EVENT 4: HAMMER MUSEUM

  Going to the Hammer Museum has been enjoyable to view the various free exhibitions but the museum is always enjoyable as well. Honore Daumier's satyrical representations of political, and other pronounced figures are the most intriguing of all the works for me. I always had the desire to draw and create my own cartoons but never fully pursued that goal. Viewing work of this nature inspires me and it is cool to see how this work has influenced illustrations of today.


Daumier's piece bellow demonstrates a beautiful interpretation of satire in the rendition of Mr. Jacot-Lefaive's bust sculpture. The comedic value of this piece demonstrates how even during the 19th century, political joking was just as natural. Furthermore, it relates to the current era in the illustrative works of computer animation, resembling exactly, the overdoing of facial proportions and physical stature. I have great admiration for this piece and it shows how all the work that has entertained my childhood has been influence by creations hundreds of years prior.


  The influence Daumier's work has had on the current era of cartoons is indescribable, from the humanistic representation of a mouse- Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse, to Pixar's Brave, demonstrates the advanced characteristics of illustrations. His exaggeration of features also reflects that of more elaborate works like The Incredibles or Dreamwork's Megamind. They often add to character traits and super powers.


Sources:

Daumier, Honore. "Mr. Jacot-Lefaive." Sculpture. 1833. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.

"Megamind Photograph." Dreamworks. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.

EVENT 3: JAMES WELLING

  Channeling the practice of Moholy-Nagy and Man Ray, the monograph executed by James Welling has lifted their technique to impressive heights. Testing the boundaries of light within his work and incorporating a number of new skills I can only guess at; Welling turns what was once a negative of white objects on a black surface, into contrasting color blends with direction and body.


  Layering to create work that incorporates more than just one subject, he gives the eye multiple points for dissection. An inkjet print titled 04 is quite exciting as the photo reaches over four feet in height, embodying rich teal, forrest green and greyed blues. The neon glow against the blunted black push against each other ambiguously challenging each other in the foreground. I see signs of de Kooning's Painting of 1948 in this respect. I have always enjoyed the novelty of massive photos.


  His other works, characterized by floral subjects remind me of Hawaiian t-shirts. In 021R a comfort is coupled with the warmth of tie dye silhouettes. Sharp, crisp lines separate the plants from immaculate white backgrounds, while soft black tones give an added depth to the reds and yellows. I admire the process within these works, testing the qualities of light and color more so than his simple scenic shots with colored filters.


Sources:

Welling, James. "021R" Chromogenic print. 46x37 in. 2011. Hammer.ucla.edu. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

Welling, James. "04" Inkjet print. 50x40 in. 2008. Hammer.ucla.edu. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

Hammer Museum. James Welling: Monograph. Exhibition. 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, Ca 90024. 11 Dec. 2013.

EVENT 2: FORREST BESS

  Forrest Bess was greatly interested in the concept of the Tree of Life and how it may be further understood with respect to the individual human. This went in hand with his desire for eternal life and the possibility of one body containing both sex organs for self-perpetuation. Some of the ideas spoken about were definitely foreign concepts to me and it was new to see how he related his devotion to understanding the human body and its genitalia. When I first arrived I did not anticipate this to be one of the driving forces behind his work but after listening to Dr. Eric Vilain, I viewed the work with a better understood perspective.

  His work relates very much to that of the surrealists during the early 1920's. Dr. Vilain discussed how Bess made sure to record any imagery, vision or dream he experienced so that he may revert back to his notes at a later date and recreate his subconscious. The work he created looks similar to that of microorganisms, chromosomes or DNA. The title Bodies of Little Dead Children stirs controversial emotions within the viewer and causes the reevaluation of what he means by dead. I believe he addresses the child on a cellular level before they are born, respectively. This may also relate to the scale of which he primarily worked on, as he appeared to be more comfortable painting on smaller canvases. The work bellow is roughly 6x7 inches yet reminds me of Joan Miró.

  In respect to Miró, he too was known for recording his thoughts just before he went to sleep because he felt the imagery that actively worked through his subconscious were most intriguing. Similar to Bess' and his simplicity on the canvas, Miró was fascinated with the relationship between small objects in large space. His work envelops the viewer through its contrast of mural sized paintings with palm-sized subjects that the viewer must observe from less than a foot away. Blue iii stands roughly 9x11 feet.

Sources:

Miró, Joan. "Blue iii" Painting. Oil on Canvas. 270x355 cm. 1961. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

Bess, Forrest. "Bodies of Little Dead Children" Painting. Oil on Cavas. 6x7 5/8 in. 1949. The Menil Collection, Houston. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

Dr. Vilain, Eric. Flash Talk. Hammer Museum, Los Angeles Ca. USA. 21 Nov. 2013. 

EVENT 1: LACMA

  Visiting Lacma was an enjoyable experience because a number of the exhibits contained work I found highly intriguing. In respect to the field of science the work may be related due to the approach carried out by the artists, concerning their technique, materials and execution. Each artist perfected their own practice so they may create with the greatest outcome.

  This Portrait of Pieter Tjarck by Frans Hals had me very much engaged, roughly 34x27 inches (frame excluded), because of the incredible precision. I was most intrigued by his technique with the brush, his understanding of how to mix oil paint and turpentine to reach a consistency that manipulates the brush strokes to mimic the texture of a particular surface was incredible to me. This mixing of materials shows his understanding of how to produce a paint that will sit on the canvas with such ease that it shows no unwanted texture; furthermore, an approach that definitely illuminates scientific understanding of concepts, even simple ones, leads to great outcomes. I admired how, what appears to be effortless painting, produced a picture that rivals a photograph. 

  Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass shows a beautiful understanding of the relationship between art and science. Using nature's own creation, Heizer plays with the emotions of the viewer by allowing them to venture beneath an object with such mass that would otherwise be experienced from the side or above. The granite behemoth weighs 340 tons and hovers 15 feet above the tunnel's lowest point. This piece attempts to span art history through its marriage of prehistoric size, modern engineering and interactive characteristics.

Sources:

Heizer, Michael. "Levitated Mass" Granite. First Sketch 1969. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). 5905 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA USA 90036. 28 Oct. 2013.

Hals, Frans. "Portrait of Pieter Tjarck" Oil on Canvas. 33 9/16 x 27 1/5 inches. ca 1635-1638. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). 5905 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA USA 90036. 28 Oct. 2013.

WEEK 9: SPACE + ART

  Copernicus' heliocentric theory was first kept private due to his fear for neglect from others. He understood the severity of publicly challenging the church's understanding of geocentrism and because of this he refrained from publishing his studies for quite some time. His interest in the orientation of the planets was a catalyst for the massive number of singularities that developed soon after. The universe being one of the largest unknown subjects today has overflowed into areas other than science like that of the arts.

  The Tusi-couple is a mathematic model in which one circle revolves within another. The larger circle has a diameter twice that of the smaller. The relationship between these two circles shows a beautiful balance depicted, and sheds light on the artistic characteristics within math and science.

  As artists attempt to depict the beauty of the universe within their work, doors open to endless possibilities as no rendition of the universe, like that of the subconscious, can definitively be disproven. Powers of Ten blog discusses relationships within the universe between organisms and objects alike, showing the interrelatedness between everything, like the diagram above. This can relate to the work of artist Richard Clar who attempts to show the relation of beauty within science and art.

  Works like these lead to greater interest in space and art as they attract the attention of a younger generation through the creation of video games and films that show the undeniable attractiveness of the universe. This fuels a greater desire to learn about space and what occupies it.



Resources:

"Spiril Galaxy NGC 3982" NASA, ESA & Hubble Heritage Team. Universetoday.com. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

Clar, Richard. "Space Flight Dolphin" Sculpture. Nitinol. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

"Tusi-couple" Model. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

Uconlineprogram. "8 Space intro 1280x720" Online Videoclip. Youtube. Youtube, 29 Jul. 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

CarlSaganPortal. "Carl Sagan - Pale Blue Dot" Online Videoclip. Youtube. Youtube, 24, Mar. 2013. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

WEEK 8: NANOTECHNOLOGY & ART

  First introduced by Richard Feynman during his talk "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom," at an American Physical Society meeting, the concept of nanotechnology addressed the possibility of creating mechanics on an atomic scale. This took place at Caltech on December 29, 1959. Feynman suggested that building technology on such a small scale has limitless possibilities due to the amount of space provided, respectively.

  In relation to the field of art, nanotechnology can be seen through the incorporation of minerals/metals within paints or sculpture to create unique effects. This is because on the nano scale, many materials behave differently. When incorporated into glass, gold and silver nano particles catch the light in different ways and make the light passing through a different color. To take this a step further with silver, if incorporated into glass cups, a darker liquid will cause the cup to glow a bluish hue and give the glass an opaque appearance. 

  Lotus leaves have the ability to reject water from seeping into the surface, a quality known as hydrophobia. This property which works as a water deterrent helps the leaves sit on top of the water as lily pads. Furthermore, companies have created nanotechnologies that also have this ability and have applied it to clothing. Clothing can go beyond water repellent to having ketchup slide clean of the surface too. Fashion possibilities extend far beyond keeping clothes clean.

Sources:

Admin. "Invest in Nanotechnology" Article. Investingreeenenergy.com. 21 Oct. 2011. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

"The Science of Stained Glass" PowerPoint. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). NISE Network. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

Uconlineprogram. "Nanotech Jim Pt3" Online Video Clip. Youtube. Youtube, 21 May. 2012. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

"Nanotechnology" Blog. Nano--technology.blogspot.com. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

"Richard Feynman (1918-1988)" Article. Atomicarchive.com. AJ Media and Software 1988-2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.

Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

  The relationship between the body and the mind attracts great curiosity within modern culture. Everyone wishes to know how they may better their health and lifestyle through strengthening their understanding of how this partnership functions. The mind receives great attention because of the great amount of information there is to still learn. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, (MRI), serves as one tool that artists of today draw inspiration from due to the incredible imagery and colorful representation.


  Giovanni Frazzetto and Suzanne Anker's work titled Neuroculture states the importance of the brain's mechanics in relation to the personality of an individual. They continue to explain how it is due to these factors that the brain is the most important organ within the human body. This is contrary to historical belief within many religions that may address the heart as the centerpiece of personality because of its placement within the body and its role in maintaining life. This controversy influenced by the importance of an organ within the body seems to have a great impact on artistic work as artists attempt to depict this vitality in their own work. Greg Dunn finds inspiration in neurons, the cells of the brain.

  Through his use of the Asian sumi-e style of painting Dunn creates lively images of neuroscience artwork. This technique uses the calligraphic approach with ink and brush that allows for aesthetically pleasing, finite lines that encroach upon the paper. His works show the marvelous balance between science and art.

 

 

Sources:

 

Dunn, Greg. "Hippocampus III" Painting, Ink on Paper. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Dunn, Greg. "Gold Cortex" Painting, In on Paper. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Migravent. "Migraines and Meniere's Disease: A Match Made in Hades" Article. Migravent.com. 31 Jan. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Fazzetto, Giovanni and Anker. "Neuroculture" Article. Science and Society. Macmillan Publishers Limited. 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Uconlineprogram. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov" Online Video Clip. Youtube. Youtube, 17 May. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

WEEK 6: BIOTECHNOLOGY & ART

Artists continue to push the boundaries of what they produce and label as art. This desire to progress has led to incorporating living organisms into their work. Biotechnology allows scientists to learn how certain products affect the body on a cellular level and how they may apply this knowledge to improve life. Joe Davis was the first man to incorporate this practice with artistic pursuance. He defined this manipulation of life as a form of expression.

In a more literal representation, the incorporation of florescence within animals not known for glowing, allowed artists to label the product of scientific research as art. This was done by taking the gene from a jellyfish, that allows for its florescent properties, and inserting it into a fertilized rabbit egg cell. The gene enters the rabbit's DNA and is reproduced as the cell multiplies. This use of florescence is applicable for research purposes as the gene can be used as a tag to show when certain proteins are being active within an organism, respectively.

The labeling of life as art comes about, due to the reforming of the body's characteristics. There is a great appeal in a glowing household pet. The florescent rabbit works as a modern day version of Duchamp's ready-made's in that an artist recognizes the efforts of another individual and labels the product as art. Like the era of Duchamp, it is quite controversial today to call a living organism art.

Sources:

1. Duchamp, Marcel. "Fountain" Sculpture, Porcelain. 1917, replica 1964. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

2. Alien Disclosure Group (UK) "Scientists Create Cloned Glow-in-the-dark Rabbits" Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

3.Essaidi, Jalila. "Joe Davis: The Mad Scientist of MIT?" Blog, Bioartlab. 21 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

4. Vesna, Victoria. "5 bioart pt1 1280x720" Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 18 Sep. 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

5.Vesna, Victoria. "5 bioart pt2" Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 17 May. 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.

WEEK 4: MEDICINE + TECHNOLOGY + ART

  Preservation of the body and the desire to maintain a youthful appearance is a desire of people everywhere. This weeks lecture discussed the integration of art and medicine as a means of sustainment. Beauty is found in the youthful and to stay young means retaining physical attractiveness. Today we see this through the use of makeup, facial masks and lotions.



  In the past preservation of the body, after death, was vital so the diseased may have a tranquil afterlife. Mummification worked to a similar degree in retaining the body's beauty as well. The Egyptians mastered the process of mummification with respect to the medicinal approach but they also made sure that the diseased be accompanied by the worldly possessions that they would be using in the afterlife, and this took on the more artistic approach of arranging tombs for eternal preservation.




  Today we see the an extension of the preservation through plastic surgery or a facelift. Not so much preservation but enhancement, for those who want to make themselves feel more beautiful than before, they increase the size of their breasts, butts, calves, or lips.  People go to great lengths to reach their desired body type, even if it means multiple surgeries.

Sources:

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0116982/HTML%20page%20folder/hmummification.htm
http://abcnews.go.com/m/blogEntry?id=19843266&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
http://www.plasticsurgery.org
http://www.mylearning.org/a-step-by-step-guide-to-egyptian-mummification/p-1681/
http://www.alysarushton.com/gluten-free-self-care

WEEK 3: ROBOTICS & ART

  The concept of creating robots with living characteristics, such as growth, reproduction, and self-sustainment is becoming ever more prevalent in science today. In Hod Lipson's TED Talk "Building 'Self-Aware' Robots," he suggests that scientists must stop designing more advanced technology and allow the technology to evolve on its own. This may seem a bold concept for the average person to wrap their head around considering most of todays electronics deteriorate over time but the ideas have been there for quite awhile. The line between mechanisms and organisms becomes narrower with time as films of today show robots that can disguise themselves as humans and heal damaged limbs. Terminator 3 portrays this perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CLIWyKuHiQ

  Technology today incorporates ideas of this nature through artificial intelligence, motion sensors, or automatic focus. Cameras have evolved tremendously over the last century let alone the past decade, so much that it has reshaped art. Whether it be for financial reasons or because the technology is at our disposal, todays art has been redefined by mechanics. Besides photography we see it in sculpture, no longer do artists need to labor away at a piece of marble when they may work with clay and later pour a medium of their choice into a cast. Video games also allow artists to fully express themselves with the convenient use of a computer. World of Warcraft leads the way in this field, creating the most aesthetically pleasing of today's games.


http://wallpoper.com/wallpaper/video-games-241462

  We use technology as a means to create more elaborate art and translate our ideas more thoroughly. Furthermore, inventors of today create machinery that is also art, or art with a purpose. Cars have been works of art since the first blueprints. Yes the vehicle must be safe when traveling from point A to point B but designers must also make a product that can sell and advertise itself. This allows the artistic faculties to unfold. Our cars define us and therefore we must find one that mirrors our image and fits a look we want to uphold. Technology moves forward is numerous ways.


http://parachoquescromados.wordpress.com/tag/eldorado/

Sources:
http://www.ted.com/talks/hod_lipson_builds_self_aware_robots.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CLIWyKuHiQ
http://wallpoper.com/wallpaper/video-games-241462
http://parachoquescromados.wordpress.com/tag/eldorado/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-19576763

WEEK 2: MATH + ART

Early art represented life through the use of two dimensions. This can most commonly be seen through the misunderstanding of the concept of perspective and the use of depth. Artists placed objects above and bellow one another to display what was further and closer to the viewer. As objects receded in space they moved higher up the canvas even though they stayed the same size as the objects closer to the artist. This can be seen easily in pre-renaissance art as presented below. Notice how objects move up the canvas as they move into the distance.

http://leblanc.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/Renaissance+Art

With the coming of the Renaissance, perspective was discovered and applied with art that would show nature in all its beauty. Artists tried to glorify their surroundings through elaborate interpretations of animals and landscapes. This would incorporate the third dimension and objects grew smaller through space. Notice how the trees become smaller as they follow the bank into the distance.

http://www.mirjavahala.com/Landscapes%20Hor%20page%202.html

The introduction of the fourth dimension was realized with Albert Einstein's theory of relativity was proposed. This of course was the addition of time to length, width and height. This can be best understood through the reading of Linda D. Henderson's article on the relation of geometry within art. During the early 1900's in the time of Modern Art avant garde artists such as Picasso attempted to present the dimension of time by showing more than the appropriate number of sides of an object to suggest rotation or movement. The artist Delauney demonstrate this rotation well through his piece of the Eiffel Tower.

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~fellows/hart206/cubism.htm

Works Cited
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~fellows/hart206/cubism.htm
http://www.mirjavahala.com/Landscapes%20Hor%20page%202.html
http://leblanc.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/Renaissance+Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cube/hd_cube.htm
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1575193?uid=3739560&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21102770821383

WEEK 1: 2 CULTURES

  When I was in preschool I was exposed to many different fields of art and found great satisfaction in expressing myself through creation. In elementary school teachers still attempted to share enjoyable ways of interacting with arts and crafts while learning but it never seemed to be enough for me. My mom understood this and enrolled me in art classes outside of school so I may partake in deeper artistic learning.
  This is where I feel the distinction between my two cultures grew. As a young student in the classroom I made sure to learn about the information the teacher placed in front of me even though I was never too concerned with social studies or english. I always seemed to be drawing on my notes instead of recording important information. I still do this today. When my mom allowed me to take part in art classes that focused on drawing, painting and sculpting I found a greater sense of connection with that part of myself through creativity.

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/08/liquid-jewels-fabian-oefner/
  My two cultures were greatly separated after preschool during my years of elementary but they soon rejoined in middle school and high school because of the transition my mom made me go through by leaving public and joining a private institution.

http://bornstoryteller.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/private-schools.jpg
  I found that when my time in the classroom was restricted to only being allowed to participate in typical book learning I was a much less enthusiastic student than when I was in the studio testing my hand at painting or drawing. The third culture grew from the new environment my mom placed me in where my schedule was not overpowered by math, science and english but balanced with arts.
  By taking part in classes that satisfied my need to create I felt more capable of participating in the other classes throughout the day.
http://www.thestranger.com/binary/a151/feature-lead-magnum-500.jpg
  The teachers at my new school understood the importance of a balanced curriculum and how art and science affected one another.

Sources:
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
http://xavierleadershipcenter.com/articles/how-many-uses-for-a-shoe/
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/08/liquid-jewels-fabian-oefner/
http://bornstoryteller.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/private-schools.jpg
http://www.thestranger.com/binary/a151/feature-lead-magnum-500.jpg