MedTech + Art

          This week's shift to medicine, technology, and art has reinforced just how these disciplines do really influence each other in several ways. According to Professor Vesna in her lecture video "Human Body and Medical Technologies Part I," human dissection can be understood truly at the intersection of art and science (Human Body and Medical Technologies Part I). Professor Vesna goes on by helping us understand how human dissection emerged and its relative importance for artists (Human Body and Medical Technologies Part I). Shifting our focus back to the era of the Renaissance, artists would examine the human body by dissecting cadavers in order to represent it correctly (Human Body and Medical Technologies Part I). These artists would also work closely with doctors and researchers who would help with illustrating the human body, which was integral for its documentation in academic books that we use and benefit from in the present-day.

https://www.codexanatomy.com/collections/

full-body-anatomy-posters

          Moreover, advancements in technology have given rise to new methods of representing the anatomy of the human body. Such methods include x-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and plastic surgery. As Silvia Casini argues in "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts," MRI's have the same 'look' that portraits have (Casini 73). Hence, Casini states that MRI's have the "capacity of being performative" and are "acoustic more than visual" (Casini 73). 

https://www.sciencephotogallery.com/human-body/

coloured-mri-scan-human-head-side-view-1114057.html

          Furthermore, the idea of plastic surgery is commonly assumed to be a recent technological development. However, I found it very interesting to understand how plastic surgery actually evolved 4,000 years ago and became especially prominent after wars. For example, with the introduction of chemicals in WWI, physicians had to treat many returning soldiers' injuries, ranging from shattered jaws to blown off noses (Human Body and Medical Technologies Part III). Hence, I strongly believe that this advancement in medicine was very much needed for helping people with more serious injuries, as opposed to what the Hippocratic Oath says that doctors should refrain from ever using the knife, that is, performing plastic surgery. However, many individuals today are taking plastic surgery to the extremes and, as a result, are becoming unrecognizable and devaluing the notion of natural beauty. For example, Professor Vesna states in her lecture video "Human Body and Medical Technologies Part III" that a woman by the name of Orlan underwent several themed surgical procedures in the 90s, which were videotaped, to bring attention to what it means to be beautiful (Human Body and Medical Technologies Part III). According to Professor Vesna, Orlan picked specific characters from renowned paintings that represented beauty to replicate for her surgeries, such as the Mona Lisa (Human Body and Medical Technologies Part III). Therefore, the answer to this ongoing debate on whether cosmetic surgery is a good or bad thing will vary depending on who you ask. 

https://www.apollo-magazine.com/court-

rejects-orlans-attempt-to-sue-lady-gaga/

References

Vesna, Victoria. "Human Body and Medical Technologies Part I." YouTube, 21 Apr. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=32&v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk.

Vesna, Victoria. "Human Body and Medical Technologies Part II." YouTube, 21 Apr. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=psjnQarHOqQ.

Vesna, Victoria. "Human Body and Medical Technologies Part III." YouTube, 22 Apr. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=FIX-9mXd3Y4.

Casini, Silvia. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts." Configurations, vol. 19, no. 1, Winter 2011, pp. 73-99. Project Muse, DOI: 10.1353/con.2011.0008. 

Orlan. "Carnal Art (2001) Documentary." YouTube, 13 Mar. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1059&v=no_66MGu0Oo.

Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." PBS.Org, March 26, 2001. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/hippocratic-oath-today/.

Event 1 - 3D: Double Vision at LACMA

          For my first event blog, I had the opportunity to visit the 3D: Double Vision show at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). I actually visited LACMA over spring break to specifically experience this exhibition before it ended on March 31. First, saying that this show was eye catching or wonderful would do it no justice. This American survey of 3D objects and practices was more than just eye catching. Curated by Britt Salvesen (LACMA's Curator and Department Head of the Wallis Annenberg Photography Department and Prints and Drawings Department), this interactive show was very educational and provoked one's imagination to great lengths. The artworks on display highlighted a period of 175 years, ranging from areas of science, mass culture, art, and entertainment. Further, the featured historic and contemporary art were seen through the illusion of three dimensions by the standard red and blue 3D glasses, polarized glasses, stereoscopes, Autostereoscopic images, and View-Masters. Moreover, what I found most interesting about the show was how it addressed the idea of perception and illusionism, and its relationship to technologies. 

Mariko Mori's "Birth of a Star." 

(photo © by Mariana Mkrttchyan)

          "Double vision," another word for stereoscopy, is the basic principle of how we see with both eyes. It is important to note that the development of 3D actually began after the stereoscope was produced in the 1830s. Initially considered a scientific device, the stereoscope soon thereafter entered popular culture, as the Victorian public became very interested with stereo photographs. 

          My personal favorites from this show included Thomas Ruff's "3D-ma.r.s.11" from his "ma.r.s" series and Tristan Duke's five Platonic Solids. Artist Thomas Ruff's fascination with the cosmos is clearly shown in his "ma.r.s" series chromogenic prints, which presents a clear relationship between 3-D imaging, art, and science. Ruff's phenomenal work with 3D allows one to experience Mars' surface from close-up, as you can see the craters deepen once one puts on their red and blue glasses. Interestingly enough, Tristan Duke offers us his five Platonic Solids, which are all hand-drawn holograms of different geometric shapes that shimmer on nickel-plated copper discs. Duke's primary work in visual perception and optical sciences allowed him to come up with his Platonic Solids, which involves the reflection of a light-source that creates an optical illusion. Therefore, when one observes the Platonic Solids from a surface angle, it will become clear that there is no floating shape. 

Thomas Ruff, 3D-ma.r.s.11, 2013, chromogenic print, 

100 3/8 x 72 7/8". (photo © by Mariana Mkrttchyan)

          

Tristan Duke "Tetrahedron." (photo © by Mariana Mkrttchyan)

          When we started learning about the unnatural separation of intellectual life being broken up into "Two Cultures" from week 1, I immediately disagreed with this development because, in fact, this show proved that such disciplines like art, technology, and science are really interconnected and work very well together. Hence, I believe Steven Pinker is correct when he emphasized heavily on this interconnection in his Seed Magazine interview "Two Cultures." 

Me at the show

(photo © by Mariana Mkrttchyan)

          Overall, this show was a great opportunity to learn more about the history of 3D film-making, AR (augmented reality), and VR (virtual reality), of which the latter two are becoming more commonplace in our current-day world. I left the show feeling very inspired and now that we are learning about how different technologies produce new forms of art and science, I am interested in coming up with some sort of new innovation that involves the use of these disciplines for my midterm project. Despite the fact that this show has ended at LACMA, I would highly recommend (if you have not already done so) that you do not miss out on the opportunity to visit a similar exhibition focused on the theme of three-dimensionality in the future. 

A picture of my ticket stub.

(photo © by Mariana Mkrttchyan)

Robotics + Art

          Mechanization, on the one hand, may appear as one of the most crucial developments for social progress. For example, as Professor Victoria Vesna indicates in her lecture video "Robotics Part I," inventions like the robot were possible after the mechanization of labor (Robotics Part I). However, on the less apparent side, the introduction of machinery has, in fact, swept away traditional divisions of labor, thereby, making human labor abstract. If we look back to the middle ages, human labor was concrete, meaning that there were various concrete labors, such as tailoring or weaving. All were qualitatively different and determined by the level of skill one had acquired. Further, there were only specific trades, in which you could be a cooper or joiner, for instance. However, with industrial economies, human labor became abstract, meaning all workers fall under the umbrella term "laborer." 

https://ravisehgal.com/2017/03/12/9-tailoring-
terms-every-man-know/

http://www.hirepointusa.com/general-labor-jobs/

          While machines work faster and do more than any human being can possibly do, the required physical strength to do the job is also decreased because now the machine does all the heavy lifting, which means that women and children can also join the workforce. Further, while machines increase intensity and lengthen the surplus value labor time for the capitalist, they have a negative effect on the worker, where the necessary labor time gets reduced and workers are ultimately devalued. Thus, wages fall for workers, while surplus value for the capitalist continues to increase.

https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/KGsnF2v811

nwhyovDmOmHN/Get-the-most-out-of-IoT.html

          Further, the invention of assembly lines, which today we commonly associate with Henry Ford, traces its roots back to the printing press, where the idea of "separating actions into pieces" and making workers responsible for parts of the production process really began (Robotics Part II). However, while the idea of assembly lines made things like books and cars assessible to more people, this invention ultimately produced a huge problem for workers: they were treated as if they were part of the machine (Robotics MachikoKusahara I). This factory environment was critiqued by Charlie Chapman in his film Modern Times, which emphasized that with mechanization, workers are "being superimposed and replaced by machines" (Robotics Part II). Therefore, while Henry Ford came up with the idea of inventing a car, his Model T, that was affordable to the majority of Americans, one should not forget that he was thinking along the lines of a typical capitalist, where if he produced more affordable cars, he could sell it to more people, and in the end, make more profit. 

https://www.kanopy.com/product/modern-times

https://newswatchtv.com/2019/02/22/

commercial-robots-revolutionizing-workplace/

          In recent years, we have seen many advances in technology, with the most notable seen in medicine and artificial intelligence. For example, we cannot deny that people are living longer today than previous centuries and this is thanks to technological advances in the field of medicine. However, the creation of robots and how they are built to match human capabilities has become a heated topic over the years, which has left many to become increasingly worried about the future of robotics in our society. For example, many are concerned that robots will eventually replace humans at work, as "millions of today's jobs are expected to be affected by artificial intelligence and automation as part of the 'fourth industrial revolution'" (Humberd and Latham). However, critiques of such technological advancements are not something new and can actually be traced back to the first half of the 20th century, when German-Jewish Marxist philosopher Walter Benjamin wrote an essay of cultural criticism on mechanical reproduction. In his essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Benjamin argued that mechanical reproduction destroys the idea of uniqueness, authenticity or the aura in the work of art (Benjamin). Therefore, the idea of the original is broken down once a piece of art is reprinted. Hence, Benjamin argued that this devalues a piece of artwork because now instead of there being just one copy in the world, there are hundreds of thousands. Furthermore, Douglas Davis in "The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction (An Evolving Thesis: 1991-1995)," adds on to this discussion by arguing that with digital reproduction, "there is no longer a clear conceptual distinction between original and reproduction in virtually any medium" (Davis 381). 

https://trialectics.net/philosophy/20th-century/benjamin/

work-of-art-in-the-age-of-mechanical-reproduction/

References

Vesna, Victoria. "Robotics Part I." YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRw9_v6w0ew. 

Vesna, Victoria. "Robotics Part II." YouTube, 15 Apr. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAZ8bo9T_Pk. 

Vesna, Victoria. "Robotics Part III." YouTube, 16 Apr. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkP7oSZVkbg. 

Vesna, Victoria. "Robotics MachikoKusahara I." YouTube, 14 Apr. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQZ_sy-mdEU. 

Davis, Douglas. "The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction (An Evolving Thesis:1991-1995)." Leonardo, vol. 28, no. 5, 1995, pp. 381-386. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1576221. 

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Prism Key Press, 1936. Print. 

Humberd, Beth, and Scott F. Latham. "Commentary: Are You Prepared to be Replaced by Robots? Some at Walmart Soon Have to be." CNA, 20 Apr. 2019, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/automation-threaten-jobs-walmart-replace-workers-with-robots-11450482. 

Math + Art

          In today's society, many individuals assume that cross-curricular connections between art and mathematics/science does not exist. However, this is clearly an incorrect way of perceiving these academic disciplines and needs to be addressed, so that we do not make incorrect assumptions any longer. In fact, if we take a closer look at these fields of study, we will actually see that they interact with each other in many ways. For example, mathematics can be seen in arts, such as music and painting, to name a few. Moreover, it was interesting to learn from this week's material that mathematics is an integral part to the many new developments that artists and scientists come up with and share with the world. Indeed, "both artists and scientists strive to see the world in new ways, and to communicate that vision" (Forbes.com). 

https://blog.teacherspayteachers.com/math-art-meet-

beautiful-fractals-discovered/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/03/16/

why-art-and-science-are-more-closely-related-than-

you-think/#52ec2dfa69f1

          In his 2008 TEDx Talk, "The Math and Magic of Origami," Robert Lang pinpoints the origins and development of the art of origami, which today has developed into something very complex. Lang defines origami as an "artform" and a "form of sculpture" ("The Math and Magic of Origami" 00:15:53). He argues that the reason for making this development possible is due to mathematics and how individuals across the globe are applying mathematical principles to art, and origami, to be more specific, that allow for mind-blowing designs. Therefore, this in fact shows how math influences art, as much as art influences math.

https://origami.me/byriah-loper/

       
          Mathematics not only influences art, but science too. For example, the advances Isaac Newton made in calculus led him to discover the basic rules of motion. Moreover, medical devices manufactured today and even NASA's Mars Rover is based all on math. 

https://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/mathematics

          Interestingly enough, more dental and medical schools have been adding art as part of the required training to help students develop art appreciation skills as a way of improving patient care. Dr. Neal Fleisher, Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of General Dentistry and Director of Pre-doctoral Periodontology, states that while many are very well at acing multiple choice exams and memorizing facts, fewer are good at figuring out and telling us about a patient (Fleisher). Therefore, these types of programs help future dentists realize that human beings are sitting in dental chairs and not just another root canal (Fleisher). Indeed, this goes to show that integrating art with the sciences has beneficial results.

https://sdm.blogs.rutgers.edu/2016/09/dental-impressionism-

students-learn-art-of-dentistry/

          Furthermore, after reading Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott, it became clear that only after we open our minds and accept that there exists a interconnection between the disciplines of the arts and math/science, then will we be able to conceptualize things that we do not think are possible to see.

References

Lang, Robert. "The Math and Magic of Origami." Ted, February 2008, https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_lang_folds_way_new_origami/up-next?language=en.

Fleisher, Neal. "Why Art is Important to Dentists: Dr. Neal Fleisher Explains." Boston University, 5 

Aug. 2014, https://www.bu.edu/dental/2014/08/05/why-art-is-important-to-dentists-dr-neal-fleisher-explains/.

Abbott, Edwin A. Flatland: A Romance of Many Divisions. United Kingdom: Seeley & Co, 1884. Print.

Vesna, Victoria. "Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean." YouTube, 9 Apr. 

2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=334&v=mMmq5B1LKDg.

Vesna, Victoria. "Math Intro." YouTube, 26 Mar. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=eHiL9iskUWM.

"Why Art and Science Are More Closely Related Than You Think." Forbes.com, 16 Mar. 2016, https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/03/16/why-art-and-science-are-more-closely-related-than-you-think/.

Two Cultures

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/

an-update-on-cp-snows-two-cultures/

          In his book The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution, C.P. Snow argues that intellectual life in western society has been broken up into two cultures, that is, on the one side, you have the humanities, arts, and social sciences, and on the other, you have the sciences (4). In a recent interview with Steven Pinker, well-known and acclaimed psychologist contends that Snow traced this division back to the universities. Further, Snow claims that this separation has led to the inability to solve world problems due to mutual incomprehension between the two poles and "sometimes (particularly among the young) hostility and dislike, but most of all lack of understanding" (4). 
          This division between the humanities and sciences is most visibly seen at a public institution like UCLA. In my personal experience, during Transfer Bruin Day, I noticed this division quite clearly when my tour guide emphasized that the street between the humanities (now Kaplan Hall) and physics buildings is what separates North and South Campuses.

http://maps.ucla.edu/campus/?locid=4

https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/blueprosperity/map/

          While the unnatural separation of the humanities and sciences is a development of the industrial revolution/enlightenment, Pinker notes that these disciplines are interconnected. While it was not visible in 1959, Pinker indicates that "studies of the arts can be illuminated by what we know from psychology, evolution, and brain science, on the mental faculties that are necessary to create and appreciate culture" (Interview with Steven Pinker). A great example he gives is how moral philosophy can not be understood without some understanding of moral psychology or how "film studies can be illuminated by human attention and visual cognition" (Interview with Steven Pinker). Further, Victoria Vesna in Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between, adds to existing literature by arguing that because "our work and tools are in constant flux, we are forced to articulate the reasoning and meaning informing the art we produce, which has traditionally been the role of art critics and historians. This creates room for an active dialogue with both humanists and scientists. Thus we are placed in between these "Two Cultures," which creates a triangle and promises the emergence of a third culture" (121). Other scholars like Stephen Wilson in Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology, notes that several art and technological developments are underway across the globe, but emphasizes that "the most interesting developments, however, will come when science and technology begin to be seen as the cultural activities that really are and when doing research becomes part of doing art" (5). 

https://terpenesandtesting.com/do-terpenes-bridge-the-gap-between-art-and-science/

References

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between." Leonardo, vol. 34, no. 2, 2001, pp.     

          121–125. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1577014.

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

          1959. Print. 

Pinker, Steven. "Two Cultures." Seed Magazine. 

Bohm, D. "On Creativity." Leonardo, vol. 1, no. 2, 1968, pp. 137-149. JSTOR, 

          www.jstor.org/stable/1571951.

Wilson, Stephen. "Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology." Paper

          presented at College Art Association Meetings, NYC, 2000.