Week 8: Nanotechnology + Art

Sunday, May 28, 2017.

For this week's lecture, Professor Vesna had guest speaker Dr. Gimzewski lecture on the idea of nanotechnology. Although the field of nanotechology is hard to visualize with the human eye, Dr. Gimzewski stresses the potential it has to change the world through the endless possibilities it opens up.

Abraxane has been a very effecive
anticancer drug and does not have many
potential detrimental effects.

 Nanoparticles, also known as quantum dots, can be used in several different applications and one example is in the field of nanomedicine. Cancer is widely recognized as a very serious and sometimes difficult disease to treat. Anticancer drugs such as Taxel, include toxic chemicals which are detrimental to one's health. However, incorporating nanotechnology has allowed us to reduce the toxicity of anti-cancer treatments. Take for instance, the nanodrug, Abraxane which helps to fight breast cancer. The idea is to make nanosized particles and coat them with the protein albumin which will make the particles soluble, decreasing the toxicity. Furthermore, quantum dots can also be used as markers to illuminate certain diseases.

The cosmetic industry has become such a
booming industry that the idea of creating
safe products has become more and more
important.

We see more incorporation of nanotechnology in the cosmetic industry. Many cosmetic companies have begun to look towards nanotechnology as a viable and safer method of creating their products. Many cosmetic products today contain potential carcinogens, cancer causing chemicals. However, with nanoparticles, there is a way around this. Quantum dots have a very unique property of being a semiconductor. Due to this, when enlarged, the dots appear as black, however, as the dots become smaller, they begin to produce different colors. Adjusting the size of the nanoparticle produces different colors, meaning that we can obtain every color just by adjusting the size. These quantum dots could possibly become a replacement for cosmetic products today, and essentially revolutionize the industry. Quantum dots can also be used as markers to tag particular proteins.

Quantum dots are able to turn into any color on the spectrum.

As we have discussed, the possibilities that come with nanotechnology are endless. Nanoparticles have not only made an impact in changing medicine and skincare, but also they are slowly being more and more integrated into these industries. While it has made such a big impact worldwide, there are opponents who elucidate the fact that nanoparticles may possibly have detrimental effects on the ecosystem. However, regardless of what people may say, nanotechnology has advanced significantly throughout the years, and will continue to integrate itself into the world, affecting not only artworks but also in medicine, and other industry.

Abraxane. Drugs.com. N.p., N.d. Web.
https://www.drugs.com/abraxane.html

Gimzewski, K. Jim. Nanotech Jim pt1. Youtube. Youtube. 21 May. 2012. Web. 28 May. 2017.

Gimzewski, K. Jim. Nanotech Jim pt4. Youtube. Youtube. 21 May. 2012. Web. 28 May. 2017.

Gimzewski, K. Jim. Nanotech Jim pt6. Youtube. Youtube. 21 May. 2012. Web. 28 May. 2017.

Quantum Dots. nanosys. N.p., N.d. Web.
http://www.nanosysinc.com/what-we-do/quantum-dots/

Neurosci + Art

Sunday, May 21, 2017.

Professor Vesna explained that our mind has a conscious and unconscious component to it. She defined consciousness as the state or condition in which one is aware of his or her personal identity and the unconsciousness as the opposite. Touching upon this, neuroscience and art have a "one-sided" relationship. People may not realize it, but without the help of our neurons, we would be unable to appreciate, and more or less perceive art. Even as technology advanced, there was not much information about neuroscience until the creation of the microscope and electricity.

With the invention of the
microscope, the study of a whole
new field of science was possible.

Professor Vesna talked about two important scientists. One was Franz Joseph Gall who pioneered what we call phrenology, the determination of an individual intellect and personality based on skull shape. Essentially, the shape of a certain region would give insight to a person's personality or intellect depending on the area. He was also the first to identify grey matter and white matter of the brain.

The brain is one of the most complex and beautiful
works of art.

The other was Santiago Ramon y Cajal who is regarded as the founder of neuroanatomy. He gave much insight to the understanding of the neuron. The neuron is made up of three regions known as the cell body, the axon, and the dendrite. The dendrites extend from the cell body and is the means for how a neuron receives information from other neurons. Once they receive this message, neurons use their axons to send electrical signals to other neurons nearby which eventually lead to signals being recognized by the brain and then allowing movement accordingly. Cajal discovered that you could read out the connection patterns of neurons depending on their shape, describing the "tree-like input and output structures" are not only beautiful but also efficient in the way they attached to other neurons. Cajal created many drawings of neurons which are still used in textbooks today.

Neurons in the brain allow for transmitting of cues and
allow for us to perceive.

Cajal's work with neuroanatomy and his drawings of the neurons is just one example which show the beauty of the brain. As weird as it may sound, the brain itself is an artwork. The drawings of the branching of the neurons is just one example. In this way, neuro art definitely has its own beauty and uniqueness. Just like with all art, with a little creativity and technology, it is possible to produce art from things we might not have guessed.

Cherry, Kendra. Neurons - Building Blocks of the Nervous System. Verywell. N.p., N.d., Web.

The Neuron. BrainFacts.org. Society for Neuroscience. 1 Apr. 2012. Web.

Vesna, Victoria. Neuroscience-pt1.mov. Youtube. Youtube. 17 May. 2012. Web. 21 May. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzXjNbKDkYI

Vesna, Victoria. Neuroscience-pt2.mov. Youtube. Youtube. 17 May. 2012. Web. 21 May. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFv4owX3MZo

Vesna, Victoria. Neuroscience pt3. Youtube. Youtube. 16 May. 2012. Web. 21 May. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0

BioTech + Art

Sunday, May 14, 2017.

Picture of DNA in its double helix
structure.

In this week's lecture, I learned about the relationship between BioTech and Art. In 2003, the entire human genome was with much effort, sequenced. With the discovery of DNA as the hereditary means of transferring on one's own genes, scientists have discovered ways in altering those genes. Professor Vesna had stated that artists have begun to work with biologists, nano-technologists, geneticists, and neuroscientists in going into flesh and cellular tissue levels, giving rise to Bioart.

Eduardo Kac touched upon the same idea. Kac created his own GFP bunny through microinjection. Scientists took a fluoroscent gene from a species of fluorescent jellyfish and modified the gene to make its properties more powerful. The gene was then inserted into a fertilized rabbit egg cell which eventually became the bunny. He went on to claim it as art. Kac touched upon the idea of transgenic art as a new art form based on the use of genetic engineering to create new living being or another form of art that was alive.

Eduardo Kac with his GFP bunny.

However, with human involvement in recreating genes comes a lot of controversy. For example, animal activists do not agree with the idea of modifying organisms.  As the organism is unable to "consent" there is high degree of immoral practices and so ethically there are many issues. Furthermore, animal activists stress that these techniques affect the animals well-being. Not only with animals, the crops and vegetables grown today are genetically modified. Genetically modified organisms or GMO are modified in order to last longer. Chemicals are added to GMOs in order to appeal better to consumers. People unconsciously, choose fruits that appeal to them aesthetically. The color of the fruit as well as its shape are very significant factors in them choosing the fruit. If the fruit were to be misshapen or even bruised, consumers are less likely to buy it. Scientists today have tried to modify fruit genes in order to produce the right proportions solely for people to buy them. The more aesthetically pleasing the fruit looks, the better chance people will buy.

The controversy behind GMOs highlights
the importance of whether or not the
benefits or cons outweigh one or the other.

Besides health and ethical concerns, BioArt is really a new form of art. It is another way for scientists and artists to come together in creating another art form. As technology advances, Biotechnology and art will continue to overlap.

Abou-Gabal, Nirvana. "Understanding the Controversy and Science of GMOs". Huffingtonpost. N.p., July 28. 2015. Web.

Lallanilla, Marc. "GMOs: Facts About Genetically Modified Food". LiveScience. N.p., Jan 11. 2016. Web.

Vesna, Victoria. 5 bioart pt1. Youtube. Youtube. 18 Sep. 2013. Web. 14 May. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg

Vesna, Victoria. 5 BioArt pt2. Youtube. Youtube. 17 May. 2012. Web. 14 May. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=MdSt-Hjyi2I

Vesna, Victoria. 5 BioArt pt3. Youtube. Youtube. 17 May. 2012. Web. 14 May. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=3EpD3np1S2g

Design Media Arts Graduate Eli Joteva

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Picture with Elí after we had
just discussed the motivation
behind her work.

For my second event blog, I visited our very own, Elí Joteva's own solo show. She first began explaining how life on earth is not forever. "Everything will eventually disappear" and noticing that, Elí

had this desire to "preserve art through photography". Just like how pictures can capture past events and our memories, it could also capture and preserve the artwork in its prime form. As she said this, I immediately thought back to the idea of how as mass production of an art occurred, the artwork itself loses its creativity and individuality.

Picture of one of the globes
from the past when things
were still fine.

All of the pieces of arts were related to global warming and the environment and follows the idea of trying to preserve what disappears. Elí separated her show to have three parts: the past, the present, and the future. The art which showed the "past" was a projection of three different globes before each of these "worlds" began to crumble. The projections were a virtual memory of the globes and what life was like in the past. In the present however, Elí formed actual globe models made out of mainly ice, flowers, and other products from the environment. The globes began to melt and Elí used this to represent global warming. To portray the future, Elí had asked her friend to sleep next to water and froze the water after. At the same time, she scanned the brainwaves of her friend while he was asleep, translated the waves into corresponding color frequencies, and projected those onto a picture.

Picture of a model of a globe,
melting of the globe represents
global warming of the Earth.

From my talk with Elí, I again had the notion that creativity as well as originality is something one needs to have to produce art. Just by looking at the sculptures, I thought her method of projecting the globes in three different times was very intricate. Many artists have incorporated medical technologies into producing art as our technology is becoming more advanced. Elí used recent technology and combined it with her creativity as well as natural resources to produce her own art. I would definitely recommend attending this event in the future. It was very informative, and illustrated another way in combining technology as well as art together. As the final requires us to write a paper which relates the ideas we have talked about, I think attending this art show really helped in illustrating the relationship between art and technology which can help me to write the essay.

Picture of what Elí perceives
as the future.

Sean_Choi_DESMA9_Midterm

https://drive.google.com/a/g.ucla.edu/file/d/0B6IWcWJpeLHgYTJtQ1dqSWxXMTA/view?usp=sharing