Event #3: "Making Strange: Gagawaka & Postmortem" Exhibit @ The Fowler Museum

On Thursday afternoon, I went to check out the "Making Strange: Gagawaka & Postmortem" exhibit at UCLA’s Fowler Museum. Interestingly enough, this was my first trip to the Fowler Museum during my time here as an undergraduate at UCLA, so that was alone was really cool. This particular “Making Strange” exhibit highlighted the work of Vivan Sundaram, who is a contemporary artist currently residing in India. The entire exhibit was broken into two parts – “Gagawaka” (which consisted of a bunch of outfits and garments made from recycled materials) and “Postmortem” (which consisted of a bunch of abstract sculptures modeled after the human body).

Personally, I was really interested in the “Postmortem” section of the exhibit, because at first – I was confused by the purpose of the sculptures and the pieces of artwork. All of the pieces were slightly odd in the sense that they weren’t accurate portrayals of the human body, but rather, they were symbolic of greater meaning. Fortunately, the exhibit featured a video that explained the purpose of the “Postmortem” exhibit, which was to make a “wider set of commentaries about the human body and social concerns related to aging and illness” (Fowler.UCLA.edu).

My favorite parts of the exhibit were the “Large and Small Shelf Objects (2013),” most of which were made using fiberglass and/or wood. These objects caught my attention from across the room, primarily because all of them were so complex and symbolic that you really had to STOP and THINK about the message behind their construction.  Each object pieced together different parts of the human body (and some featured external add-ons, not from the human body) to create a new bodily purpose or to suggest some type of social meaning. Either way, all of these objects were really fascinating and I’m really glad that I got to witness the tying together of art and science in Vivan Sundaram’s work.

Week 9: Space & Art

I was particularly excited to study this specific unit on “Space & Art” when I enrolled in DESMA 9 because I’ve always been fascinated by the unimaginable aspects of outer space and moreover, the idea of tracing the limits of outer space (or lack thereof…). I thought Professor Vesna’s choice to start off her lectures by showing us the “Powers of 10” video was a really strategic move, because I think that that video successfully remind us of just how SMALL we really are – in comparison to the rest of the gigantic universe. As demonstrated in the “Powers of 10” video, the universe is an extremely complex place – whether we’re looking at it in terms of the size of planet Earth, the Milky Way, OR even in terms of the size of our human cells (“Powers of 10”). By studying outer space, we are able to come to a better understanding of “space,” “size,” and “distance” on several different scales.

Hubble Space Telescope
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html 

I was really interested in Professor Vesna’s discussion of using animals to explore outer space because I think that this idea (once again…) brings up a lot of ethical questions concerning animal rights. (I also touched upon these ethical questions in my blog post for the “BioTech & Art” unit.) Professor Vesna specifically mentioned the Russian dog Laika, who became known as the “Space Dog” seeing as she was the first living animal to enter into orbit (Vesna, “Lecture: 8 Space Pt3 1280x720”). I found an interesting TIME article on Laika, which described the dog as “a stray, picked up from the Moscow streets just over a week before the rocket was set to launch” (Latson). In all honestly, it was hard for me to read through this article because it described Laika’s mission as “a guaranteed suicide mission,” despite the mission’s purpose (which was to test for the safety of human travel into outer space).  Obviously, this mission broaches upon several extremely sensitive ethical questions – but in the end, Laika’s story should not be forgotten seeing as her risky mission probably helped SAVE several human lives.

Remembering Laika

http://www.wallstreetotc.com/remembering-laika-sad-orbit-launch-story-57-years-later/211880/ 

Speaking of the “risk” involved with traveling to outer space, one of my favorite space-related movies, Apollo 13, does an excellent job of demonstrating the dangers of space travel. Directed by Ron Howard, Apollo 13 follows a group of astronauts into outer space and once they enter into orbit, they experience technical difficulties with their spacecraft causing their immediate (and dangerous…) return to planet Earth. 

Apollo 13: Cover Art

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112384/ 

Here is a clip from Apollo 13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAmsi05P9Uw

Event #2: "Movement" Exhibit @ The CNSI Art Science Gallery

Last week on Tuesday, May 12th, I went to check out the "Movement" exhibition at the CNSI Art Science Gallery. Initially, I thought that this specific exhibition was really cool, seeing as all of the artwork on display was created by fellow Bruins and each display was significantly different based on each artist's individual perception of the notion of "movement." Essentially, all of the artwork on display had something to do with the concept of movement; however, all of the pieces were different in the sense that some were videos, some were paintings & drawings, and others were interactive games. 

One of my favorite pieces of artwork on display was Christina Kong's "The Brain Book," which was a flip-book illustrating the human brain's many functions. Using post-its and a pen, Christina created a brain and divided it into several sections for the purpose of showing exactly where our human functions originate. The piece was interactive, seeing as it encouraged viewers to "flip through" these different sections of the brain to see what function corresponds with its location. Christina's approach to this relatively scientific topic was fun and engaging, but moreover, it allowed for easy understanding of this otherwise difficult-to-remember science. In order to flip through Christina's "Brian Book," I actually had to wait in line because so many other people were fascinated by her approach. 

Like Christina, I too have always been very interested in animation and how important ongoing movement is in terms of creating a cohesive story and/or image. The brain, which pieces together these still images, creates a moving picture in our minds - despite the fact that we KNOW we're looking at a bunch of still images. In this way, our brain deceives us, causing us to think that we're actually looking at a moving picture - it's like an optical illusion! Although I didn't get to meet Christina, I would've loved to have complimented her "Brain Book" and to have gotten to opportunity to ask her more about how this idea developed.

In the end, I really enjoyed attending this exhibition at the CNSI Art Science Gallery. I was extremely impressed by the work of my fellow peers at UCLA and furthermore, I really enjoyed seeing how many different ways the scientific notion of "movement" can be conveyed in the form of art. 

Week 8: Nanotech & Art

This week’s lesson on Nanotechnology & Art was a little more difficult for me to understand, especially given my English major background and limited knowledge regarding the patterns and presence of atoms and molecules. Rather than studying Chemistry in high school, I chose to specialize in Biology and Oceanography – and thus, I wasn't extremely familiar with the topics being covered this week. 

"Nanoparticles"
http://www.nano-xpert.com/nanoparticles.html

I was, however, fascinated by Dr. Gimzewski’s discussion of Nanoparticles and how they remain “one of the biggest areas of business in terms of commercial products in the market today” (Vesna, “Lecture: Nanotech Jim pt3”). Dr. Gimzewski sparked my interest when he showed us pictures of the Roman goblet and other ancient materials consisting of nanoparticles, prompting me to research other images of ancient artwork (i.e. ceramics, plates, sculptures, etc.) consisting of evident nanoparticles. Below is an image of a glazed ceramic piece with contains “embedded copper and silver nanoparticles” (“Instant Insight: Science and Art in Harmony”).

"Science & Art in Harmony"
http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Volume/2007/10/Science_art_in_harmony.asp

I also came across an extremely interesting article entitled “Nanoparticle Emissions from Traditional Pottery Manufacturing,” which explores the risk of firing ceramics due to their release of concentrated amounts of “airborne particles that are harmful to human health” (Voliotis). As I was reading this article, I couldn’t help but think about how interesting it is that such particles are no risk when they are compounded into an object; however, they can cause diseases (i.e. lead poisoning) when they are broken down into smaller pieces and inhaled by human beings. 

On the other hand, as Dr. Gimzewski mentioned in Part 3 of his lecture, Nanoparticles can also serve positive purposes – as in the case of “Nanosilver Socks,” which can eliminate odors and moreover, contain and reduce sweating (www.nanosilver.eu).

"Nanosilver Socks"
https://www.nanosilver.eu/Tema/Why-Nanosilver/Magical-Socks-Nanosilver-with-Silver-Nanoparticles

"Antimicrobial Socks"
http://www.sterishoe.com/foot-care-blog/toenail-fungus-treatments/antimicrobial-socks/

Overall, I was pretty shocked to learn about the several ways in which nanoparticles can both harm and HELP humans. If channeled correctly, nanoparticles and microbial bacterias can truly reinvent objects in demand as more efficient and quite honestly, more useful (as in the case of 'Nanosilver Socks').

Week 7: Neuroscience & Art

I was especially interested in Professor Vesna’s discussion of Franz Joseph Gall’s contributions to the idea of “Phrenology,” seeing as I’m actually learning about Phrenology and Physiognomy, as represented within the Victorian and Romantic periods of English Literature in my Senior Capstone for my English Major. In my class (entitled the “The Brontës in Context”), we’ve traced the artistic portrayal of phrenology in Victorian novels such as Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights in the hopes of showing how serious Victorians were regarding their beliefs that the outside of the human body reflected in the inside of the human body. For example, in all three of these Victorian novels, it is suggested that that the size of one’s skull reflects back upon one’s intelligence (Armstrong). Furthermore, several critics have explored the “Brontë Brow” (i.e. each novel’s attempt to classify characters as either “high brow” or “low brow”) as evidence of phrenological beliefs during the 19th century (Shrewsday).

Victorian Constructs of Phrenology

http://victoriancontexts.pbworks.com/w/page/46571834/George%20Combe%20and%20Phrenology

Beyond this week’s discussion of Gall’s notion of Phrenology, I was also very interested in our discussion of Carl Jung’s notion of the Collective Unconscious — “a form of the unconscious common to mankind as a whole and originating in the inherited structure of the brain” (Britannica - “The Collective Unconscious”). While it’s difficult to provide scientific proof for the Collective Unconscious, it’s definitely interesting to think about commonalities between humans and their thought processes. To think that ALL of us have the same “core” of unconscious thoughts (as denoted by mythical archetypes and the structure of our brains) is an extremely powerful idea.

What is the Collective Unconscious?

http://www.templeilluminatus.com/group/carl-jung-s-red-book/forum/topics/what-is-the-collective-unconscious

After researching further into Jung’s idea of the Collective Unconscious, I found this really interesting video by Daniel Vondráček on Vimeo entitled “The Collective Unconscious.” In the video, he describes the Collective Unconscious as a “type of connection” where “every person shares his individual process of thinking.” Although it’s performed in another language, there are subtitles for clarity.

"The Collective Unconscious" - Daniel Vondráček

https://vimeo.com/19837398 

Click here to see the video: https://vimeo.com/19837398 

Week 6: BioTech & Art

I actually had a difficult time getting through some of this week’s material — specifically the material focusing on Kathy High’s contributions to BioArt as discussed in Part III of Professor Vesna’s lecture. Having always been semi-opposed to animal testing (depending upon the ethical necessity for it), I found it a little difficult to view pictures of her work with transgenic rats in her “Embracing Animal” exhibit. When researching the exhibit further and attempting to learn more about her “HLA-B27 model rats,” I saw that High’s exhibit was defined as “a lab environment for observation, and experimental playground for people to feel the tension of exchanges, transitions and trans-play.” (KathyHigh.com — Project: “Embracing Animal”)

"Embracing Animal" Exhibit (#1)

http://kathyhigh.com/project-embracing-animal.html

"Embracing Animal" Exhibit (#10)

http://kathyhigh.com/project-embracing-animal.html

While I appreciate High’s “empathetic treatment” of rats (i.e. providing them with good food, adequate play time and lots of human attention), I also find it difficult to watch animals being pent up in cages and so clearly out of their element (Vesna, “Lecture: 5BioArt Pt3”). Personally, I admire her efforts to learn more about autoimmune diseases using these transgenic rats; however, I don’t necessarily agree with the need to feature this research as a visual spectacle — with the intention of displaying images of theses animals during their “moments of death and dying” (KathyHigh.com — Project: “HLA-B27”). While some people may be interested in seeing such images, I found some of these images to be a little disrespectful to that particular animal’s life — which was sacrificed in the name of biological research to prolong human life. Regardless, I will continue to research her work to make myself as informed as possible on this matter before developing any further judgements of her research. 

"HLA-B27" Rats

http://kathyhigh.com/project-HLA-B27.html  

This notion of displaying biological research concerning transgenic animals as a “visual spectacle” made me think about the upcoming movie, Jurassic World. While the movie is clearly a fictional film (in addition to the previous Jurassic Park films released by Universal Pictures), I think that it clearly demonstrates the consequences of putting transgenic research on display. In the movie, scientists open up a theme park which displays genetically-modified dinosaurs and most recently, genetically-modified hybrids — but in the end, the dinosaurs outsmart the humans and thus, catastrophe ensues.

Jurassic World: Cover Art
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369610/

Here’s the trailer for Universal Pictures’ Jurassic World:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFinNxS5KN4

While it’s difficult to place limits on human research (especially when it comes to research in the name of human health), it’s becomes even more difficult when other life forms are involved. I think that BioArt will always be a controversial topic, but I think that the restrictions (or lack thereof) concerning the display of such art/research is just as controversial.

Week 4: MedTech & Art

I found this week’s lectures on the influence of medical technologies on art (and vice versa) to be especially fascinating seeing as I’ve always perceived the human body as an incredible work of art. I was especially mesmerized by Professor Vesna’s discussion of plastic surgery in Part 3 of her lecture — specifically our discussion of the french artist Orlan’s contributions to plastic surgery (Vesna, “Lecture: Medicine Pt.3”). Orlan, or Mireille Suzanne Francette Porte, is most famously recognized for her desire to “transform herself into a living work of art through plastic surgery” (Frank). In other words, Orlan attempted to transform her body by undergoing several (very public) surgical procedures in the hopes of resembling some of the world’s greatest beauties, such as DaVinci’s “Mona Lisa” and Botticelli’s “Venus.” 

Beauty of Orlan
http://oldsite.english.ucsb.edu/faculty/ecook/courses/eng114em/beautyorlan.JPG

Since the 1970s, Orlan’s views of plastic surgery have become very popular — convincing people of all ages to continue experimenting with plastic surgery to achieve their own version of “ideal beauty.” As I was researching further into Orlan’s work, I came across a very interesting article written for a Stanford history class which described Orlan’s work as “feeding into the rituals of female submission, analogous to primitive rites involving the cutting up of women’s bodies” for men (Rose). This article broaches upon an extremely important question: How far should women (and even men) be willing to go in terms of altering their bodies to achieve “ideal beauty” and to increase their chances of attracting a mate?

Plastic Surgery Procedures
http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fbnstatic.com/static/managed/img/Health/2009/July

Prior to teaching us about Orlan, Professor Vesna mentioned that the term “plastic” should be understood by its definition of “giving mold and/or form” to the human body (Vesna, “Lecture: Medicine Pt.3”). While the need for plastic surgery is viewed as somewhat “controversial” in today’s society (as suggested in the case of Orlan), I really liked this definition because I think that plastic surgery can truly transform someone’s life — especially someone who’s been in a traumatic accident or someone who needs special medical attention. I came across a really interesting website about this topic, entitled the “Reconstructing Lives Blog,” which consists of several patient stories about how plastic surgery saved their lives (“Patient Stories: Reconstructing Lives”).

Another example of how plastic surgery holds great potential is shown in the television show Botched on E!, which follows two plastic surgeons (Dr. Terry Dubrow and Dr. Paul Nassif) who repair botched and/or distorted surgical procedures on their patients. In every episode, the doctors attempt to “fix” these mistakes made by previous plastic surgeons and usually, the doctors are successful at restoring their patients’ self-confidence.

Here's the trailer for the most recent season of Botched on E!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7vYEIUeENY 

Botched
http://evolutionusa.com/media/photos/botched_plain_1920x1080.jpg