Event 3: Modernism at the De Young Museum

     I attended the exhibit on Modernism at the De Young Museum this past weekend. Modernism is extremely fascinating since it is much more than just an artistic movement and incorporates aspects of philosophy. Modernism was born out of the transition from non-production based society into industrial society and organization. The production demands and events surrounding World War I helped shape the modernist view of the world and directly affected the art that came out of this period.

     This piece either did not have a definitive author or the designator slate fell off, since there was no background information on it. I photographed it because of its geometry. When viewed in the right way from the side, there is a division into thirds. Despite this it appears to be unbalanced because of the yellow streaks that place most of the emphasis on the upper third. When viewed from the standard point of view as shown in the photo, a design that resembles a square wave characterizes the very bottom as well as the bottom of the upper third. The top of the lower third has a honeycomb design that recedes into the white as it grows downward. From the POV shown above, the work is perfectly symmetrical. This is unusual as most of the pieces in the exhibit that characterize the modernist philosophy are organized without symmetry. An example of this is Burgoyne Diller's "First Theme" shown below.

 Burgoyne A. Diller's  "First Theme" (1962)

     "First Theme" can be classified as non-objective art. This means that it does not depict or represent anything in the natural world. This specific piece foreshadowed Diller's later works, which also incorporated strict geometric shapes and the inherent properties of this shapes. Artwork that is heavily grounded in geometry and more specifically in rectangular shapes brings the Cubism art movement to mind. These works seem like blueprints or foundations for Cubist art, despite the fact that they were done after Cubism had run its course. Since the time periods are flipped it cannot be said that the Modernist focus on geometry inspired Cubist works, but rather that it is a distillation of the Cubist style into the bare essence: shapes. 

 Joseph Albers' "Study for Homage to the Square: Light Rising" (1950)

     This was one of several works in Albers' signature series. Every piece in the series consisted of a different variation of three or four squares inside of each other. He chose different colors to represent different climates and bring out different connections to the viewers. Again, this is a foundation piece incorporating the bare necessity to create a visual piece which is geometry. These piece exhibits y-axis symmetry, although it does not appear so in this photograph because of the angle at which I took it.

 David Salle's "Coming and Going" (1987)

     David Salle's "Coming and Going" is a perfect integration of mathematical art techniques as well as the combination of art and technology in a piece. A scene showing an accordion player as well as several observers is depicted with a flowering plant overlaying it. A brown eye watches the viewer and exists on the plane above the plant and the scene. The organization of objects in the z-plane is easily identifiable in the accordion scene primarily because of the stark contrast between the eye's color and the bottom plane's lack thereof. The image is black and white, signifying both aged technology and an aged worldview or vision (the eye.) The bottom right third shows a mostly naked being on its side. The lighting is dark and the mood follows suit. Despite this, the top third of the piece is very uplifting, showing random elements of Western society. 

     Here is the proof that I was at the event. I had a headache that day and decided to sit down. This was taken unbeknownst to me. I ended up leaving the exhibit without taking a good picture since I had forgotten to. As a result, this sad image is my only picture.

Works Cited

"Burgoyne Diller." Burgoyne Diller - First Theme - Spanierman Modern. Spanierman Modern, 4 Aug. 2009. Web. 31 July 2014. <http://www.spaniermanmodern.com/09_Gallery-Selections-Aug/diller080282cframef.htm>.

"Cubism - The First Style of Abstract Art." Cubism. Arty Factory, n.d. Web. 31 July 2014. <http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art_movements/cubism.htm>.

"Josef Albers Study for Homage to the Square: Departing in Yellow 1964." 'Study for Homage to the Square: Departing in Yellow', Josef Albers. Tate, 1 Dec. 2012. Web. 31 July 2014. <http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/albers-study-for-homage-to-the-square-departing-in-yellow-t00783>.

Pavlopoulos, Theodor. "The Fourth Dimension in Painting: Cubism and Futurism." The peacocks tail. WordPress, 19 Mar. 2011. Web. 31 July 2014. <http://pavlopoulos.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/painting-and-fourth-dimension-cubism-and-futurism/>.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Modernism (art)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2014. Web. 31 July 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/387266/Modernism>.

Event 2: Computer History Museum

     I visited the Computer History Museum located in Mountain View, CA. Everybody knows the Apple and Microsoft story but fewer know about where computers came from and their initial purpose, so this blog post will concentrate on the early years of computing. This museum houses units representing the different eras of computing ranging 2000 years. The goal of creating computing devices was to perform math operations with speed and accuracy. The first "computers" were mechanical calculators, the most famous of which is the Babbage difference engine shown below. It was used to tabulate polynomials. The design is mechanically very sound and aesthetically pleasing. However, it was Babbage's analytical engine that was dubbed the first Turing-complete computer since it consisted of an ALU, control flow, and integrated memory.

Babbage Difference Engine

     World War II did wonders for the field of computing in terms of attention and funding. Analyzers such as the ENIAC were developed by the Ballistic Research Laboratory to assist the military by calculating trajectories for missiles. Gradually, people realized that computers were functional in other areas and could enhance other fields. Such inspiration led Arnold Nordsieck to assemble a differential analyzer which was able to solve differential equations. The analyzer, built in 1950 and  shown below, is an electromechanical device that can solve differential physics equations (useful for military, engineering, and general science) with speed. 

The Nordsieck Differential Analyzer

     The analyzer's components are spaced out to allow for adequate cooling while still allowing the unit to be (relatively) portable. The paper and writing device shown below is how the machine outputted data to the user. The drawing mechanism was advanced for the time as it produced 2D output without the need for a separate device entirely. The analyzer itself used electrical connections rather than mechanical shafts to save on space but maintain affordability. The price tag was $700 at its time of release.

 Differential Analyzer I/O

 MADDIDA

    The magnetic drum digital differential analyzer was built by Northrop Aircraft Corporation in 1950 and housed a total of 44 integrators. It implemented a magnetic drum for memory. This drum consisted of a total of six storage tracks. The wooden contraption shown above is a prototype of this unit, complete with make-shift cooling in the form of a house-fan. The wiring is messy and not visually pleasing; this method of prototyping was eliminated when engineers began to favor clean schematic layout primarily for ease of readability and build but also for aesthetic purposes.

Cray-1 modules

     The Cray-1 was an 80 MHz supercomputer announced in 1975. NCAR was the first customer and paid $8.86 for a unit. Cray's company ended up selling over eighty Cray-1 supercomputers. This was the first computer built by Cray that used ICs. It stood apart from other high performance computers at the time because of its novel design, both electrical and mechanical. Cray realized that using registers was a faster method of accessing data. He also wanted to set a standard in both vector and scalar processing.
     The modules shown above are some of a total 1,662 that form the processing units of the Cray-1. These modules required two boards each and are connected on each side to a vertical heat spreader that houses a Freon-based liquid cooling system. The chassis is C-shaped in order to allow for higher-performance components to run at their maximum potential by minimizing interconnect and wire length. The Cray-1's power systems and liquid cooling systems are housed in the "bench" surrounding the unit.

Cray-1 "bench" showing LCS and power supplies

     This picture looks like a mugshot but it was cool to get a chance to see and feel Cray's first supercomputer. The C-shape, cooling system, and implementation of registers was new and unheard of at the time. It represented true innovation and the final product was (and still is) quite beautiful.

Mugshot

Works Cited

"Babbage." -. Science Museum, n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/onlinestuff/stories/babbage.aspx>.

"Cray History." Cray History. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://www.cray.com/About/History.aspx>.

"Magnetic Drum Digital Differential Analyzer (MADDIDA) prototype." MADDIDA (Magnetic Drum Digital Differential Analyzer) prototype -. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/analog-computers/3/159/441>.

"Nordsieck's Differential Analyzer." Nordsieck's Differential Analyzer -. Computer History Museum, n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/analog-computers/3/138>.

Swade, Doron. "The Babbage Engine | Computer History Museum." The Babbage Engine | Computer History Museum. Computer History Museum, n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. <http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/>.

Space + Art

     Space and the solar system have captured the minds of every single human group that has ever asked the question "why?" Almost every person in every single group falls into this category. There is something psychologically intriguing about exploring something that is so conspicuous but incapable of being directly touched. The same goes for any new field that hasn't been explored as extensively as others. When space travel and colonization become normal, space won't be as intriguing to the average person since it will become yet another advancement mankind takes for granted.
     The beauty in space and astronomy lies primarily in the actual constellations and stars but also in our quest to know more. The need to understand the universe has led to incredible advancements in engineering as of late. Ironically, the whole idea of exploring and using space began as a race between the United States and Russia. This was started by the Russians putting a small satellite called Sputnik into orbit in 1957.

Sputnik was chrome so it could be seen from Earth

     The United States' response to Sputnik was to create NASA. NASA has been at the forefront of aerospace engineering ever since, as some of the organization's greatest achievements include: Reusable spacecraft, ISS life support and living capability, Mars pathfinder, and of course Apollo 11. The Apollo Guidance Computer (ACG) was a 2.048 MHz chip invented by MIT's instrumentation laboratory and made by Raytheon. The flight computer was a milestone since it was the first to use ICs (made by Fairchild Semiconductor.) The ACG boasted four 16-bit registers for general use and additional registers for separate functions.

ICs in the ACG

     As an Electrical Engineering major I can easily appreciate the design and consideration that went into the circuit above. The ICs are laid out symmetrically and spaced evenly for uniform heat dissipation. The appearance is also visually pleasing. When viewed from a macroscopic point of view it's easy to understand what is going on in the circuit. This is true art in engineering; it's also the most under-appreciated form of art.

     The space race funded and fueled the computer industries in both the US and Russia as well, leading to more advanced monitoring systems and the development of reliable IC-based computers. It created the branch of modern engineering now called aerospace engineering, which doesn't solely deal with spacecraft. Aerospace engineers are responsible for designing the beautiful aircraft that make air travel possible today. As advances continue in the computer industry and in all areas of mechanical engineering, space travel will become more economically feasible.

Planes are possible because of the creation and realization of the importance of aerospace engineering.

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Works Cited

"Apollo 11 (AS-506)." Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Home Page. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/topics/apollo/apollo-program/landing-missions/apollo11.cfm>.

Jategaonkar, Ravindra V.. Progress in astronautics and aeronautics. Reston, Va.: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2006. Print.

Kent, Allen, and James Williams . "Ch2-5." Ch2-5. NASA, n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://history.nasa.gov/computers/Ch2-5.html>.

"M.I.T. Apollo Guidance Computer." M.I.T. Apollo Guidance Computer. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/vs-mit-apollo-guidance.html>.

"Sputnik." Sputnik. NASA, 10 Oct. 2007. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/>.

     While art is often something incredibly conspicuous, it can also be viewed through the lens of minimalism as the absence of defining characteristics and obtrusive features. A relevant example is the implementation of photovoltaics in large building structures. The solar panel arrays that are most common use wafer-based silicon cells that appear to be blue in color and are very distinct. These are beautiful in their own right but to imagine eliminating their obtrusive presence while still maintaining their feature set seems absurd; carbon nanotubes allow for just that. Researchers from Adelaide's Flinders University have developed transparent carbon nanotubes that can generate electricity from sunlight. These cells can be sandwiched in-between class and ultimately added into window arrays. Imagine a building with solar windows. It's not far-fetched.

Transparent solar cell via carbon nanotubes

In less dense implementations these cells could actually appear to be absent from the window itself, creating a minimalist and beautiful marriage between technology and art.
     It's hard for the average person to appreciate what he or she doesn't see since it requires extensive knowledge of the relative subject to understand the inherent beauty in an application, so more common artistic applications of nanotechnology are in the usage of nano particles. The 4th-century Lycurgus cup is a fascinating implementation of dichroic glass which changes color based on the location of the photon emitter. The cup appears to be green when viewed in daylight but becomes red when illuminated from the inside. The cup includes 330 ppm silver and 40 ppm gold in addition to the glass flux and the particles are approximately 70 nm across.

Dichroic glass Lycurgus Cup (4th century AD)

     Nanoparticles also allow for fascinating product characteristics when they are introduced into common commodities such as windows. Self-cleaning glass contains titanium dioxide nano particles and exhibits the following characteristics: breakdown of dirt due to reaction with sunlight, hydrophobic in nature and thus water repelling. The hydrophobic nature is due to the fact that the material's molecules are non-polar. These are amazing when viewed in practice as below:

     We as conscious beings have convinced ourselves that it is nature that imitates our creations and not the other way around. Irrespective of viewpoint, there are similarities between nature and art primarily in the field of color. Vibrant colors characterize Leonid Afremov's depictions of life in all seasons. Nature's answer is the Menelaus Blue Morpho (Morhp menelaus,) a tropical butterfly native to Central and South America that boasts astoundingly blue wings. This color is due to a nanostructure on the surface that manipulates the photons, causing the observer to see a blue butterfly.

Above: Leonid Afremov's "Melody of the Night"

Right: Menelaus Blue Morpho

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Works Cited

Afremov, Leonard. "The official online virtual gallery of Leonid Afremov here you can order original oil paintings directly from the world renown artist Leonid Afremov." The official online virtual gallery of Leonid Afremov here you can order original oil paintings directly from the world renown artist Leonid Afremov. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://afremov.com>.

"Blue Morpho Butterfly." Audubon Nature Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://www.auduboninstitute.org/animals/butterflies-flight/blue-morpho-butterfly-16376>.

Freestone, Ian , Nigel Meeks, Margaret Sax, and Catherine Higgit. "The Lycurgus Cup - A Roman Nanotechnology." . N.p., 1 Jan. 2007. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://master-mc.u-strasbg.fr/IMG/pdf/lycurgus.pdf>.

Hess, Catherine, and Karol Wight. Looking at glass: a guide to terms, styles, and techniques. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2005. Print.

Ridden, Paul. "Carbon nanotube solar cells point to possible transparent solar window future." Carbon nanotube solar cells point to possible transparent solar window future. GizMag, 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://www.gizmag.com/transparent-carbon-nanotube-solar-cell/21912/>.

Whitwam, Ryan. "Carbon nanotubes harvest the Sun’s energy as heat for better solar cells | ExtremeTech."ExtremeTech. ExtremeTech, 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/175377-carbon-nanotubes-harvest-the-suns-energy-as-heat-for-better-solar-cells>.

Neuroscience + Art

     The brain is beautiful in its ability and in itself. The organization of the brain and its ability to create novel ideas through electrical impulses is astounding. Interestingly, the brain and a computer system are very similar. There are inputs to both (5 senses for human, I/O for computer,) a processing center, a temporary storage center, a long term storage center, a chasis, and a finite lifetime. Franz Joseph Gall was the first to formulate the theory of region specialization in the brain. He believed that the brain was a collection of specialized organs (like compute cores) that performed different functions. Despite the fact that he was a practitioner of phrenology, his theories regarding specialization and regions were proved correct.

An example of Gall's division of regions

     Santiago Ramón y Cajal built upon Gall's foundation and explored neurological degeneration and regeneration. His initial path in life had him en route to becoming an artist but he bridged into science. Cajal was a perfect example of the scientist and artist hybrid as he continued to find the beauty in his studies of neurons. His illustrations shown below are an example of his artistic insight and view of the structure of the brain.

      Ramón y Cajal discovered the axonal growth cone and developed the neuron doctrine which later became a cornerstone of modern neuroscience. He explored the existence of dendritic spines and illustrated them in his drawings. His many illustrations of neurological interconnects resemble the depiction of trees in a bland forest devoid of other lifeforms. 

     The brain differs from a pure computing unit in that there is not a set of limited and predefined algorithms that are responsible for data interpretation. This allows for sensory tricks such as optical illusions to be played on the brain. The most common types of optical illusions involve concentration on one area of a piece which causes an incorrect perception of surrounding areas. An example is shown in the "Lilac chaser" below:

 Concentrate on the dot in the center and the pink will disappear.

     Other common optical illusions include pictures with two possible subjects or main stages. Oftentimes this is done by creating a scene with plants or buildings that can come together to create a super-tree or super-building. Sometimes these scenes are put together so as to create a face like the one below which depicts both a face and an orderly lady walking on a street.

Works Cited

"BrainBashers : Optical Illusions." BrainBashers : Optical Illusions. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://www.brainbashers.com/opticalillusions.asp>.

"Franz Joseph Gall : founder of phrenology." Franz Joseph Gall : founder of phrenology. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://www.phrenology.com/franzjosephgall.html>.

"Nervous Systems and Senses." Nervous Systems and Senses. J. Stein Carter, 5 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/nervous.htm>.

"Santiago Ramón y Cajal - Biographical". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 20 Jul 2014. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1906/cajal-bio.html>

Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience Pt3." YouTube. UC Online Program, 16 May 2012. Web. 20 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0>.

Biotechnology+Art

     In most cases, it's not naturally occurring biological processes and instances that are considered art. Rather, the more extreme and outlandish "experiments" are classified as both biotechnology and art. This is one of the more specific bridges between science and technology in that there is a select set of works that falls into both biotech and art categories. Works include modifications on humans as well as animals. It's interesting to note that human modifications attract less attention from special interest groups than animal modifications. The main reason is the concept of free will and thought: since animals cannot decide whether or not they want to participate in such experiments, the whole thing is dubbed cruel and inhumane by protection groups.

     The above picture shows Eduardo Kac's glowing rabbit, named Alba, which was created by inserting fluorescent protein into the egg of the rabbit in its early stages of growth. The purpose of this experiment was not solely to create a modified external appearance, but to do it in a way that could not be altered by external modification. This rabbit represents a holistic modification since it was performed at the cellular level. Scientists dismiss this project as interesting but silly.

    Zaretsky wearing an egg necklace

     Artist Adam Zaretsky is another example of a cross-breed between a pseudo-biologist and an artist. He cannot be fully classified as either and does not fully fall into the category of biologist since he has made no notable contributions to the field. Rather, he uses what has already been created and studied to form pieces of art and works that bring together multiple feelings and emotions such as his MMMM (Macro Micro Music Massage.) 

     

Stelarc's Ear

     Stelios Arcadiou (Stelarc) is an artist who has explored the realm of self-modification. Among other things, he has implanted a cell-cultivated ear onto his left arm. The video above describes some of his dreams and aspirations regarding this new attachment. Works like this are so interesting because they border on the realm of absolutely insane and brilliant. Quite often the most brilliant ideas and experiments are considered idiotic at their respective time of conception. It takes time before things are realized. On the flip side, some works are simply ill thought-out and foolish.

Works Cited

Donnarumma, Marco. "Fractal Flesh - Alternate Anatomical Architectures." CEC. CEC, n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://cec.sonus.ca/econtact/14_2/donnarumma_stelarc.html>.

Eduardo, Kac. "GFP BUNNY." GFP BUNNY. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html>.

Zaretsky, Adam. "MMMM...." EMutagen: Future Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://emutagen.com/mmmm.html>.

"5 BioArt pt1." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUENH6GLzXY>.

"5 BioArt pt2." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&feature=player_embedded&v=MdSt-Hjyi2I>.

"5 BioArt pt4." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&feature=player_embedded&v=2qSc72u9KhI>.

Event 1: Masters of Fire - The Copper Age in the Holy Land

I attended an exhibit called "Masters of Fire: The Copper Age in the Holy Land" at the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco. This exhibit showcased pieces from southern Jordan and southern Israel. Archaeologists tracked the movement of the ore fragments and have shown that the ore was mined in Jordan and moved into southern Israel for smelting. The economic specialization required for production changed Chalcolithic society and created segmentation. Copper became a novelty and a luxury item.

Copper objects were also discovered at Nahal Mishmar, in the Judean desert. These pieces were created using lost-wax casting. This complicated process involved covering a wax model with clay molded to have holes, firing the model to create the final mold, and then pouring the copper into the clay mold through these holes. After sufficient time passed for cooling, the mold was broken and the object plashed. This technique allowed for unparalleled circular and spherical creations as shown in the images below.

The objects to the left and right of the center are copper creations. The objects on the left are mace heads which evidently show the care and precision that went into their creation. None of these mace heads are dramatically distorted and all of them are almost perfectly symmetrical across the x and y axes, assuming that the z-axis is vertical and that the origin is located at the center.

These eight scepters are a testament to the molding abilities of these metalworkers. The craftsmanship is phenomenal and the symmetry is almost perfect. There are no dramatic irregularities or deviations and the designs are subtle yet effective. This set serves as an exemplification of an item's or a set's ability to serve a dual-purpose: a practical tool and an artwork.

The crown shown above dates between 4500-3600 BC and possesses ornate decorations. There are vultures above the main piece. It is easy to overlook and take for granted the work that went into creating this piece because modern technology makes it so easy, but this required careful molding and shaping in order to ensure a regular circular shape and to ensure that the ornaments would adhere.


---PROOF OF ATTENDANCE---

Below is a picture of me at the exhibit. The exhibit docent would not allow me to take a picture with him for personal reasons, so included to the right is a picture of my ticket.











Works Cited

Butts, Allison . "Roasting, smelting, and converting." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 26 July 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/136794/copper-processing/81933/Roasting-smelting-and-converting>.

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." African Lost-Wax Casting. N.p., 1 Jan. 2004. Web. 26 July 2014. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/wax/hd_wax.htm>.

"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." The Nahal Mishmar Treasure. N.p., 1 Jan. 2004. Web. 26 July 2014. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/nahl/hd_nahl.htm>.

"Lost Wax Casting Process." New Arts Foundry. New Arts Foundry, n.d. Web. 26 July 2014. <http://www.newartsfoundry.com/lost-wax-casting-process/>.

Richard, Suzanne. Near Eastern archaeology a reader. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 2003. Print.

Week 3: MedTech + Art

    Webster's definition of art as "something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings" is widely accepted amongst most artists and appreciators of art. Therefore, it's no oddity that technological advances in the field of medicine can be categorized under the banner of art. It's not even a stretch to categorize the human body as an art form in itself, since it is possible to express feelings and ideas through appearance.

 Orlan exemplifies the idea that the human body can be an art form through her plastic surgery alterations.

    

     Plastic surgery was not initially explored as a route to alter appearance in order to achieve a level of beauty pleasing to the individual, but rather as a form to reconstruct parts of the body damaged by either war or unexpected trauma. It was during WWI that plastic surgery emerged as a lucrative field since the new era of warfare brought with it novel means of killing and maiming (primarily explosives.) Below is an example of a celebrity who used plastic surgery to achieve a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. This form of modification falls into the category of art, since it is an expression of feeling and represents an ongoing paradigm shift in how we view our appearance.

Natalie Portman's nose job.

     An interesting case in which technology steps into the picture is in the work of Professor Kevin Warwick. This Professor of Cybernetics surgically implanted a silicon transponder to allow a computer to monitor his location. He was able to thus activate doors and lights in his lab because of his location status. He went so far as to create both a CNS connected robotic hand that could be controlled over the internet and a communication system between his brain and his wife's, allowing them to communicate in morse code.

Warwick with his CNS controlled hand.

Warwick's initial implant, Cyborg 1.0.

     Warwick's work served as a three-way bridge between the medical community, the tech sector, and artists. His robotic hands and custom sensors are aesthetically pleasing not only from the point of view of an engineer but also an artist. Art is in many cases an imitation of life; this case is no different.

     On a related note, it's worth mentioning that my faculty advisor, Dr. William Kaiser, is working on many similar devices that are wearable. He is part of UCLA's very own Wireless Health Institute, which serves the community through research relating to monitoring devices that will become extremely prevalent as the century carries on.

Works Cited

Byrne, Emma. "Innovation Isn't Safe: The Future According To Kevin Warwick." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 July 2014. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2013/09/30/kevin-warwick-captain-cyborg/>.

Salcido, Jannelle. "The History of Plastic Surgery." PlasticSurgery.com ». N.p., 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 13 July 2014. <http://plasticsurgery.com/the-history-of-plastic-surgery/>.

"UCLA Wireless Health." UCLA Wireless Health. UCLA, n.d. Web. 13 July 2014. <http://www.wirelesshealth.ucla.edu>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/Ep0M2bOM9Tk.” Lecture. Medicine pt1 . Youtube, 13 July 2014. eb. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/FIX-9mXd3Y4.” Lecture. Medicine pt3. Youtube, 13 July 2014. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/psjnQarHOqQ.” Lecture. Medicine pt2 . Youtube, 13 July 2014.Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ>.

Warwick, Kevin. "Kevin Warwick - Home Page." Kevin Warwick - Home Page. University of Reading, n.d. Web. 13 July 2014. <http://www.kevinwarwick.com>.

Week 2: Art+Robotics+Math

     It's a tragedy that in modern education systems students are told that they do or do not possess a specific skill and must settle on one specific pathway. Professor Vesna made mention of this with the bad teacher example. Despite this, artists use math extensively. Engineers also make use of art techniques to draw designs and for the aesthetic appeal of a product. Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Sandro Botticelli made extensive use of math to produce beautiful and proportionally pleasing works. Even artists who do not intentionally use math as a means to produce a work tend to employ a few concepts unbeknownst to them. Math complements art by allowing for more accurate reproductions of the natural world.

(Basilica of  San Lorenzo)

     Filippo Brunellesci developed the vanishing point prior to the advent of the Cartesian coordinate system by Descartes in the 17th century. Brunellesci's use of geometry allowed for proportionally correct architectural creations such as his Basilica of San Lorezno and his famous Duomo. In his linear perspective system, all lines in the plane must converge to a single point as they do in the natural world.

(Representation of Vanishing Point from Observer Perspective)

     (Birth of Venus; c. 1486)

     Boticelli's Birth of Venus illustrates the use of the Golden Ratio Phi. Numerically, this concept is represented by the value 1.618. Not only is the canvas a golden rectangle, but regardless of which logical variation you use to take the golden ratio point they all come back to both the navel and the bottom right elbow. The red, blue, and green squares show three variations that all come back to these locations. 

(The Creation of Adam; c. 1512)

     Michelangelo also used the Golden Ratio in "The Creation of Adam," which adorns the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The finger of God touches Adam's figure at the golden ratio point. In this example, the result was found by using the horizontal borders of the image as the width.

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     The beautiful thing about the relationship between technology and art is that the combination yields work that is more fascinating than either category's respective work on its own. At the core of music is math and physics. Sound can be represented mathematically by the wave equation as shown in the 1D, 2nd order differential equation below:

Most people generally don't care about the underlying factors and only care about the outcome. When music is combined with math and technology (in this case synchronized automation) more of the senses are stimulated. The introduction of synchronized lighting into the music culture has created concerts and night-venues that serve to stimulate more than just the sense of sound. By reaching out to sight, hearing, and sometimes touch, this new system creates emotion. An example of this is shown below:

(see footnote*)

     This man used a programmable micro controller called an Arduino to synchronize his music to an LED array. It creates an emotionally stimulating environment that is fully automated and built upon the foundation of signal processing (math and electrical engineering,) optics, and sound. Although physics and math are at the core, the end result is art.

*This is not everyone's idea of robotics but at its core it is the same. Signals are processed and I/O is used to achieve a result. Complex actions are carried out based on a set of predefined variables. Control flow is implemented on a basic level as well (light color and pulsation.)

Works Cited

Apartment Light Show: Arduino Style. Dir. Brian Schimke. Perf. Arduino. YouTube, 2009. Film.

"Churches in Florence, to Visit For Historical & Artistical Interest." Churches in Florence: List of churches to visit during your visit in Florence. Visit Florence, 1 Jan. 2002. Web. 4 July 2014. <http://www.visitflorence.com/florence-churches/>.

Harris, Beth , and Steven Zucker. "Linear Perspective: Brunelleschi's Experiment." Linear Perspective: Filippo Brunelleschi's Experiment. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 4 July 2014. <http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Brunelleschi.html>.

Meisner, Gary. "Golden Ratio in Art Composition and Design." Phi 1618 The Golden Number. N.p., 4 May 2014. Web. 4 July 2014. <http://www.goldennumber.net/art-composition-design/>.

Perez, E. . "A Short History Of The Cartesian Coordinates." A Short History of the Cartesian Coordinates. Educated Mind, 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 4 July 2014. <http://4dlab.info/article_short_history_of_the_cartesian_coordinates.htm>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov."YouTube. YouTube, 9 Apr. 2012. Web. 4 July 2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg&feature=player_embedded>.