Event 3---Fowler Lecture

     For my third event that I attended, I went to a lecture in Fowler. This lecture was given by Masa Jazbec who is a researcher and specialist of robots and androids in Japan. I thought this lecture was very interesting because she went over details about Japan. First, she went over the three different classifications the society could consider these new machines/robots/androids in order to give them a name. The three categories consist of: Androids, Geminoids, and Humanoids. Jazbec said that Geminoids are copies of actual human beings, sort of like a clone. Geminoids are the closest to actually living and breathing humans. Professor Ishiguro created a Geminoid prototype of himself as well. I found this very interesting in the fact that this robot looked exactly like him. This robot had the facia hair, the glasses, and even the facial expressions to go along with it.
     Masa Jazbeck also talked about Android science. Through android science, we can create these Geminoids by integrating robotics and science. This cognitive science allows the robots to look similar to humans by the hair, skin, facial expressions, etc. The interesting part to me, is that the robots actual have the ability to learn and get smarter as time goes on. The situation that we are at hand with is how we categorize them in our society.
     Most people are not fulling willing to let robots have a place in society. Jazbec explains that the average person in society is not prepared to accept these machines in our daily routines, because there is still some friction between the relationship of humans and robots. At the end of the lecture there was an interesting question asked directed towards Masa. The question was, if she sees robots as robots? The interesting and intriguing part of her response was that she has adapted to them. This response made me wonder if we as a society were surrounded by robots everyday, would we adapt too?
     I related this to what we are learning about by art and robotics. This relates to the art work put into constructing these robots. For example, the Geminoids are created by sculpting the face, eyes, hair, etc. Also, the robotics and technology put into creating these machines is unbelievable.

Which one is human?

Is this human or a robot?

Masa Jazbec and me on the right, and my friend on the left.

Works Cited:

123theJapan. "Humanoid Robot - Gemonoid HI-1 Android Prototype." YouTube. YouTube, 2012. Web. 02 June 2016.

Event 2--- Hammer Museum

        For my second event, I visited Hammer Musuem. I found a lot of exhibits interesting, but I found Kersel’s sculptures to be most interesting. For example, his sculpture MacArthur Park, 1996. This sculpture, in my opinion, represents art and science in one sighting. Kernel’s sculpture are often kinetic arrangements of objects that incorporate different ideas and themes. This sculpture of his includes a figure made of yellow and green painted balls lying on top of a large Fender speaker. It looks like a doll-like figure with its limbs moving up and down to the sound of Kersel’s voice singing pop songs of love and loss. (images above).
I think this sculpture represents art and science being integrated by the mechanical mechanisms needed to get this sculpture moving to the voice of the artist. Also how this sculpture incorporates a speaker and a CD player integrates the use of technology. The role of technology in this art piece represents technology and art.

The second art piece that caught my attention was this lightly pink colored tree on the wall. This tree was not painted, it was portrayed on the bar wall by a projector. This tree was also moving, like it was swaying in the wind or something. I thought this was a really interest art piece, because is integrated science, technology, and art in now piece of art. This piece of art was subtle and in the corner, but it caught my eye by the use of movement. The leaves and branches were moving to incorporate some scientific feel to it. This portrayed the use of science represented by art. 

My last experience with science and art were the spun chairs.These chairs have the appearance of a sculptural vessel. You can lean on it side to side, and you will never fall over due to the scientific calculations that came along with the creation. When you lean on these chairs, the let you rock side to side or even spin in a 360 circle. Thomas Heatherwick created this Spun chair by using a rotational molding technique to share plastic. 

Not only is this a piece of art that is sculpted to catch your eye, but it is also a convenient and fun chair to sit in. This piece of art incorporates science with the architectural background and calculations behind it, and also includes art by using a molding technique. 

Works Cited:

"Hammer Museum." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 02 June 2016.

"Home - Hammer Museum." The Hammer Museum. Web. 02 June 2016.

"Martin Kersels - ARTFORUM." Martin Kersels - ARTFORUM. Web. 02 June 2016.

"Spun Chair." - Lounge Seating. Web. 02 June 2016.

Week 9---Space and Art--Kathryn Halstead

How space research influences art concepts.

     In the first reading, “Coded Utopia,” the article talked Makrolab, about the art of transition. Khlebnikov built a complex system that changed the language and the basic unit of thought. It is said that this may serve as a code or a matrix for all the activity at the end of this century when we are facing a tectonic movement in the social spheres. This article talks about art becoming an experimental territory for producing subjectivities. The Makrolab relates to these artistic subjectivities by the exterior. For example, the futuristic design including the aerials and sensors. Not only is the exterior a relation to art, but it also has a deeper meaning. The Makrolab can also suggest a model of social evolution developed in Guattari’s complexity theory. The Makrolab creates this by integrating the deterritorializing force of scientific formulas and artist ideas into the experimental level. This includes the artistic forms from a wide variety of projects that fit together. For example, it includes military cultures of transnational capitalism and the loosening up subjectivity, and a variance with dominant patterns.

     Relating this idea of space and art integrating, is the space race propaganda between the USA and the URSS. Thinking back, this space race was a matter of posters and propaganda to intimidate others of their progress. In the article I researched, “Space Race Propaganda: USA vs. URSS. A Matter Of Posters,” it talks about how millions of scientists and science finatics are made aware of discoveries and progress almost live, with the use of propaganda, videos, and posters that give out the latest information. This so-called Space Race was the turning point in the scientific field that took communication to the next level to inform human knowledge all over the world. The Space Race was a battle of ideologies between the URSS and USA at that time to emerge at the end of World War II. 

     In the poster above, in the literary sense, the public could see that the globe, which was recognizable by the meridians and parallels signed, surrounded by outer space. The man is also in a triumphant pose (a Soviet cosmonaut) representing Soviet power and superiority. It is said that he cannot be recognized because he is not a specific person, but he represents the community as a whole. This poster is related to the scientific idea of space and art integrated to portray its scientific discoveries on the rest of the world.

     This image above is to represent the Americans turn to issue a victory poster to show the world. The message that comes out of this poster shows American superiority over the Soviets forces, who had failed in their endeavor. This image celebrates a Man’s landing on the Moon. This poster includes an aggressive tone, with the three astronauts standing in a warrior-like position after their victory on the battlefield in the scientific field. 

     Each nation tried to show their dominance by utilizing different propaganda artistic ideologies through out the battle. The artistic and space related methods integrated to produce communication through out the world to acknowledge people around the world. 

Works Cited:

"CODED UTOPIA." Continental Drift. 2007. Web. 27 May 2016.

History.com Staff. "The Space Race." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2010. Web. 27 May 2016.

"Space Race Propaganda_G Pallotta_poster 4 - Paola Casoli Blog." Paola Casoli Blog. Web. 27 May 2016.

"The Space Race." The Cold War. 2013. Web. 27 May 2016.

Uconlineprogram. "8 Space Pt1 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, 2013. Web. 27 May 2016.

Week 8--Nanotechnology and Art--Kathryn Halstead

In my research I came across this NanoArt website called NanoArt21. The purpose of this website is to “promote worldwide the NanoArt as a reflection of the technological movement.” Cris Orfescu is the artist and scientist who founded this. This website describes Nanotechnology as a new art discipline at the intersection between art, science, and technology. NanoArt is to show the public the impact it has on our lives. It is said that these structures, like the image above, are visualized with instruments like scanning electron microscopes and atomic force microscopes.



This is another image from the website NanoArt21. This is the works of H.P. Lovecraft,Bjorn Dampfling, Germany, 2011, in this image he used, “on purpose all three given images layering and coloring them and painting into layer by hand overall in an obviously symmetric fashion, but without forgetting that only symmetry breaking makes the interesting stuff.” The creator of this image is from Bjorn Dampfling. He is from Germany, and it is said that he was spending 2/3 of his time on science and 1/3 on art.This image incorporates Nanotechnology and Art by explaining his artistic techniques in order to make this image above.

       In our readings for this week we learned that during the early eighties there was a sudden growth of nanoscience. The reason was because the scientists (an IBM team) which included Henrich Rohrer, Gerd Binning, Christoph Gerber and Eddie Weibel found the Joseph project. This was known as pinholes as tiny as nanometer, in which shorted out the tunneling process. These were difficult to see with traditional microscopes, and the researchers used a tiny needle to contact the oxide layer to probe the electrical properties of the film.



In conclusion, nanotechnology has the potential to impact different aspects of our lives. If it is our social systems, to buildings, furniture, clothes, medicine, bodies and minds. The blurring of fact and fiction is a key part of developing narrative in the construction of a new science and industry.


Works Cited:

"The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science." The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science. Web. 21 May 2016.

"NanoArt 21." NanoArt 21. Web. 21 May 2016.

"NanoArt21 Exhibitions." - Home NanoArt 2008. Web. 21 May 2016.

"NanoArt21 Exhibitions." - Error. Web. 21 May 2016.

Uconlineprogram. "Nanotech Jim Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 2012. Web. 21 May 2016.

http://nanoart21.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/nanoart-21-molecular-sculpture-detail-about-nanotechnology-nanoscience-art.jpg

Week 7---Neuroscience--Kathryn Halstead

“The interaction between art and science offers an opportunity to make the scientific community and the public aware of the social and ethical implications of the scientific advances in neuroscience.” (Neuroculture reading by Giovanni Frazzetto and Suzanne Anker). Neuroscience incorporates complexity, but also encourages the publics interest. Neuroscience, with all of its technology advances, is assimilated into the “cultural imagenary.” For example, neuroscience is captured in the artistic and commercial creations as well. In this reading describes Ian McEwan’s works, for example his animated TV commercial for the antidepressant sertraline Zoloft, or video games advocating brain training. This can be considered neuroculture, because of this idea represents the research put into neuroscience and the role of brains in our society and lives.

“But the growing insight that some scientists have gained in recognizing the work of artists as co-investigators of reality have led them to conclude that while their approaches differ, art- ists and scientists strive toward a common goal in their quest for knowledge.” Reading this article I found online, “The Neuroscience of Art” by Mengfei Huang, it staes that artists are the key to unlocking the secrets of the eye and the visual brain. Leonardo Da Vinci is used as an example in this article, because of how his knowledge of how the eye perceives form and depth through changes in light. Helmholtz said, “we must look upon artists as persons whose observation of sensuous impression is particularly vivid and accurate, and whose memory for these images is particularly true.” (qtd in Hyman 2008). 

Another example of neuroscience and art becoming integrated is Op-Art. This article talks about Op-Art, so-called because of its focus on retinal effects, which resulted in different findings about how the retina processes contrast and color. Richard Anuszkewitz is an example of integrating neuroscience and art. In his artworks, he created a methodical artwork that scintillated the eye with its often jarring retinal effects. This showed us how the eye organizes visual material. 

Works Cited:

"Process: Ian McEwan." Brev Spread RSS. Web. 14 May 2016.

"My Portfolio." Pinterest. Web. 14 May 2016.

"Eye OpArt - Sergi Delgado." Eye OpArt - Sergi Delgado. Web. 14 May 2016.

http://web.stanford.edu/group/co-sign/Huang.pdf

Uconlineprogram. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 2012. Web. 14 May 2016.

Neuroculture by Giovanni Frazetto and Suzanne Anker

http://web.stanford.edu/group/co-sign/Huang.pdf

Week 6-- Bio&Art Kathryn Halstead

                  Artists are being inspired by biology, for instance, the are becoming inspired by research, experiments, and living organisms. I researched online some examples of biology and art integrated, and came across Jonathan Kingdon. Jonathan Kingdon was an authority on African mammals in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford in England. Kingdom decided to study the evolution of African mammals. He began drawing the mammals, by comparing the morphology of related species. After sketching and comparing the mammals, he began to study the behavior, ecology, anatomy, and biogeography, but it was said that his work was rooted back to his art. 

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                 Kingdon used drawing as a way to study these mammals in close detail also to correlate behavior with anatomy. He stated that photography did not cut it, it was not detail enough and didn't give him enough information he needed. He states, “A camera processes all points of light in the same manner, whereas the brain finds edges and creates constructions that are based on past experience.” Kingdon’s research resulted in many contributions to the zoological literature. It is said that his art and contributions to science and biology created a “semless-whole.” Here are some of Kingdon’s sketches and drawings of the mammals he was studying. His studies of being able to draw and contribute to zoology describes the relationship between art and bio. 

               Another example of biology and art being integrated is the genetic modification of food. For thousands of years, we have been genetically enhancing animals/organisms through selective breeding. The reasoning behind this genetic modification of food is for artistic and desirable characteristics. This food modification relates to art in a way where these foods need to catch society’s eye, whether the plants are bright green, the tomatoes are bright red, and even sweet corn is bright yellow. 

Works Cited:

"Oryx and Crake: Genetic Engineering Gone Seriously Wrong." Genetics and Literature. 2012. Web. 08 May 2016.

"Genetically Modified Foods." Genetically Modified Foods. Web. 08 May 2016.

BloomsburyPublishing. "Jonathan Kingdon Introduces Mammals of Africa." YouTube. YouTube, 2013. Web. 08 May 2016.

"Need Examples of How Biology and Art Influence Each Other? Start Here." ArtPlantae. 2012. Web. 08 May 2016.

"Biology & Art: An Intricate Relationship." "" by Flannery, Maura C. Web. 08 May 2016.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:An_antelope_(bongo)._Lithograph_by_Jonathan_Kingdon._Wellcome_L0024952.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_monkey_(Mitis_monkey)._Lithograph_by_Jonathan_Kingdon._Wellcome_L0024956.jpg

YouTube. YouTube. Web. 08 May 2016.

Event 1- LACMA- Desma9 Kathryn Halstead

        For my first event, some of my friends and I took a trip to LACMA. For my blog post I will be focusing on the urban light structure created by Chris Burden. This structure may seem to be a bit basic, but I learned a lot form the historic value behind this structure, and hopefully you will too. My personal experience when I first saw this structure, I just thought it was a tourist attraction, very basic, and especially an instagram attraction as well. I had no idea what the historical background consisted of. I learned that in the mid-eighties there was just a hole in the main entrance of this museum, until later in the years there was suppose ot be a replica steam locomotive there. Instead, the head of LACMA decided to have these 202 vintage lampposts, called the Urban Lights. These lights are all painted in grey, arranged symmetrically, and are all lit up. The thing that shocked me the most was that these urban lights didn’t get the attention until two years later when instagram was created. Instagram gave these urban lights and LACMA the attention they needed, they even got so much attention they had to release an entire book of photo collages from submissions. 

The Urban Lights structure relates to the two cultures section of the class in an abundance of ways. For example, being very literal, these are lights that incorporate science background in order to make them light up. Another example is the architecture of the symmetrical, height, and measurements that were put into this structure. 

I also wanted to explain the rain room, but we could not get tickets to go into this structure. So, we talked to the lady at the information booth and she gave us information about this room. This room was founded in 2005, it is an environment with falling water (raining), but the water is suppose to stop wherever a human body is detected or sensored. There is also a deeper meaning to the room, it says, “Rain Room presents a respite from everyday life and an opportunity for sensory reflection within a responsive relationship.” This room relates to the use of science and technology to create art. It is said that this room creates “experiences that aim to question and challenge the human experience within a machine-led world, engaging viewers through explorations of behavior and natural phenomena.” Science and technology were utilized in an abundance of ways to create the detectors of a human body, the sensors, and the falling water just to create a piece of artwork to be shown to others. 

       This event helped me understand the concepts of creating art with the use of science and technology. This event also showed me what it can look like incorporating these ideas into one art piece. This event really helped me understand the concepts of this class by actually seeing these art structures in person and evaluating and also learning about their background history. I recommend this event, because it is a good learning experience to actually see the concepts we learn in class being put into real life art structures. 

Background information cites: 

"The Story of Chris Burden's "Urban Light," Los Angeles's Great Landmark For the Twenty-First Century." Curbed LA. 2015. Web. 03 May 2016.

"Rain Room." Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Web. 03 May 2016.