Final project

Event Blog: LACMA

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Although the circumstances for my impromptu Los Angeles trip were unfortunate, I left the hospital for a trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art where I enjoyed the numerous and varying exhibits available. 

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The first thing my girlfriend and I saw was the city like moving art piece. Chris Burden's Metropolis II  (3) immediately reminded me of a smaller scale version, Eurydice, made by George Rhoads that I saw at Discovery Cube a few weeks ago (4). Similarly to Eurydice, the movement in this piece was never the same and the use of science and mathematics as well as some mechanization was needed to build this piece.  However, on a much larger scale, Metropolis II had the added sense of "sound".  The artist, Chris Burden strived to "produce in the viewer the stress of living in a dynamic, active and bustling 21st century city" (Burden 1). My guest wanted to leave because the noise and all the movment gave her "anxiety", providing proof of the success of the piece. 

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 The most apparent example of the use of mathematics in Art was in the sub section of Fauvism, Cubism and Purism. This portion featured paintings that contained all different types of lines and shapes. This painting named "woman in front of window", by Fernand Leger, was made from "a style intended as a rational, mathematical, correction to the decorativeness of late cubism" (6). This style was also






REFERENCES:
(1) Personal Photo. Degerstedt, Emma. 29th July, 2014

(2) Personal Photo. Degerstedt, Emma. 29th July, 2014

(3) Burden, Chris. "Metropolis II." Los Angeles County Museum of Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Aug. 2014. <http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/metropolis-ii>.

(4) "42nd Street Ballroom"." Sculptures by George Rhoads. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2014. <http://www.georgerhoads.com/Monumental.html>.

(5)  Personal Photo. Degerstedt, Emma. 29th July, 2014

(6) "Woman in Front of the Window (Femme devant la Fenêtre)." LACMA Collections. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2014. <http://collections.lacma.org/node/235773>.

Discovery Science center

Event Blog: Discovery Cube and Mythbusters Explosive Exhibition

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On Sunday July 20th, my boyfriend and I visited the Discovery Science center in Santa Ana, where the Mythbusters Exhibit is currently located. Since "guests know [them] by ‘discovery’ and ‘cube," (2) the president of the Discovery Center, Joe Adams renamed the exhibit "Discovery Cube". 

There was one point of the exhibit that had a squeeze handle that was connected to a fake heart in a glass case. There is a beeping light next to the case that represents a standard healthy heart rate.  The observer watches the amount of blood filling the case as they squeeze the handle. My boyfriend has a heart disorder that requires daily medicine to control.  His heart sometimes starts to beat out of rhythm, also known as A-fib, or atrial fibrillation (). I hadn't really understood his disorder so he explained it to me by pushing the handle in the way that his heart malfunctions, showing his heart was pumping blood at random pace and amount.

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The first sculpture we found was titled, Eurydice, made by George Rhoads in the 1990's. (4) He was fascinated with the concept of using mechanization that had gravity encouraged movement other than the power generated to push the balls back up to the top where the process begins again. This experiment reminded me of an early form of robotics and art collaboration.

Perhaps the most important example of how the exhibit utilized art and science together was the live show in the Mythbusters Exhibit (6). Two workers at the exhibit did a live performance type experiment where they wanted to find out if humans respond faster to light or a sound cue. Once we deciphered that we respond faster to light, the man who volunteered for the experiment had to dodge a paintball from various distances. 

References:
(1) Personal Photo. Degerstedt, Emma. 20th, July, 2014.

(2) "Discovery Science Center changes name to Discovery Cube." The Orange County Register. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2014. <http://www.ocregister.com/articles/discovery-630123-science-center.html>.

(3) Personal Photo. Degerstedt, Emma. 20th, July, 2014.

(4) ""42nd Street Ballroom"." Sculptures by George Rhoads. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2014. <http://www.georgerhoads.com/Monumental.html>.

(5) "Atrial fibrillation." Treatments and drugs. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Aug. 2014. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/atrial-fibrillation/basics/treatment/con-20027014>.

(6) Personal Video. Degerstedt, Emma.  20th, July, 2014

EmmaDegerstedtEvent Blog: Bodies Exhibit

Bodies Exhibit: 'the study of human anatomy has always operated on a basic principle; to see is to know'

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On Sunday July 13th, 2014 I visited the Bodies Exhibit in Las Vegas, about a two hour drive from where I live in Utah. The exhibit began with the basic skeleton of the human body. Obviously this exhibit was a perfect example of week 3's topic of Med tech and art.

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The first glimpse of artistic freedom was displayed with an "expanded skull" in the first room of the exhibit. It pulled apart the facial bone structure and had the appearance of floating pieces of the face. It was 3-d and simply a way to represent the face in a non traditional way.

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The dark room titled "Circulatory" was the best example of  how the anatomy exhibit collaborated with artists. Scientists pumped colors of red, blue, and sometimes white into veins, than removed the organs connected. They sat in little glass boxes floating like little trees. Similarly to week two's lecture, (4) Leonardo Da Vinnci working with the architect to create the Virtruvian Man, this exhibit needed the expertise of scientists and artists to achieve the final product.

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Since we had just read Silvia Casini's essay on the MRI (6),  the most relevant piece to that week's topics was the giant case of what an MRI sees when it scans the body. It looked like the body was extremely magnified and sliced apart.

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Some of these floating veins reminded me of the virtual reality exercise where Diane Gromola (8) explained looking at a jellyfish moving and breathing with her and how it made her feel relaxed. I felt a similar sensation during this more beautiful part of the exhibit. Strangely, their was another section that made body parts look appealing which was the flattened out sections of liver, kidney, and lungs that looked like stained glass. There was also a case with a human heart in it. They had painted the heart bright red and it was lit from above, as well as backlit with all white backgrounds. Showing that something scientific can be as beautiful as something you'd find in an art museum made out of clay. 

REFERENCES:
(1) Degerstedt, Emma. Personal photo, July 13th, 2014

(2) "The Dispersal of Darwin." The Dispersal of Darwin. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2014. <https://thedispersalofdarwin.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/>.

(3) http://rockinmama.net/bodiesthe-exhibition-titanic-the-experience-debut-in-buena-park-california-giveaway/

(4) "Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg#t=1511>.

(5) "Autopsies to be Replaced by CT Scans?." SciTech Daily. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 July 2014. <http://scitechdaily.com/autopsies-to-be-replaced-by-ct-scans/>.

(6) Casini, Silvia. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts." Configurations: 73-99. Web. 15 July 2014.

(7) "." . N.p., n.d. Web. 16 July 2014. <http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Labs/Anatomy_%26_Physiology/A%26P203/203_Lectures/bodies_exhibit_index.html>.

(8) "TEDxAmericanRiviera - Diane Gromala - Curative Powers of Wet, Raw Beauty." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 16 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdarMz--Pw>.

Week 5: Space and art

Week 5: Space and Art

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I watched the Powers of Ten film (2) and felt a similar sensation because "everything appeared so small as to seem inconsequential, which seemed to indicate that—from a certain height, vantage point and powers of ten—my problems and I were too" (Marlow1) (3). I was captivated by the spots that were filled with stars and than there was virtually nothing so quickly. I felt the overwhelming realization that I am minuscule in terms of the universe but then I felt entirely opposite when they showed us the reverse entering the skin and cells of the human body. 

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The first thing that came to my mind when I began reading the articles about space was my favorite film that came out last year, Gravity(5). Probably one of the most famous combinations of space and art, the film that took place only in space was educational as well as extremely heartfelt and entertaining. The most impressive performance though would be that of the film's cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki (6). The cinematographer is in charge of the artistic things, such as lighting, but also the very technical aspects of getting the perfect "shot". Having worked on a television show for three years and the film, The curious case of Benjamin Button, I have seen first hand how important this job is to the turnout of a project.


REFERENCES:
(1) "." . N.p., n.d. Web. 25 July 2014. <http://www.wallcoo.net/cartoon/Space_image_Space_and_satellite_02_widescreen/index.html>.

(2) "Powers of Ten (1977)." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 24 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0>.

(3) "An Eames Office website.." Powers of Ten blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 July 2014. <http://blog.powersof10.com/>.

(4) "Gravity - Official Main Trailer [2K HD]." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiTiKOy59o4>.

(5) "Gravity." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 25 July 2014. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454468/>.

(6) "Emmanuel Lubezki." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 25 July 2014. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0523881/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr9>.

week 5: nano tech

Week 5: Nanotechnology and Art

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photograph after my Hamlet scene performance with my Shakespeare professor at UCLA

Having studied Shakespeare, and performed a scene from Hamlet in college, I found the connection to the ghost of Hamlet's father, in the reading (2), best furthered my understanding of how nanotechnology correlates with art. Since nano particles are invisible, the exhibit finds other ways for people to interact with them by allowing "A ghost of the mote [to] be seen in your peripheral vision but never head on" (Curtin1). Naturally a person would then continue to investigate but "The more [they] look the more invisible it becomes, look away and it remerges" (Curtin1). This also aludes to a philosophical theory about people overanalyzing and explaining that sometimes "the harder we look the more blurred our vision becomes" (Curtin1). 

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The most interesting application of nanotechnology I reviewed this week was the benefit in medicine. After watching Nanotech for Artists Part 4 (4) , I found two articles regarding nano medicine; one with a negative connotation and one with a more neutral outlook (5), informing the public about the drugs, stating quotations and facts. 

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The benefits for curing cancer cells by using nanotechnology to isolate the cancerous cells and avoiding poisoning all of the good cells are mentioned in the lecture, whereas the more negative article focuses on the question of whether these "nanochips could be forced on to Alzheimer’s patients or the elderly to prevent them from forgetting to take their medication" (Turbeville1) (7) and where we draw the line. After reading both of these articles I cannot help but still feel supportive when I hear about abraxane, the FDA approved cancer nanodrug and how Loreal cosmetics are investing in nanotechnology to improve their products.

REFERENCES:

(1) Degerstedt, Emma. Personal photograph. 13, March, 2014

(2) "art in the age of nanotechnology." Artabase. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 July 2014. <http://www.artabase.net/exhibition/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.

(3) "." . N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/01/17/technology/20080117_NANOART_SLIDESHOW_3.html>.

(4) "Nanotech Jim pt4." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHCuZetAIhk>.

(5) Hough, Andrew. "New 'smart' pill tells patients when drugs dose due." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 28 July 0017. Web. 23 July 2014. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9019651/New-smart-pill-tells-patients-when-drugs-dose-due.html>.

(6) "HowStuffWorks "Nanotechnology Cancer Treatments"." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 July 2014. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/medicine/modern-technology/gold-nanotech1.htm>.

(7) "The Arrival of Nanotech Medicine and What it Means for Health and Privacy." Activist Post:. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 July 2014. <http://www.activistpost.com/2012/01/arrival-of-nanotech-medicine-and-what.html#!bn2AR5>.

EmmaDegerstedtweek4Neruro

Week 4: Neuroscience and Art

Lecture III, (1) regarding the use of the drugs; LSD and cocaine, was my main interest this week. In high school I witnessed a person on "hallucinogenic mushrooms" begin yelling at a piece of toast that was "threatening him". This "bad trip" experience was enough to keep me from experimenting with drugs. 

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Having read Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, which popularized LSD, I found it interesting that most of the scientists who were studying these drugs, were experimenting on themselves. This book was controversial because it inadvertently advertised for this drug and raised "ethical concerns" "about whether psychotropic drugs should be used to treat legitimate disorders or as quick fixes to solve problems related to the exigencies of the life some individuals aspire to" (Anker/Frazzetto 819) (3).  In lecture, professor also mentioned Leary, the psychology professor that had a ninety percent success rate using these drugs on prisoners keep them from becoming repeat offenders. 

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Similarily, I discovered the "co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) believed that LSD could be used therapeutically to cure alcoholism." (MBD 1) He believed using the hallucinogenic drug would lead to a spiritual awakening. The idea that ‘The brain is a very strange and marvellous thing. It is not like the heart or a kidney, it is thinking flesh’ (Anker/Frazzetto 817) reminded me of one of my favorite films, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This film explores the idea of erasing conscious memories and the complications that arise.

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(1) "Neuroscience pt3." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 19 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0#t=30>.

(2) "Suncoast Rehabilitation Center Looks at the History of Hallucinogenic Drugs." Suncoast Drug Rehab Center RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2014. <http://www.suncoastrehabcenter.com/blog/suncoast-rehabilitation-center-looks-at-the-history-of-hallucinogenic-drugs/>.

(3) Frazzetto, Giovanni, and Suzanne Anker. "Science and Society ." Neuroculture 10: 815-821. Web.

(4) "How Founder of AA Wanted To Use LSD To Get People Off Alcohol." Political Blind Spot. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://politicalblindspot.com/how-founder-of-aa-wanted-to-use-lsd-to-get-people-off-alcohol/>.

(5) "A whole lotta gumption!." SheKnows. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/1027919/15-inspiring-movie-quotes-from-strong-female-characters>.