MedTech + Art - Week 4

The topic for this week was the relationship between art and medicine. This concept was by far the most surprising to me. I would have never made the connection between the two fields since they seem so vastly different. For me, art was always about expression and not so much a physical connection to a human but after this week, I can see how even medicine is intertwined with art in various forms. The bond between art and medicine is a lot more deeply rooted than what I would have ever imagined and I am especially surprised that I never made the connection between the two since their history goes as far back as the 2th century. The first mention of medicine and art is in the Hippocratic Oath of the 12th century that doctors swore by when entering the medical field. In the document, medicine is referred to as an art form. Although the modern day Hippocratic Oath differs from the original to accommodate the new laws and advancement of medicine, the document still refers to the practice of medicine as an art form. I could see how in the 12th century, medicine could be seen as an art form, since I can imagine the skill needed to perform certain procedures must have required a skill that not all could possibly posses. Even today, this holds true. Not everyone can be a doctor.

Advancement in technology in medicine has provided a different meaning to the form of art and medicine as one. Today, it is a lot easier to see the connection between art and medicine because of cosmetic procedures. Although cosmetic procedures had their beginnings during the world war, modern day plastic surgery is very prevalent because it is related to celebrities and garners media attention. Medicine has gone beyond the art of skilled surgery and "artist-like" precision, it is not about transforming or molding a face into something more beautiful or refined. It truly is like 3D art. While I am not against cosmetic surgeries, I do believe that the ever-changing relationship between medicine and art can create identity issues with people. If we consider the doctor an artist, does this make the person who had the procedures done a work of art? By defining someone as a product of an artist are we stealing or defining an identity?

I believe that as medicine continues to advance, the "art" associated with medicine will contribute to identity issues and perhaps even the objectification of those who choose to have procedures done. This is especially true for women, who are constantly bombarded with images of women who have undergone cosmetic procedures. This is the new ideal to live up to, a sort of frankenstein child of art and medicine.














Image Sources:

http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/assets/img/hippocratic-oath-today/image-03-large.jpg

 http://www.bernardhealth.com/Portals/131307/images/Plastic_Sugery.jpg

 http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/fergregory/fergregory1105/fergregory110500164/9567527-identity-issues-photo-concept.jpg

Sources:

Berberick, Stephanie N. "The Objectification of Women in Mass Media: Female Self-Image in Misogynist     Culture." New York Sociologist 5 (2010): n. pag. Web.

Hyer, Christopher F. "Cath Lab Digest." When The Science Of Surgery Becomes An Art. N.p., n.d. Web. Oct. 2013.

Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." PBS. PBS, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. Oct. 2013.

Vesna, Victoria, perf Medicine, Part 1. UC Online Program,. 2013. Web. Oct 2013. 

Vesna, Victoria, perf Medicine, Part 2. UC Online Program,. 2013. Web. Oct 2013. 

Math + Robotics

Source: http://techpinions.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/assembly-line-women.jpg

Since the introduction of the assembly line, and perhaps even before, robotics has influenced art in different ways. It was the assembly line that formed the basis of future robot and human interaction in things like movies and art work in general. Since the assembly line was the first time that machine and human worked in unison, and in some ways replaced the tasks of human workers, it was natural for others to speculate what the true capacity of robots would be in the future. The idea of an object with no human emotion can take the pace of a real person is frightening, so perhaps it was these fear that led some to portray robots  as evil. 

Source: http://milestonetechnologiesinc.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/i-robot.jpg

Movies like I Robot, Terminator and Transformer are examples of how the future of robotics is difficult for people to imagine without the background of fear and betrayal of artificial intelligence. In all the movies, robots turn on their human creators or counterparts. These movies, while valid expressions of art, reveal the general public's feelings on robots and the future. 

The influence that robotics has on art goes far beyond inspiration for movies and reason behind fear, it also influences the way art is made. In Walter Bejamin's essay, Benjamin discusses the reproduction of art using machines. This reproduction has made art readily available and copies or prints of original work has made it otherwise expensive art easy for  all people to afford. However, Benjamin reveals that there is another side to the mass production of art made possible by robotics. The reproduction of art affects how people value and look at art. With art made available to the masses by reproduction, it is difficult for most to see the true value in art. Benjamin also states that the unique aspects of art are changed in mass reproductions through robotics. 

Source: http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2215649/GoogleGlass_15.jpg

Even so, there are others that feel that robotics will one day be an extension of the human form. With inventions like google glasses, that allow for users to create mini movies or works of art, the future of robots, art, and humans seems more accessible and less negative overall.







Sources:

Benjamin, Walter. "Thw Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction." (1936): n. pag. Print.

"Brooklyn Woman Uses Google Glass To Show What It's Like To Be A Modern Artist."Business Insider. N.p., n.d. Web. Oct. 2013.

Satell, Greg. "Should We Fear The Rise Of The Robots?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 04 May 2013. Web. Oct. 2013.

UCOnline Program. "Robotics MAchikoKushara."Web.

Math + Art - Week 2

 The idea of math influencing and being an integral part of art is an idea that for the most part seemed ridiculous to me; however, history proves otherwise. As far back as the Renaissance, artists have utilized art as a technique in completing their art works. If not for math, perhaps Da Vinci works of art would have looked a lot differently than we know them today. Da Vinci's work was undoubtedly influenced by his  mathematics background. From working from a linear perspective and adhering to the golden ratio, Da Vinci used  math to create a balance in his art. To the observer, perhaps the influence of math is not as obvious in paintings like the Mona Lisa, however The Vitruvian Man is clearly focused on proportions.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Da_Vinci_Vitruve_Luc_Viatour.jpg

 Today, the influence that math has on art is still subtle, with most people missing the connection that art and math have. However, there are more museums and exhibits today that aim to reveal the ties between the two. For example, the Exploratorium in San Francisco has different interactive exhibits that allow guests to use math to create forms of art. The Angle of Repose exhibit allows visitors to spin a disk full of different colored sands over an aluminum plate. The aluminum plate has raised bumps, allowing visitors to create unique patterns by changing the angle of repose that the sand hits the different bumps at.

Source: http://exs.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/angle-of-repose/

Other exhibits like the Floating Numbers exhibit at the Jewish Museum in Berlin literally use numbers to create art. By arranging the numbers over each other and in different patterns, they are able to create beautiful shapes. At the same time, this exhibit allows users to interact with the numbers by  rearranging them or clicking on them to reveal more information about the particular number.

Source: http://www.artcom.de/en/projects/project/detail/floatingnumbers/

Sources:

"Angle of Repose." Exploratorium Exhibit Services RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.    

       <http://exs.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/angle-of-repose/>.

"Floating.numbers." ART COM : . N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
       <http://www.artcom.de/en/projects/project/detail/floatingnumbers/>.
"Mathematics and Art." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 12 Oct. 2013.         
        <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics_and_art>.
Vesna, Victoria. " Mathematics, Perspective, Time, Space. "DESMA 9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
   
        v=mMmq5B1LKDg. Lecture.

Two Cultures - Week 1

C.P. Snow's book, Two Cultures, describes a clear division between literary intellectuals and scientists. Although his book and original presentation was done in the late 1950's his idea of the divided "cultures" still stands true today. Although it is not clearly talked about as the reason for the immense gap in wealth as C.P. Snow discussed, the art and sciences are still considered polar opposites. 

Source: http://musicfeeds.com.au/features/art-vs-science/

My own experience with the divide in between art and science is apparent in my circle of friends. I have friends who are science majors and other who are humanities majors, including myself. There is a clear divide in science and humanity majors, as if they are competing against each other.This divide is apparent in many aspects of the UCLA community.For example, friends of mine who are in the sciences have a negative view of the humanities, as if they are "easy majors" or majors that do not and will never contribute to the overall advancement of society. They see the sciences as completely separate , if not superior to the "art" or humanities culture. This divide and overall feeling is not only present in the students at UCLA but also some professors. 

Source: http://www.theuclafund.ucla.edu/news/nvschallengewinner.aspx

During the summer I took an entry level physics course that was held in Moore Hall for the first couple lectures. The first day of lecture the professor joked that this would be the first time any "real learning" would happen in north campus. Of course, it was funny but it underlined this campus-wide feeling that humanities and sciences are strikingly different and in some cases one is "better" than the other. The idea of two separate cultures at UCLA is promoted by major school events and there are even North and South campus t-shirts commemorating the differences between both side of campus. Most notably,  "I Love UCLA Week" feeds on the North and South Campus divide, furthering the divide between the two cultures at UCLA.

Source:http://michaelmohlman.com/?p=156

I am guilty of separating the art and sciences as well, however, I also realize that the two cultures can learn a  lot from each other. As a geography/Environmental studies major, the majority of my classes are based in North campus, however some classes dabble in environmental science, a south campus major;  I have benefited immensely from understanding the biological processes and environmental justice issues of today. I believe that because my major taps into both sides of these "cultures" I have a well rounded view of environmentalism and conservation.









Sources:

Snow, C.P. "Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution." Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.

Towards a Third Culture: Being in Between, Victoria Vesna Leonardo, Vol. 34 No. 2 (2001) pp. 124-125