Event 2: Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER)

LASER show 

When I read the email from Dr. Vesna about class events, I was excited to learn that there was going to be a LASER show in CNSI. It turned out that LASER was not a laser show, and in fact stood for Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous. I was a little disappointed to learn that, but as the LASER event went on, my disappointment was quickly replaced with intrigue and attentiveness. 

Haytham Navar's Presentation 

At LASER, a few artists showcased their work and discussed the conceptualizat-
ion of their work. The four artists that presented their work were Haytham Navar, Jonathan Moore, Bill Fontana, and Michelle McAuliffe. 

Haytham Navar discussed his interactive art project Collective Bread Diaries: A Taste of Protest. Since I went into detail on Navar's work on my previous event blog, I will focus on the other artists in this blog.  

Jonathan Moore is a MFA graduate student that has extensive experience with visual effects and computer generated arts. He uses the idea of storytelling in order to illuminate the truth. One of his projects was having people experience an airport security screening. During this procedure, you are literally stripped of your privacy, and you are vulnerable, raw, and exposed. At this moment, you share a connection with the security guard and others going through this experience. Another one of his projects centered around identity. Moore created an office scene where many tasks and appliances were mechanical and repetitive. This idea of mechanical reproduction is almost robotic where a task is repeated over and over (Benjamin). This leads to the loss of originality and authenticity in an office job (Benjamin). Moore was commenting on how for many, their identity is linked to their job, yet jobs are often reduced to meaningless repetition. 

Jonathan Moore's airport security project 

Bill Fontana is a sculpturist that uses sounds to create a full immersive experience. He studies the physical vibrations of air and applies this to his sculptures. His arts adds an additional dimension, (Henderson) making the art more tangible and even more of an experience. His combination of math and art brings together the two different cultures, leading to an immersive experience as one can experience Fontana's artwork visually and in an auditory manner (Vesna). 

Michelle McAuliffe is a professor at Gallaudet University, which is a university for the deaf and hard of hearing. She uses her unique experience as a deaf person to create art. One of the most profound things that I learned is that there are limitations to sign language as a language. I have always thought that it fully allowed deaf people to communicate, but in reality, it has its own limitations. Even though it is called "sign language", Michelle McAuliffe explained that there are still miscommunications and barriers in communication with the use of sign language. One of her projects is called "First Crush", in which people described their experiences with crushes. Her project showed that while she understood the general idea, there were still gaps in communication and the details were sometimes glossed over. Overall, LASER gave me a glimpse into four artists' ideas and artwork. I would recommend this event as a chance to receive a personal look into an artist's purpose for creating his or her art. 

Me & Michelle McAuliffe & fellow classmate Ben 

Sources: 
Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. German, 1936. 
Henderson, Linda. "The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion." Leonardo, vol. 17, no. 3, 1984, pp. 205-210, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1575193. Accessed 25 April 2018. 
Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between." Leonardo, vol. 34, no. 2, 2001, pp. 121-125. 

Unit 4: Medicine + Technology + Art

The idea of tensegrity

Technology and medicine are often linked together, yet technology was actually only recently integrated into hospitals at the beginning of the twentieth century (Vesna). The incorporation of technology transformed the field of medicine, and has influenced many artists to use the human body as their source of inspiration. Along with the evolution of medicine, our perspective of our own bodies has changed (Vesna). At our basic core, we are made up of atoms, cells, and tissues. Present at essentially every level of our body is this idea of tensegrity, in which our cells and tissues are stabilized by the balance of compression and tension in response to mechanical stress (Ingber). While the networks may shift into various shapes and form, the system still remains intact as one connecting network.

An example of Menezes' "Functional Portraits" 

Similar to the idea of tensegrity, our idea of self-portraits and self-expression has shifted from portrait paintings and photographs to MRIs, blood portraits, and even manipulations of our own bodies. Despite their differences, they each represent a unique way of representing ourselves. 

MRI, which stands for magnetic resonance imaging is a form of technology that has allowed us to look inside the human body in a non-invasive way (Casini). This advancement can capture the brain, an organ that arguably makes us "human" and is responsible for the way we process, think, and feel (Casini). Artist Marta de Menezes creates “Functional Portraits”, where she uses fMRIs to create self-portraits by capturing an image of an active brain when the subject is performing an activity vital to their identity, such as playing the piano if they are a musician. 

Blood drops as a self-portrait 

            In addition to MRI, a major tool that has revolutionized the field of medicine is microscopes (Britten). We are able to see objects at the nanoscale level through electron microscopy. Joan Fontcuberta is an artist that creates self-portraits by magnifying and printing drops of blood from glass slides onto photographic paper. Although red blood cells do not contain DNA, we all possess a specific blood type and our blood carries the essence of ourselves. ORLAN is an artist that performs live surgeries and manipulates her body as a form of self-expression to comment on what it means to be beautiful (Leddy). In a way, her surgeries serve as a self-portrait of physical beauty and demonstrates what she values. As technology continues to develop, it will be interesting to see what new forms of self-expression arises.

Sources: 

Britten, Nick. “Artist uses live cells to created new form of design.” The Telegraph, 15 March 2011, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/8383363/Artist-uses-live-cells-to-create-new-form-of-design.html Accessed 28 April 2018. 

Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait” MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts”. Configurations, vol. 19, no. 1, 2011, pp. 73-99.  

De Menezes, Marta. Functional Portraits. http://martademenezes.com/portfolio/functional-portraits/ Accessed 28 April 2018.  

Fontcuberta, Joan. Hemograms. 1998. http://juanmagonzalez.com/fontcuberta/hemograms.html Accessed 28 April 2018. 

Ingber, Donald. “The Architecture of Life.” Scientific American, January 1998, pp. 48-57.  

Leddy, Siobhan. “At 70, Body Modification Artist ORLAN is still Reinventing Herself.” Art, 7 August 2017. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-70-body-modification-artist-orlan-reinventing Accessed 29 April 2018.

Vesna, Victoria. “Body Medicine intro." YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 26 March 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEgn-fZQ8po

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt2.” YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 21 April 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine pt3.” YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 22 April 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4. 

Event 1: Collective Bread Diaries

MTurk + Printer

I attended the Collective Bread Diaries: A Taste of Protest on April 5th, 2018. The name of this event intrigued me because in my limited experience with art, I have not come across many projects on food. Also, along with most of the population, I enjoy eating bread. The exhibition was simple, elegant, and centered around the idea of bread. Haytham Navar is an Egyptian artist that conceptualized the idea of creating these Collective Bread Diaries. His Collective Bread Diaries is a collection of drawings of different types of bread. When I think of bread, my first association and idea of bread is that it is a delicious commodity and staple. As Haytham Navar started describing his project and inspiration, I began realizing how much more complex bread is. Haytham Navar described how part of his inspiration is cultural because in Egypt, a raised loaf of bread is a sign of protest. He creatively uses bread as a representation of protests (Bohm). 

An example of one of the many sketches
of bread in Haytham Nawar's book

Haytham Nawar's book

In addition to being a sign of protest, bread is a unifying item. Since bread is a commodity, virtually everyone eats bread- the common people eat bread and the ruling class eats bread. In addition to his unique portrayal and interpretation of bread, Haytham Navar bridges the gap between the two separate cultures of the literary intellectuals and scientists through his process of creating his artwork (Snow). Navar uses a sophisticated piece of technology called the MechanicalTurk to create his product. Navar accepts drawings of various types of bread from people across the globe, and then through an online platform called MTurk, Navar is able to print them out to create this collective diary. I originally thought that each type of bread was hand drawn by him, so it was a surprising to learn that the drawings were printed by a printer. I guess I should not have been too surprised, since with such advanced technology, digital reproductions virtually look the same as the actual drawing (Davis). 

    

Picture of me & artist Haytham Nawar 

 I would definitely recommend this event because it was a nice visual experience and it expanded my idea of bread. Since Haytham Navar was presenting his work, you had the opportunity to ask him questions about his project including his personal inspiration and ideas, and it is not often that you get to directly ask an artist about his work!

Sources:

Bohm, David. “On Creativity.” Leonardo, vol. 1, no. 2, 1968, pp. 137–149, www.jstor.org/stable/1571951. Accessed 18 April 2018.

Davis, Douglas. "The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction (An Evolving Thesis: 1991-1995). Leonardo, vol 28, no. 5, 1995, pp. 381-386. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1576221 Accessed 22 April 2018.

Snow, C.P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York, Cambridge University Press, 1961.

Unit 3: Robotics + Art

The idea of robotics arose during the Industrial Revolution, “as a response to the mechanization of labor” (Vesna). The concept of automation and mass production became prevalent and continues to exist in our daily lives. As robots permeate into people’s daily lives, robots threaten humanity’s culture by taking jobs away from humans and posing as a large risk to the essence of human nature itself.

Robots are becoming more human-like

There are multiple estimates that robots will displace millions of people from their jobs by 2035 (Winick). This is a foreshadowing that something similar that occurred during the Industrial Revolution will occur in the future. Automation can help improve our lives, but threatens to take our jobs away. Yet, society accepts automation because without automation, society risks falling behind in this industrialization race. The idea of mechanization and robots is prevalent in industrialized countries including Japan and the United States, but both culture have different perspectives. In the United States, robots were vital to the Industrial Revolution and generally designed to perform one specific task (Kusahara).

Baymax 

In Japan, robots are important to Japan’s mechanization, but are more human-like or humanoid in nature. This was seen in the movie Big Hero 6 where the movie’s protaganist Baymax is a robot that is less robotic and more soft and friendly. Baymax’s main function is to provide healthcare and he excels at his function, while possessing many human characteristics and relatable quirks including curiosity and clumsiness. While the United States has long separated robots from humans by portraying robots as a menace in media, the line is getting blurred. David Hanson has designed robots that are capable of facial expressions and possess a “character engine” (Hanson). Zeno is a robot that is being mass manufactured, and Hanson aims to bring Zeno to the masses as a companion and teacher for children. While robots have not reached human empathy levels, robots become more human-like as technology advances. 

As Walter Benjamin said, there is an aura of authenticity that surrounds the original artifact or artwork. Thus, reproduced robots will never reach the authentic essence of humans theoretically. At the same time, with mechanical reproduction, robots have become more apparent and conventional. Similar to the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s, new technology and processes have developed and the public has slowly grown accustomed to the pervasive influence of robots and technology in industrialization.

                                                    Zeno, mass-produced robot 

Sources: 

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Germany,  1936.

Hanson, David "Robots that 'show emotion' " TED Talk, uploaded by TED, February 2009, https://www.ted.com/talks/david_hanson_robots_that_relate_to_you/up-next
Harkins, Sarah. Humans vs Robots. https://medium.com/so-digital/post-14-100dde355674. Accessed 18 April 2018. 

Kusahara, Machiko. "Robotics MachikoKusahara 1" YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 14 April 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQZ_sy-mdEU 

"RoboKind ZENO R50: Robot Introduction" YouTube, uploaded by Robokind Robotics, 26 April 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWhyExDKe4Q 
Vesna, Victoria. "Robotics pt1" YouTube, uploaded by ucolineprogram, 15 April 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRw9_v6w0ew 
Vesna, Victoria. "Robotics pt2" YouTube, uploaded by uconlineprogram, 15 April 2012,   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAZ8bo9T_Pk

Winick, Erin "Every study we could find on what automation will do to jobs, in one chart". Business Impact, 25 January 2018, https://www.technologyreview.com/s/610005/every-study-we-could-find-on-what-automation-will-do-to-jobs-in-one-chart/. Accessed 21 April 2018.  

http://www.createcg.net/baymax-big-hero-6-free-3d-model/ Accessed 18 April 2018.