Week 4 Medicine + Technology + Art

April 29th, 2017

This week professor Vesna explained how science and technology has essentially influenced medicine and how they are related to art. Looking back, medical technology has advanced so much from the making of x-rays to CAT scans to MRIs. All three types of technology can be used to study the inside of the human body and see its so called beauty.

Many different technologies such as the
MRI scanner are used in hospitals to
detect abnormalities in the human body.

Plastic surgery has become one of the most lucrative
industries in the world due to demand in beauty.

One possibility created from the advancement in medical technology is plastic surgery, which today is a well known and lucrative business. It sounds crazy that  with some money, you can literally pay someone to reconstruct certain body parts. Orlan is one example of many who had cosmetic surgery done. Her objective was to "embody the visions of beauty created by renowned artists". Beauty was now something that could be replicated. In this way, plastic surgery has its own definition of beauty. Finding the correct proportions and size to match one's facial feature is very similar to the painstakingly meticulous steps artists do in order to create art. The distinction between the two is that although all art has its own unique beauty, people are striving to become prettier, to fit into the world's standards of a handsome or pretty individual. People are undergoing the knife in order to follow the trend's of what is classified as "beauty" in the world while each art has its own beauty.
I was actually surprised to find out that plastic surgery has been around since 4000 years ago as I thought it was a more recent application. Professor Vesna explained the aftermath of WWI essentially was the catalyst leading to the booming industry that is plastic surgery. Items such as prosthetic limbs and many other technological innovations were created to help.  We see again that creativity was necessary in the development of these machines.

2NE1, one of many different Korean Kpop girl groups have
members who are known to have had plastic surgery.

One obvious area in which plastic surgery is mainstream is in Korea. As I am Korean, I have noticed many different Korean celebrities, especially Korean girl groups all look similar. In fact, when I was younger, I remember being unable to distinguish between the members of a certain group because of how similar they looked. Plastic surgery is a very huge thing in Korea as everyone there is trying to get prettier to fit into the looks of "Korean beauty".

Robinson, C. Randolph. The History of Cosmetic Surgery. Robinson Cosmetic Surgery, 2015. 29 Apr. 2017. Web.

Tan, Yvette. K-pop girl group celebrates their plastic surgery with before-and-after music videos. N.p., Mar. 17 2017. Web.

Victoria, Vesna. Medicine pt 1. Youtube. Youtube. 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk

Victoria, Vesna. Medicine pt 2. Youtube. Youtube. 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ

Victoria, Vesna. Medicine pt 3. Youtube.  Youtube. 22 Apr. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ

Week 3: Robotics + Art

April 22nd, 2017

Professor Vesna described the relationship of the Industrial Revolution and how it affected art today. With the invention of the assembly lines by Henry Ford, production in mass amounts was now feasible. Following this idea, Walter Benjamin explains how "in principle a work of art has always been reproducible". There were always replicas made, especially on famous works. One clear example is the countless recreations of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci. Replicas were made not only by the master's pupils but also by whoever. Benjamin explains how although the original work of art is not changed in any way, the "quality of its presence is always depreciated". Essentially, the originality of the artwork is lost in the several hundreds of copies.

                                                       The assembly line, created by Henry Ford
                                                                     has been in use ever since in mass production of goods.

Machiko Kusahara, in her lecture, contrasts American vs Japanese view of robots. The engineers of Japan have taken an interest in robots and in making humanoids. Their goal is to create human robots not only for industrial purposes but for humanitarian needs such as taking care of people. The Americans however, from an industrial point of view, employ robots for specific purposes. Furthermore, Americans are scared at the idea of a humanoid robot. Through movies such as the Terminator, in which robots take over the world, the Americans have let their imaginations run and get the best of them.

                                            As technology advances, people have begun to make more
                                                    robots that resemble humans.

Through movies and animation, the Americans have let their imaginations run and get the best of them. As technology advances, we will inevitably create even better robots. Lipson demonstrates how that they have created robots which now have the ability to learn and understand. Brooks, in one of his lectures, explains how robots are slowly integrating themselves more into our lives.

                                                     Terminator and its sequels have left the world
                                                                  thinking whether or not robots could potentially
                                                                 take over the world.

The distinction between the American and Japanese views on robots is much different. As of now, we have no idea what would happen in our quest to develop better machines. However, the idea of robots taking over isn't far from impossible.

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Schoken/Random House. 1998. Print.

Brooks, Rodney. Robots will invade our lives. TED Talk. Web. Feb 2003. 22 Apr. 2017.
https://www.ted.com/talks/rodney_brooks_on_robots

Lipson, Hod. Building "self-aware" robots. TED Talk. Web. Mar 2007. 22 Apr. 2017.
https://www.ted.com/talks/hod_lipson_builds_self_aware_robots#t-242875

Uconlineprogram. Robotics MachikoKusahara 1. Youtube. Youtube, 14 Apr. 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQZ_sy-mdEU

Vesna, Victoria. Uconlineprogram. Robotics pt1. Youtube. Youtube, 15 Apr. 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRw9_v6w0ew

Ecocentric Art + Science Symposium

April 21st, 2017

Picture with Linda Weintraub who was one of the hosts
of the symposium.

I visited the Ecocentric Art + Science Symposium which was hosted by Linda Weintraub and Victoria Vesna.  Weintraub's lecture is about Eco-materialism/ contemporary artists where she brings up several artists including Natalie Jeremijenko and Jae Rhim Lee. Jeremijenko is an environmentalist who discovered that about 80% of streams and rivers are laced with pharmaceuticals. Even though it may seem to be industrial causes, Jeremijenko stresses that individuals are also causes through uses of drugs such as anti-depressants and birth control pills. Her solution to the contaminated water crisis is the use of tadpole walker which essentially uses tadpoles to assess water quality. Opposite to Jereminjenko's beliefs, Lee believes that humans/consumers are the cause of pollution.  In one of her experiments, Lee grew Napa Cabbage using her own urine and used the cabbage to make kimchee.

Linda Weintraub giving her lecture on
the different contemporary artists including
Natalie Jeremijenko and Jae Rhim Lee.

Nanoscientist James Grimzewski touched on the topic of how nanotechnology can be used to help the environment. He first explained how most of the energy that humans use is thrown away. Nanotechnology is anything that deals with nano sized objects such as atoms or molecules.

James Grimzewski giving his lecture
on nanotechnology and its possible uses.

The creation of tadpole walkers, using one's own urine to make food, and nanotechnology highlights that creativity is important, as Benjamin Walter had indicated. The Science Symposium has helped me realize that many of today's ingenious and highly effective machines could not have been created without a level of creativity and originality. As Albert Einstein had said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge". There is not much use if someone only understands the mechanics but does not have the ingenuity to think past. Using an all natural resource such as a frog, as a tool to measure water quality is possible when someone understands the mechanics of science/ environment but also has an artistic and spontaneous side. The two are necessary parts are needed in producing the machines we have today.  In that sense, science and contemporary art intersect and are much more related than what people may believe.

This event has helped me get a sense of what I should use for the midterm. I would like to think of something, completely new, that would encompass not only robotics and art, but also benefit the environment. I would definitely recommend my classmates to attend this event as it helps one to see how closely related contemporary art and science connect well together as well as have environmental benefits.

Week 2: Math+Art

Sunday, April 16th

Before enrolling in the class, I didn't realize how much math had influenced, and essentially is needed, in art. Professor Vesna discusses the idea of the Golden Ratio, geometry, and symmetry, all mathematical ideas, which are needed in order to make art and architecture. With the implementation of these mathematical ideas, the portraits were more realistic than before. I learned that the rules Brahmagupta made long ago, regarding zero was a paradigm shift. From then on, there have been many different shifts in the view of math as an art. For example, Brunelleschi created the first formulation of linear perspective in 1413. In order to draw, paint, or sculpt these models, sometimes, it is helpful to use mathematical formulas to calculate or measure dimensions and find area or volume. The vanishing point is one important idea used to create art.

   Symmetry is widely used in math and 
   can also be employed to make art and architecture.

The Mona Lisa and the Vitruvian man, both created by Leonardo da Vinci, involved the use of symmetry, geometry, and proportions to create the artworks. Leonardo da Vinci talks about the perspective and developed mathematical formulas to accurately judge for example, the relationship between distance and the eye to object as well as the science of involving intersecting planes.

                                                            The Vitruvian man is one of Da Vinci's 
                                                                          works that utilizes the idea of symmety.


I used to play with origami a lot when I was younger. Making the different shapes required precise folding and symmetry within in order to produce a perfect crane or boat. Writing this today, made me realize that origami involves math; it basically literally is math. The foldings and shape all depend on symmetry and geometry in order to produce the perfect 3-D model of whatever that person is making. Lang is someone who took "engineering principles to fold mind-blowingly intricate designs".

    Origami is just one of many forms of art
    which uses math to produce 3-D figures.


From this week, I learned that artists use mathematics to further detail their masterpieces. At first, I never realized how much artists relied on mathematics to create art. The intricate designs produced come from knowing ideas like the Golden Ratio, knowing how to use expressions, and other ideas. The juxtaposition behind the two can be seen at first glance; the two are seen as very different. However, looking closer, we can start to understand that mathematics, art, and science are all related in a way a lot more closely than what was first thought of.



Frantz, Marc. Lesson 3: Vanishing Points and Looking at Art. 2000. Print.

leonardo's vitruvian man. N.p., N.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
https://leonardodavinci.stanford.edu/submissions/clabaugh/history/leonardo.html

Lang, J. Robert. Robert J. Lang Origami. N.p. 2004. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
http://www.langorigami.com/

Robert Lang: The math and magic of origami. TED talk. Feb 2008. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_lang_folds_way_new_origami

Vesna, Victoria. Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov. Cole UC online. Youtube, 9 April, 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg

Week 1: Two Cultures

Sunday, April 16

In line with Snow's claims, I can clearly see a distinction between the two cultures: literary intellectuals and scientists which is evident even at UCLA.In UCLA, the campus is split in half as the North Campus (humanities and arts) and South Campus (sciences and engineering). As a Biology major dealing with calculus, biology,  and many more integrative sciences, I rarely am involved in the former. As I walk along the hills of bruin walk every morning, I always hear people discussing about how life would be so much easier as a humanities or an art major. As I hear those comments, I began to contemplate. How could someone make such assertions when they had never been a humanities major as the two were widely different subjects. Obviously, behind these claims were stereotypes.

    UCLA is home to many intellectual minds.

John Brockman claimed how "scientists themselves, a third culture" and that there would not be a need to have the two together as the two cultures were so different. However, in today's society, literary intellectuals and scientists are becoming more and more alike with each other. Wilson points out how artists have "been eager to learn about technological research". As Bohm describes creativity and originality which separated Albert Einstein from the many famous scientists, he stresses that scientists today need to have those qualities in order to succeed. Scientists must not only be intellectually adept, but also have a creative mind. Kelly also explains that creativity is important in order for one to do well in what he or she does. In a way, the two cultures are represented as yin and yang, the two need to coexist for the other to exist.

                                                      The famous yin and yang symbol depicts two
                                                                  very different but important qualities that balance
                                                      each other.
Before this class, I never really considered the idea of the two cultures blending together. I always thought of the two as very distinct forms of ideas. However, I now understand that the two can be integrated together and when they do, it will concoct well. As I continue to pursue my career in Biology, I will always remember to not only think like a scientist, but to also be creative in my thinking.

    Scientists are known to be very intellectual people 
    but must also have a creative side to them to succeed.

Bohm, D. On Creativity.  Leonardo 1(1968): 137-149. Print.

Kelly, Kevin. The Third Culture. Feb. 1998. Web.

Snow, C.P. The Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1961. Print.

Vesna, Victoria. Toward a Third Culture: Being in between. Leonardo. 34(2001): 121-125. Print.

Wilson, Stephen. Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology. New York, 2000. Print.