May 26, 2019 Week 8: Nanotechnology and Art

May 26, 2019

Week 8: Nanotechnology and Art

            Nanotechnology is a recent new realm of science. Its roots can be traced back to Richard Feynman, one of the engineers of the hydrogen bomb, who said, "There's plenty of room at the bottom." At the time, like Dr. James Gimzewski mentioned in his lecture, Mr. Feynman was not talking about nanotechnology per se, but his words would influence the future of the scientific community. 

Paintings in the Brancacci Chapel 

            For years nanotechnology has been at the forefront in art conservation. One well-known example is using nanodroplets to remove oils that accumulate onto the surface of ancient paintings. This nanodroplet cleaning process was first used for the restoration of paintings in Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy. The restorers used "hydrocarbon (oil) droplets stabilized in water" to form a sort of coating around the piece, protecting it from further damage caused by slow breakdown of the binders in the paint (referred to as flaking). 

Flamingo by Cris Orfescu

            Even more shocking than using nanotechnology for art preservation is that artists are using this technology to create representations of nanomaterial found in some common household consumer and food products. Nanotechnology is found in more than 1,000 products, most of which we do not even think contain nanomaterial. Some examples that stood out to me include: underwear, smart washing machines, hot dogs, sunscreen, and beauty products. One artists making headway in this field is Christian Orfescu, a scientist by day but an artist by night (Cris Orfescu). His inspiration is that he wants to show the people of the world all of the nanoparticles that surround them in their everyday lives. To produce his drawings, he uses an electron microscope to scan the material he is observing. He donated his microscope to artists who wanted to participate in the "Science as Art" contest that he held to further demonstrate the overwhelming presence of nanoparticles. 

One of the pictures submitted to the "Science as Art" contest

            Some groups, like the ETC, are opposed to the use of nanotechnology in the space. One reason for this is that some material commonly used for study has been monopolized by a select few. One popular "blacklisted material" is VantaBlack, the darkest material on Earth. It is produced by the UK Surrey NanoSystems, but Anish Kapoor, a controversial British artist, has an exclusive licensing agreement with the company. This is why the future of nanoart faces many challenges, but if it succeeds, the world will inevitably see breakthroughs in both art and science. 

VantaBlack

References

Gimzewski, Jim, and Victoria Vesna. The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 May. 2019. http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm.

Lilley, Maiken. "The Art of Nanotech". NOVA. WGBH, 19 Nov 2010. Web. 26 May 2019.

Gimzewski, James, narr. “NanoTech Art Lectures I-VI.” N.p., Web. 26 May 2019.

Feder, Barnaby J. “The Art of Nanotech.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Jan. 2008, bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/the-art-of-nanotech/?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=21202CE399CB50C8A794A899706E0B7C&gwt=pay.

O'Brien, Nathan. “Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials; Where Science Meets Art.” Nano News, 18 Apr. 2017, blogs.flinders.edu.au/nano-news/2017/04/18/nanotechnology-and-nanomaterials-where-science-meets-art/.

“Art Conservation and Nanotechnology: A Wonderful Confluence of Arts and Sciences.” Sustainable Nano, 12 May 2017, sustainable-nano.com/2017/05/12/art-conservation-and-nanotechnology/.

Feder, Barnaby J. “New Economy; Nanotechnology Has Arrived; a Serious Opposition Is Forming.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Aug. 2002, www.nytimes.com/2002/08/19/business/new-economy-nanotechnology-has-arrived-a-serious-opposition-is-forming.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=1A606EF1C99988E857B6D81288BF0C18&gwt=pay.

Flinders University. VantaBlack Applied to Aluminum Foil. Photograph. 2017. https://blogs.flinders.edu.au/nano-news/2017/04/18/nanotechnology-and-nanomaterials-where-science-meets-art/

Saliko, Jusef. Picture of the Brancacci Chapel. Photograph. 2014. http://sustainable-nano.com/2017/05/12/art-conservation-and-nanotechnology/

Orfescu, Cris. Flamingo. Photograph. 2012. http://www.nanotech-now.com/Art_Gallery/Cris-Orfescu.htm

Materials Research Society Group. Stem. Photograph. 2013. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/art-nanotech.html

May 19, 2019 Week 7: Neuroscience and Art

May 19, 2019

Week 7: Neuroscience and Art

Aristotle

            Neuroscience, colloquially speaking, is the study of an individual's emotions, patterns, traits, and behaviors, as MedicalNewsToday puts it. Its roots can be traced back to Aristotle who first classified a distinction between "sense and reason." Although many of Aristotle's discoveries into this branch of science were flawed, his works inspired the modern "neuroculture" that Giovanni Frazzetto and Suzanne Anker describe. 


         
            Ramón y Cajal and Franz Joseph Gall, both influenced by Aristotle, revolutionized the understanding of the brain. Gall introduced his phrenology, which in essence said that we could learn about an individual's intellect and personality by looking at the shape of the skull. According to Mark Cohen, Gall went so far as to measure the bumps on someone's head, searching for indicators that could determine his subject's behaviors and actions. Cajal took a similar approach to Gall when he popularized his Neuron Theory. He believed that you could interpret the way neurons were connected by simply looking at their shape. His visual representations of the internal structures of the brain are breathtaking and speak to his background of an artist turned scientist. His work opened up gateways into seeing how changing a person's surroundings can influence the development of the brain, and eventually led to art therapy being classified as a type of psychological ailment remedy. For example, studies conducted by Harvard Medical School show that even just walking into a museum reduces one's anxiety levels by over 20%.

Drawing from Cajal's Butterflies for the Soul (a depiction of neurons in the brain)

            Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung went a step further than Cajal and Gall by distinguishing consciousness from unconsciousness. While Freud and Jung did collaborate, they arrived at two different schools of thought. Freud argued that personality was the driver of one's unconscious, while Jung advocated more for a collective human unconscious. 

           Most surprising to me in this week's lectures was learning that so many of these discoveries might not have been possible without the use of dangerous drugs. It was well documented that Freud was a cocaine addict and was under the influence when he arrived at many of his breakthroughs. Freud would draw much of what he would see in his hallucinations, allowing scientists, including himself, to study the effects cocaine and other drugs had on the brain. Some call these depictions art, but I view them as macabre. Additionally, Aldous Huxley experimented with LSD and was instrumental in sparking the counter-culture movement in the 60's and 70's. The relationship between neuroscience and art has had a dark past, but a bright future ahead. 

The brain of a person on cocaine

References

Vesna, Victoria. “Conscious / Memory (Part 1).” Lecture. 19 May 2019. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DLVQIwOn7o8.

Vesna, Victoria. Lecture. “Conscious / Memory (Part 2).” 19 May 2019. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Xlg5wXHWZNI.

Vesna, Victoria. Lecture. “Conscious / Memory (Part 3).” 19 May 2019. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=E5EX75xoBJ0.

Cohan, Mark. Lecture. 19 May 2019. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eDq8uTROeXU.

“Aristotle: The Journey of a Philosopher.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 23 Mar. 2014, www.iep.utm.edu/aristotl/.

Nordqvist, Christian. “Neuroscience: Overview, History, Major Branches.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 26 June 2018, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248680.php.

Benedict, Joshua. “Aldous Huxley.” Aldous Huxley - Biography - The Author And His Times, somaweb.org/w/huxbio.html.

Herout, Lispen. “Psychology School Lessons | Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.” AllPsychologySchools.com, www.allpsychologyschools.com/psychology/freud-jung/.

Harvard Health Publishing. “The Healing Power of Art.” Harvard Health, July 2017, www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-healing-power-of-art.

Frazzetto, Giovanni, and Suzanne Anker. “Neuroculture.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience, vol. 10, no. 11, 2009, pp. 815–821., doi:10.1038/nrn2736.

Art, Lionede. Aristotle. Photograph. 2015. https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/scienceshow/introducing-the-ancient-greeks/6939844.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. Cocaine. Photograph. 2019. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/teaching-packets/brain-actions-cocaine-opiates-marijuana/section-iii-introduction-to-drugs-abuse-cocaine-opiat-5

Cajal, Ramón. Butterflies of the Soul. Photograph. 2017. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/cajals-butterflies-of-the-soul-9780195392708?cc=us&lang=en&.

Event Blog 3: UCLA Meteorite Collection

May 19, 2019

Event Blog 3: UCLA Meteorite Collection

            Last Friday, I visited the UCLA Meteorite Collection. I learned that meteorites are fragments of asteroids that made their way through space to Earth. There are two main classes: primitive (chondrite) and differentiated. The main difference between the two is that the latter experienced a melting phase. But the important question is: how does this relate to art?

Los Angeles, a Martian differentiated meteorite

            In the last century, artists have played a critical role in astronomy and the discovery of new elements. Most of the meteorites we find are split up into tiny fragments, which make them extremely difficult for scientists to study. Artists are a key factor in piecing these fragments together to form a whole through a process called mosaic restructuring. Many of the newly added elements to the periodic table since it was first created by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869 have come from materials found in the composition of these meteorites that would not have been possible without the work of artists. 

Campo del Cielo meteorite

            Katie Peterson is an extraordinary example of an artist making headway in this field. After conducting research and heeding advice from industry experts, she acquired the perfect meteorite for her project, the Campo del Cielo, an iron differentiated rock that fell in Argentina. Her goal was to recreate the meteorite as it was billions of years ago before it arrived on Earth. This reconstitution had never been attempted before because of the extreme heat required to melt the inner metallic core of a differentiated meteorite. In an interview with Vice, she described how she was able to successfully heat the core to a melting point by fusing together the meteorite with ionized lead in a combustion reactor. 

            Faivovich and Goldberg are two Argentinian artists who took a different approach with Campo del Cielo than Katie Peterson. Inspired by how the meteorite "was older than the planet we are all standing on," these artists wanted to capture specific images of the interior of the meteorite. By shaving pieces of the fragmented objects until they were thin enough, light was able to shine through the colored transparent minerals that are dispersed in the metal. Their art is currently on display at the ASU Museum.

Faivovich and Goldberg's Transparency

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE39xKpLJqA (Video demonstrating how Faivovich and Goldberg conducted their project)

           

            Overall this meteorite collection demonstrates the perfect intertwining of the "two cultures" that C.P. Snow discussed in his lecture at Cambridge University in 1959. I would definitely recommend visiting, as it is a great opportunity to start exploring the collaboration between the art and science community. 

Me at the UCLA Meteorite Collection

References

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1959. Print.

Hill, Troy. “Argentine Meteorite Art Crashes into the ASU Art Museum.” The Arizona State Press, 16 Oct. 2018, www.statepress.com/article/2018/10/spartcult-argentine-meteorite-art-crashes-into-the-asu-art-museum.

Holmes, Kevin. “How To Melt A Meteorite: Artist Katie Paterson Is Refashioning Some Ancient Space Rock.” Vice, VICE, 27 July 2012, www.vice.com/en_us/article/wnz9nq/how-to-melt-a-meteorite-artist-katie-paterson-is-refashioning-some-ancient-space-rock.

OutofaBlueSkyMeteor. “How to ID / Identify a Meteorite - Stone.” YouTube, YouTube, 23 Nov. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhlbntm3-tE.

Thorpe, Vanessa. “When a Young Artist Meets an Ancient Meteorite.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 21 July 2012, www.theguardian.com/global/2012/jul/22/meteorite-katie-paterson-field-sky.

“Development of the Periodic Table.” Science Learning Hub, 15 Feb. 2012, www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1804-development-of-the-periodic-table.

Peterson, Katie. Campo del Cielo. Photograph. 2016. https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wnz9nq/how-to-melt-a-meteorite-artist-katie-paterson-is-refashioning-some-ancient-space-rock.

Guillermo, Faivovich and Nicholas Goldberg. Transparency. Photograph. 2019. https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/artwork/13967/Faivovich-Goldberg-N%C3%BAmero-1.

            

May 12, 2019 Week 6: Biotechnology and Art

May 12, 2019 

Week 6: Biotechnology and Art

Stelarc's Third Ear

           The whole inspiration of biotechnology and art stems around the delight of many artists to "de-mystify science," as the essay on Outlaw Biology so well puts it. According to Ellen Levy, the concept of transgenic art was revolutionized in the 1970's by Carl Woese, who first classified the three kingdoms of bacteria. His work influenced Joe Davis's creation of the Microvenus, Stelarc's Third Ear, and many others. Years later, Woese's discoveries still influence the modern landscape of art with the founding of Symbiotica in 2000 by Oron Catts, Miranda Grounds, and Stuart Bent. 

Joe Davis's Microvenus

Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr's Victimless Leather

           Oron Catts is arguably the most controversial founder of the organization. He is best known for his collaboration with Ionat Zurr in creating Victimless Leather, which debuted in MOMA New York in 2004. Another of his pieces that drew much criticism was his Semi-Living Steak, lab grown meat consisting of frog cells cultivated in a bioreactor. This meat was cooked and served at diners at a museum in France, while the frog that supplied the cells looked on quietly from a tank. Projects like these open up a world of critique, raising questions about the nature of life. Adam Zenetski, the first international resident of Symbiotica, says, "Science and industrial organisms, created for specific utilization for the furtherance of comprehension, are also expressions of aesthetic choices." 

Oron Catts's Semi-Living Steak

           The realm of art is changing. Bioartists not only have a perspective on their own work, but also formulate their own opinions on the ethical issues it raises. Slowly, this new medium of artistic expression is distinguishing itself from regular art. Unsurprisingly, technology has created different standards for these bioartists, bringing on much scrutiny. For example, in 2004 Steve Kurtz was arrested by the FBI on suspicion of bioterrorism after calling 911 to report that his wife had passed.

https://www.democracynow.org/2008/6/16/art_in_a_time_of_terror (Video of Steve Kurtz's arrest) 

           Society is torn between evaluating these artists on the aesthetic quality of their work or the processes involved in getting to the end result. Some people see Eduardo Kac's fluorescent bunny, Alba, as a breakthrough in both the field of art and science, but others view it as detrimental and contradictory to the value of life assigned to such creatures. These artists will not stop redefining the definition of art, so either society will have to adopt to these changes, or there will forever be a clash between humanity and biotechnology. 

Eduardo Kac's fluorescent bunny Alba

References

“Art in a Time of Terror: Acclaimed Art Professor Steve Kurtz on How He Became a ‘Bioterrorism’ Suspect After His Wife Died in Her Sleep.” Democracy Now!, 30 June 2004, www.democracynow.org/2008/6/16/art_in_a_time_of_terror.

Miah, Andy. “Bioart Is Changing the World.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Feb. 2012, www.huffpost.com/entry/bioart-is-changing-the-wo_b_1133330?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMdAlAMoIot8n-TdkatZWpDSPosjerA0pHXZIm5xxhCmpse0T6-IKQps5xHLdcJSVXjXPLQwVa-wZ-waV4B8rTMAk-LBdyg52Oo2hkt2KSS8MsnTeCKPfg1lX7idXEpCoHHa8cluWhdwpkVZN7saN8ygBZsrpP1I1tFDSykEMVty.

Eskin, Blake. “Fluorescent Bunny.” Building the Bioluminescent Bunny, www.ekac.org/artnews2001.html.

Miranda, Carolina A. “Weird Science: Biotechnology as Art Form -.” ARTnews, 4 Mar. 2013, www.artnews.com/2013/03/18/biotechnology-as-art-form/

Vesna, Victoria, narr. “BioTech Art Lectures I-V.” N.p., Web. 12 May 2019.

Levy, Ellen. "Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classifications." Context Providers, 275-299, 2011, Intellect Press, Bristol and University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Accessed on 12 May 2019. 

N.A., N.A., "Meanings on Participation: Outlaw Biology?" University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Accessed on 12 May 2019. 

Steralc. Third Ear. Photograph. 17 Aug. 2008. https://www.cnn.com/style/article/stelarc-ear-arm-art/index.html

Davis, Joe. Mircovenus. Photograph. 11 Sept. 2004. http://geneticsandculture.com/genetics_culture/pages_genetics_culture/gc_w03/davis_microvenus.htm

Catts, Oron. Victimless Leather. Photograph. 22 Nov. 2005. http://lab.anhb.uwa.edu.au/tca/vl/

Catts, Oron. Semi-living Steak. Photograph. 29 Jan. 2011. http://lab.anhb.uwa.edu.au/tca/semi-living-steak/

Kac, Eduardo. Alba. Photograph. 24 Mar. 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LSJVD0m1Mg

Event Blog 2: Sound and Science Symposium (Friday), Sarah Brandy and Jocelyn Ho

May 12, 2019

Event Blog 2: Sound and Science Symposium 2.0 (Friday), Sarah Brandy and Jocelyn Ho

           I attended Sarah Brandy's talk on "Sound as Extruded Form." Sarah is a professor at UC Santa Barbara whose work heavily centralizes around data visualizations. She uses her knowledge in coding to focus on how glitches can be perceived as art.

                   

Sarah Brandy's representation of glitches as art

Sarah Brandy's "Acceptance of Injustice"

           She likes to combine her work with sound to bring the intensity of what she is depicting to life for her audience. Perhaps her most sensational piece is her data visual on hate crime, which ultimately was the inspiration for my midterm project. On data.gov, the file she created is formally known as B5GS.csv, but she nicknamed it the "Acceptance of Injustice."

           Sound has a way of exciting neurons within the left side of the brain in the same way as some of the world's most powerful drugs, according to The National Science Foundation. She presented the visual with unsettling noises in the background, which really provoked some powerful internal emotions. I am extremely agitated on how the U.S. treats hate crime. Even after I submitted my midterm presentation on this topic, there was a news report on NBC regarding another school shooting incident, involving a gunman who was targeting Mexicans in his literature class. Overall her work on how sound and imagining can evoke strong inner sensations was ground-breaking for me in changing the way I perceive art. 

           Following Sarah Brandy was Jocelyn Ho, whose interest focuses on embodied cognition and synesthesia. She attempts to intermix the five senses, similar to how a synesthete can see sound visually. According to WHO, less than 0.01% of the world's population has this "disease," classifying it as an extremely rare condition. To bring this intertwining of one's senses to life, her performances are very interactive, turning her audiences' own personal objects into musical instruments. She had us download a link onto our phones for the purpose of associating sound with action. This technique, first introduced by Dr. Ivan Pavlov, is commonly referred to as "conditioning a reflex." I find this exercise a way for the audience to interact with their own self-conscious, reminding us to always be in the moment.

One of Jocelyn Ho's interactive phone demonstrations; when you tap the screen you can hear a crackling noise

       

           This class continues to change the way that I view art. First I saw art as a form of science, then as a wave of technology, and now I see it as a integration of visuals and sound. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience, and if this event is ever held again, I would definitely recommend attending because you are able to see art in a whole new light. 

Me pictured with Sarah Brandy 

References

Takamiya, Tomoko, et al. “World Health Organization-Defined Synesthetia.” Diabetes Care, World Health Organization, 1 Dec. 2004, care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/12/2977.

Mcleod, Saul. “Pavlov's Dogs.” Pavlov's Dogs Study and Pavlovian Conditioning Explained | Simply Psychology, Simply Psychology, 8 Oct. 2018, www.simplypsychology.org/pavlov.html.

Fieldstadt, Elisha. “Suspected Colorado STEM Shooter Joked about School Shootings, Students Say.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 10 May 2019, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspected-colorado-stem-shooter-was-bully-made-jokes-about-school-n1004181.

“Data Catalog.” Data.gov, 10 May 2019, catalog.data.gov/dataset?res_format=CSV.

Larssen, Benjamin. “Understanding How the Brain Makes Sense of Sound.” NSF, 17 Jan. 2010, www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=297993&org=.

Ho, Jocelyn. Tickle Bubbles When You Feel Any Muscle in Your Body Contract. Photograph. 03 May 2019. Taken from my Iphone. 

Brandy, Sarah. Acceptance of Injsutice. Photograph. 03 May 2019. https://catalog.data.gov/dataset?res_format=CSV 

Brandy, Sarah. Glitch as Art. Movie. 03 May 2019. Taken from my Iphone.