Event 5: Weak or No Signal- MFA Design Media Arts Thesis Show

Shopping Cart with
a scarce amount of food 

For my last event, I attended Weak or No Signal, the Thesis Show for graduating MFA Design Media Arts students. The show was cleverly name, because with the invention of the internet and our constant reliance on technology,  wi-fi is seen as almost a necessity.
What was even more surprising was when I searched the term Wi-Fi on the internet to see what it stands for, but realized it was a made up word. This term is commonly used, but is in actuality a social construct.

The prevalence of technology and different aspects of society was showcased throughout many of the works. What I really enjoyed about this showcase was how relevant everything was; I could personally relate to a lot of the artwork due to its reflective nature on the current state of society. I think the Design Media Arts major is a major that shifts away from the common paradigm of separate subjects; while all these pieces were artwork, they were created using non-traditional media and influences (the RSA).

Obsessed with Social Media 

Jonathan Moore's stuck between a rock and a... was the first exhibit I saw; featuring live actors, it captured my attention. Two people dressed in factory clothing, worked with rigid movements, compounding what looked to be debris in a desolate and run-down workshop. Right next to the enclosure, was an almost empty shopping cart, with an empty container of soda and one soda can, a nod to our spending habits and our almost always full shopping carts. Reminiscent of Ford's assembly lines, the actors were like machines, performing simple tasks mechanically (Vesna). The people seemed lifeless and resembled robots, and seemed to be scavenging what remnants of food remained, though it was mostly waste and trash. His piece seems to comment on our consumerism habits and our wastefulness, and foreshadows what could become of our population if we do not seek ways to conserve our resources and be less wasteful.

The dark side of human nature 

I like interactive exhibits, so I was drawn to Stalgia Grigg's in or, a round sedition, a project that included video and sound projected through a headset. This video was incredibly odd, featuring disfigured, amorphous people interacting with each other in a dark garage-like room. The video and sound together was intriguing, and had a frightening and dark tone to it. The words "carefree, careful, careless" were written on the wall. What was distinct about the video was the two people were interacting in such a careless manner to one another; they were not even listening to each other. Their interactions came across mechanical and inauthentic through their body expressions and verbal expression (Walter). Grigg's work seemed to be commenting on our communication styles and and how people are becoming increasingly distracted with one another, and are not focused on one another.

Throughout many of the works, I saw lots of references to social media, an acknowledgment to their role and influence in our society. The art was very modern, with some of them using virtual reality, and others featuring even wearable technology. Overall, it was a wonderful exhibit, with lots of hidden meanings and clever commentary embedded in the art.

Me and the VR video from Krsitin Mcwharter's project
 Waking the Giant Within

Sources:
"RSA ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms." YouTube, uploaded by the RSA, 14 October 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U.
Vesna, Victoria. "Robotics pt2" YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 15 April 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAZ8bo9T_Pk.
Walter, Benjamin. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Germany, 1936.

Unit 9: Space + Art

Neil Armstrong becomes the first man
to step on the moon. 

For me, outer space represents an infinite amount of unexplored possibilities, carrying with it a sense of hope, yet a sense of fear. The vastness of space continues to inspire many and the exploration of space has had many profound effects on various aspects of life, including the curriculum of our educational system, political effects, and the genre of science fiction (Vesna). As a personal space enthusiast and stargazer, Annick Bureaud’s words resonate with me because the depiction and interpretation of space through art really does provoke deep feelings, fueling dreams and aspirations (Leonardo Space Art Project). 

What is shocking is the realization of how relatively new the fascination and interest with space really is. The launch of Sputnik in 1957 was only less than a hundred years ago and many advances have occurred in a short period of time (Vesna). Apollo 11 in 1969 marked the first time man stepped on the man, a momentous event for not only the US, but the whole world. After years of hard work, mankind’s dreams finally became reality, and the success represented the limitless possibilities of space travels. 

Xu Zhen's in Just a Blink of the Eye 

Space art relies on the collaboration between scientists and artists. An exhibition known as Dancing on the Ceiling: Art & Zero Gravity features artworks that examine the concept of gravity and weightlessness. Gravity is a force that keeps us grounded on Earth, but is not present in outer space (Forde). Xu Zhen’s project In Just a Blink of the Eye features dancers suspended by hidden fixtures, showing them as seemingly frozen by a mysterious force. This concept of gravity is challenged in space, where one can freely float; space makes us question our paradigms and perceptions of the world. 

Cosmonaut with Cosmic Dancer 

The concept of weightlessness was literally tested out through the sculpture Cosmic Dancer, which was created by Arthur Woods. In 1993, Cosmic Dancer was taken to a space station and was freed from the constraint of gravity. Cosmonauts danced with the Cosmic Dancer, allowing them to connect with a vital aspect of culture in the isolating spaceship (Woods). With scientists almost certain of the existence of extraterrestrial life, it is important to have a piece of culture to share with these unfamiliar beings if astronauts come across them. 

As "explorers of nature", I believe that our curiosity will lead to many more discoveries and a deeper understanding of what lies beyond Earth (Leonardo Space Art Project). 

Sources:
Forde, Kathleen. "Dancing on the Ceiling: Art & Zero Gravity." http://zerogravity.empac.rpi.edu. Accessed 1 June 2018.  
"Leonardo Space Art Project Working Group." Leonardo Space Art Project, https://spaceart.org/leonardo/vision.html. Accessed 1 June 2018. 
Vesna, Victoria. "8 space pt 2 1280x720." YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 29 July 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLZMDpoP-u0
Vesna, Victoria. "Space pt 4." YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 30 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5ClKO6AJPo
Vesna, Victoria. "Space pt 6." YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 30 May 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYmOtFjIj0M
Woods, Arthur. "Introduction." Cosmic Dancer- A Space Art Intervention by Arthur Woods, http://www.cosmicdancer.com/introduction.php. Accessed 2 June 2018. 

Image Sources: 
Woods, Arthur. Cosmic Dancer. 1993. http://www.cosmicdancer.com/cosmic_dancer_photos.php Accessed 2 June 2018.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11#/media/File:Buzz_salutes_the_U.S._Flag.jpg. Accessed 2 June 2018.
Zhen, Xu. In Just a Blink of the Eye. 2007. http://arthubasia.org/project/xu-zhen-performance-in-a-blink-of-an-eye Accessed 2 June 2018.

Event 4: Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER)

The overarching theme of this event was the exploration of nature and the natural environment.This was my second time attending a LASER event, so I was familiar with the layout; the four featured speakers were Maru García, Ariel Levi Simons, Kelly Nipper, and John Hood spoke about various projects.

Maru Garcia's project titled Encounter

The first speaker was Maru García; Maru García examines nature through a cultural and personable lens in her artwork. With a background in science, having studied chemistry and biotechnology, she brings with her a scientific lens to her work. While one of her passions was science, she was also passionate about art and creativity, leading her to study design media arts, allowing for integration of these two divergent fields (Snow). García sheds light on the connection between humans and nature, and their coexistence in her artwork. Her art can be categorized as bioart, as she uses living organisms, such as bacteria as a form of paint to make Petri dish artwork. One of her projects is called Encounter. Encounter is a biomorphic piece made of plastic and is filled with organic material; it represents an intersection of the natural world with man-made products. This exploration of opposing materials allowed for the realization that humans and nature are intertwined, and it is imperative that the balance between both is maintained.

Test a Pattern, Take a Picture:
Connection between Human & Space 

Kelly Nipper spoke about using the movement of body as a material, with the space and lines being an integral part of the artwork. With a background in media arts and photography, she uses her photography as a medium to capture dancers in order to communicate ideas about lines and movement. Her projects center around the earth-climate change, as she considers global warming and climate change, and the shift in poles. One of her projects called Test a Pattern Take a Picture aims to convey the innate connection between nature and humans. There is an energy that moves from the ground, through the person, and from his fingertips to space. As Annick Bureaud states, space art "makes me dream and move me deeply" (Leonardo Space Art Project). This art is inspirational to me; for me it represents how far away we are from understanding space, yet we continue to try and get closer to understanding the mysteries of the universe.

Picture of me and Professor John Hood

Ariel Levi Simons is an ecologist that works with light pollution, and researches how artificial light is affecting our ecosystem. Many animals including sea turtles, rely on light cues such as the moon to navigate their surroundings. Simons takes ground base measurements using a hemisphere camera, receiving color-temperature maps and intensity data for different spectrums of light that shine. His plan is to build a model and integrate this data in order to characterize and understand the effects of light on various organisms and environments.

John Hood is a professor of modern art and art design that described the David Bermant collection. Bermant's collection was unique in the sense that if focused on non-traditional, eclectic work. Bermant was especially interested in how artists utilized technology. Some artists that are a part of the collection include  Wilfred, the father of media arts & projection arts), Clyde Lynde, and Victoria Vesna, my professor. Dr. Vesna's piece Nanomandala, uses concepts of nanotechnology, starting with the nanoscale structure of sand to the whole mandala (Art in the Age of Nanotechnology). Bermant's collection represents a shift from traditional artwork to artwork categorized by innovative and collaboration between different fields.


Sources:
"Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." John Curtin Gallery, Art.Base, 2010.https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology. Accessed 1 June 2018. 
Malina, Roger, et al. "Leonardo Space Art Project." MIT Press, 1996,  https://spaceart.org/leonardo/vision.html. Accessed 31 May 2018. 
"May 10: Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER)." YouTube, uploaded by CNSI at UCLA, 10 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QgR8kj2-lo
Snow, C.P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York, Cambridge University Press, 1961.