Week 4: MedTech and Art

At first glance, the worlds of art and medicine seem to be two separate entities.  However, I have come to understand that the two are actually interdependent, and advances in the medical field have resulted in advances in art.

Rapid strides in technology have been made in recent years which have allowed doctors and artists alike to change the way in which they view their respective fields.  For example, MRI scans have revolutionized the way in which we can see the inner-workings of the human body.  Doctors no longer have to perform invasive surgeries to understand certain bodily functions.  Artists such as Justine Cooper are drawn to these scans and view them as a new medium for art: MRI scans can largely be associated with identity, and they act as a window into someone’s personality.

 Medicine has provided art with different tools with which to produce art; however, art intertwines with medicine even further.  Medicine is a scientific study, yet it’s practice is an art.  The doctor-patient relationship is a crucial one in order for patients to heal, and healing starts from the hope that their physicians give them.  As stated in “The Hippocratic Oath,” doctors are responsible for understanding the connection of art and medicine: “I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.”  To be a good physician, one must be a good artist with strong scientific knowledge.

Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations Between Science and Arts.” (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 26 Oct. 2012.

"Justine Cooper-RAPT I." Online Video Clip. Youtube. Youtube, 2007 September 23. Web. 26 October 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dIzBwK0xoE>

Palmer, Angela. Self-portrait based on MRI scans. Angela Palmer. 26 October 2013. <http://www.angelaspalmer.com/>

Panda, S.C. "Medicine: Science or Art?" NCBI. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2006. Web. 26 Oct. 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3190445/>.

Tyson, Peter. “The Hippocratic Oath Today.” PBS. PBS, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine Parts 1-3.” Lecture. Web. 26 Oct. 2012.

Week 3: Robotics and Art

Since the beginning of the twentieth century and the Industrial Revolution, there has been an intense movement towards creating technologies that would make the lives of humans easier.  This trend started in the factories, as automobile companies like Ford, which once constructed cars by hand, are now completely operated by machinery.  Because the invention of these machines has made our lives much simpler, scientists and inventors around the world are racing to create the newest and greatest technology. The art field is very similar to the science world; artists are now using machines and other forms of technology to create their art.  It still is art, but it is gradually moving away from the traditional painting and taking a new form.

In his TED talk, Rodney Brooks suggests that our lives will be invaded by robots in a matter of years.  In principle, this doesn’t sound like such a bad thing, as the robots would take care of the chores we loathe, giving us a greater opportunity to do what we want.  However, there is the possibility that our society could eventually be run by robots like in the film I, Robot (2004).  In the film, VIKI—the artificial intelligence unit controlling the entire city of Chicago—becomes corrupt, putting countless human lives in danger.  When the film was released, human-like robots seemed like a distant reality. Only seven years later, there are extremely lifelike robots that can be found throughout the world, just like the Japanese models we saw in lecture.  We are working so hard to push the limits of technology to create robots that will mimic human life and also make our lives easier.  However, we must now think about the reality that we could push technology past the point where we can control it.  

However, technological advancement doesn’t come without its costs.  Art in the traditional sense has begun to suffer because of the improvement of technology.  In his writing in “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter Benjamin talks about how people don’t perceive art the same way as they have in the past.  He says that there is no longer a distinct differentiation between an original and a reproduction.  You can now have an exact replica of a painting like Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” in your home for a quarter of the price because of the advances we have made in mechanical reproduction.  Yes, it is true that art is now as visually appealing as it has ever been, but there are very few artists that create “traditional art” anymore because of the technological advancements that have been made over the last century.  Because of this technological transformation, we are gradually seeing a new breed of tech-art forming.  

Works Cited:

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Gardiner, Bonnie. irobot. 2012. Photograph. BusinessTechnologyWeb. 14 Oct 2013. <http://business-technology.co.uk/2012/12/did-the-mayans-predict-terminator/irobot/>.

TED. "Rodney Brooks: How robots will invade our lives". Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 10 October 2008. Web. 13 October 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdyRmdv-KiY>

The Last Supper reproduction of famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci. N.d. Photograph. Xiamen Noah Art&Craft Co., LTDWeb. 14 Oct 2013. <http://noah-art.en.alibaba.com/product/1239825828-219205711/The_Last_Supper_reproduction_of_famous_paintings_of_Leonardo_da_Vinci.html>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics pt2.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 15 April 2012. Web. 13 Oct. 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAZ8bo9T_Pk>

Week 2: Math and Art

In today’s culture and society, math and art are often seen at two different ends of the spectrum.  However, taking a closer look, mathematics is apparent in most things around us; and by harnessing the power of mathematics, new avenues of art have been able to develop and change our views about this relationship between two seemingly unrelated subjects.

To begin, math appears in the most fundamental of all things: nature.  Fractals, for instance, is a geometric shape which demonstrates the relationship where similarity holds at smaller and smaller scales.  Fractals are very common in nature.  It turns out that these phenomena of shapes are not just random occurrences; rather, they can be represented by mathematical equations.  Frost is an example of a fractal.

Math also plays a crucial role in architecture.  Even before modern technology, the application of mathematics to build structures can be seen, and most of this can be seen through further examination of the Golden Ratio.  Famous structures such as the Parthenon and the Great Pyramid of Giza utilize this Golden Ratio.

Math has promoted certain strides to be made in many different fields of art.  Without the understanding of certain mathematic principles, the originality and creativity of art could not be what it is today.  Brunelleschi’s idea of perspective and vanishing point allowed works of art to become more realistic, a term referred to as natural perspective.  In Robert Lang’s TED Talks, he discusses how the art form of origami has been around for hundreds of years; yet, we have not nearly exhausted all the possibilities this art holds.  Origami began creating very basic shapes, but today those basic shapes have become intricate masterpieces.  Essentially, the evolution of origami was facilitated by mathematics.

In conclusion, math and art mutually help each other to grow.  The separation of the two, especially in modern society, becomes more difficult.  By understanding both worlds, humans have the potential to continue creating things that have never been thought of before.

Week 1: Two Cultures

This idea of the “Two Cultures” is quite prominent here on UCLA’s campus. The divide between North campus and South campus can be seen through something as tangible as the school’s architecture.  For example, South campus buildings (which house all the science classes) seem simple, clean and modern; I think they reflect society’s understanding of science which is one of directness and apathy.  

This divide is made deeper through the way in which students from opposite ends of campus perceive each other.  Someone told me the other day that I “looked” like a North campus major.  I asked what that even meant, and his response was, “You don’t look awkward.”  Obviously, there are certain stigmas that come with being a North campus or South campus major; and these stigmas are perpetuated by stereotypes.  These biases only cause for larger separation between the worlds of art and science. 

In his work, C.P. Snow stated that a third culture would emerge to help bridge the gap between intellectuals and scientists.  This emergence must start from the recognition that science and art share the same objective: to create or discover something new and original.  The methods of achieving this common goal merely varies within different fields.  Today, the realization that these seemingly polar spheres can enhance our technological strides when working together have resulted in the establishment of new areas of study such as Human Biology and Society and Public Health. 

http://seedmagazine.com/twocultures/

Works Cited:

Snow, C.P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Cambridge University, Cambridge. 1959.

[Stereotypical scientist]. 2013. Photograph. n.p. Web. 3 Oct 2013. <http://captainelaboration.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/scientists.jpg>

[UCLA Math Science Building]. 2013. Photograph. n.p. Web. 3 Oct 2013.<http://space.admin.ucla.edu/space_plsql/pkg_library.show_mime_file?p_file_id=454>

"What Is "ArtScience"?" The ArtScience Prize. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Oct 2013. <http://www.artscienceprize.org/asp/what-is-artscience>.

Wilson, Stephen D. “Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology.” College Art Association Meetings. New York, New York. 1 Oct. 2012. Lecture.