and beat the first chess grandmaster. Now, chess engines continue to improve and have been overtaking human chess champions.

Week 2 - Math and Art

Math can be found everywhere and in everything.  As a person of my major, I am familiar with the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence.  In the video Fibonacci, Fractals and Financial Markets, they show how these fractals and sequences are shown everywhere in the natural world.  While on the outside there seems to be random and chaotic, there is actually a sequence and pattern.

In a way, nature is a form of art.  Everything that nature creates is unique and yet at the same time, as shown in the video are related.  The importance of fractals and spirals is shown in nature to be able to create an optimal growth for plants and living organisms.  Due to this inherit pattern in our lives, artists are also able to use this golden ratio and sequence to create visually appealing art.

In the video, the Golden Ratio, it talks about how there is an apparent design that people like.  Artists like MC Escher,Vi Hart, Da Vinci are able to use math and geometry to compliment their art.  With the mathematical knowledge of the golden ratio, some of them are able to create art of many layers and depth.  Make pieces seemingly fit together without looking disarranged or awkward.

Everything in nature seemingly draws towards math and science with no particular explanation why.  Math seems to be the language of the world we live in.  Art is an expression of math.

Works Cited

Britton, Jill. "Fibonacci Numbers in Nature." Camosun College, 20 June 2011. Web. 3 April 2015. 

Escher, MC. Cycle. Digital image. http://www.mcescher.com/gallery/most-popular/cycle/. 1938. Web.

Fibonacci, Fractals and Financial Markets. Socionomics.net. N.p., 31 May 2007. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. 

"Golden Ratio in Art Composition and Design." Phi 1618 The Golden Number. N.p., 04 May 2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.goldennumber.net/art-composition-design/>. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 9 April 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. 

Week 1 | Two Cultures

Hi! My name is Gary Chang and I am a senior Computer Science student.  I decided on my major back in my early high school years and have wanted to pursue it ever since.  With both of my parents in the Computer Science field as well, it seemed like a natural decision for me.  Even now, most of my friends are in the Computer Science field as well.  It just seems so hard to get away from yet I love it so much and want to pursue a career in it.

To me, the school is not just split into two cultures.  While there is an apparent divide in the North and South campus, this divide is not just a physical one that separates the two.  Due to my history, I rarely interact with other cultures and am in a sense, sheltered.  I have not had much opportunity to pursue a study of the arts and have rather only been within the culture of science and it has, for a while, led me to believe, like C.P Snow in his "The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution", that people believe their own culture is superior, which leads to a more ingrained study.

Two conflicting ideas, a divide between which idea is superior

Kevin Kelly, however, believes technology as a form of a "third culture", one that I am quiet familiar with as it is an offspring of science.  From this, I believe, like John Brockman in the Third Culture, that technology is an offspring of science and art, which bridges the culture gap.

Technology designed with an artistic aspect to provide visual appeal and user experience

From this technology bridge, society has benefited from the improved technologies that resulted from the collaboration of science and art in motion films, cell phones, video games, etc.

Technology being used to create art

While personally I prefer the science aspect of technology, I understand that art is necessary for technology to grow and evolve and would like to create a relationship with the other half.

Works Cited

Brockman, John. The Third Culture. N.p.:n.p., 1995. Print.

Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture." Science 279.5353 (1998): 992-93 Web.

Snow, C.P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. London:Cambridge UP, 1992. Print.

Vesna, Victoria. "Two Cultures". Youtube. UC Online. 30 March 2012. Web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNI7dF3DIAM

Wilson, Stephen. Myths and Confusions in Thinking About Art/Science/Technology. 2000. Web.