Before Professor Vesna's lecture, I only thought of x-rays as a purely medical tool or simply the protocol for airport security, but never considered it a form of art. As I continued my research on x-rays I learned that it was a form of electromagnetic radiation that was first observed and documented by German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in 1895. He used it to create detailed images of the bones inside and since then it has advanced not only medical studies, but also the art field. When I read about Emily Watson creating jewelry based on the what she saw on MRIs and x-rays, I was even more amazed regarding the integration between medicine and art. Many do not see our own corporal bodies as a work of art, but the contour of our body shape and the movement of our joints is really beautiful. After seeing Watson's work, I expanded my research of artists who have been inspired by the internal representation of our bodies. I found Arie van't Riet's TED talk about looking deep inside nature and how he was a medical physicist and slowly became an artist through the use of his x-ray machine. His exploration of art in nature (flowers, insects, and animals) sparked my interest further and led to a couple more artists.
Hugh Turvey's "Foot in High Heel Shoe"
Artists have been known to use out-of-the-box mediums to display their art and make a statement, and Hugh Turvey has been one to use this primarily medical tool as a form of art. He has blurred the lines between photography and radiology coining a new term "xogram" which serves to describe a merge of an x-ray and photogram. He started taking xograms of objects in order to reveal their internal structure and has now moved on to portraits exposing their most prized possessions. Today Hugh Turvey has embraced technology even more by sharing his art on an his own app on the iPad.
Nick Veasay's "Matchless Motorcycle Rider"
Another artist who embraces the x-rays ability to reveal the commonly unseen is Nick Veasey. Although his work does include portraits and objects as Turvey does, his current project is on the subject of motorcycles. Professor Vesna explained in the lecture that a common use of the x-ray was also for manufacturers to check to make sure that their products were built properly. Especially large modes of transportation, the ability to double check the internal structure of the machinery is important for safety. Through the x-ray images, the details are revealed and each screw is shown and it's aesthetics are visually appealing. [1] Gambino, Megan. "X-Ray Art: A Deeper Look at Everyday [2] Objects."Smithsonian. Smithsonian.com, 3 Feb. 2014. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/x-ray-art-deeper-look-everyday-objects-180949540/?no-ist>. [3] Looking Deep Inside Nature Using Xray: Arie Van't Riet at TEDxGroningen. Perf. Arie Van't Riet. TED, 2013. Youtube.[4] "Nickveasey." HOME -. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nickveasey.com/>. [5] Science Mission Directorate. "X-Rays" Mission:Science. 2010. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.25 Apr. 2015 http://missionscience.nasa.gov [6] Yoo, Alice. "Radiation Physicist Beautifully Colorizes X-Ray Images of Nature." My Modern Net. N.p., 19 Dec. 2013. Web. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mymodernmet.com%2Fprofiles%2Fblogs%2Farie-vant-riet-nature-xray-art>.
The printing press from China that was made known by Yohannes Gutenberg allowed the public to have access to education and knowledge. That mass production of literature progressed into the world wide web we have today. With the click of a button, anyone can view a painting or read a novel.
Walter Benjamin in his essay, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction states that "even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking one element: the presence in time and space its unique existence at the place where it happens to be." Industrialization has made art obtainable to the masses to own their copies of; however, the reproductions have lead to the disappearance of the "aura" each piece has.
Adam Lindemann believes that artists who hire assistants are "designing the work not executing it, in the way an architect designs a building but doesn't necessarily lay the bricks," he says.
The industrialization aspect of art is not limited to the factories that simply make copies, but includes the use of assistants in creating pieces. Controversy lies with the idea of artists hiring people to essentially create their artwork for them. Whether it is public knowledge or not, a number of upcoming artists, as well as, famous ones use the hands of other, similar to an assembly line, to create each masterpiece while they sign the corner. Some say that "the value of a work is not invested in the hand that made it, but in the intention and realization." But others disagree with the fact that a piece is not its own without one's personal imperfections in it. The debate can go on, but personally, I believe that the blood, sweat and tears that go into a piece of art deserves the recognition of the hands that built it.
De Young Museum in San Francisco, CA
The De Young Museum in San Francisco has a robot that can be directed around in order to take a tour while in their own home. This advancement in technology supports Gutenberg's idea of spreading art to those who lack the ability, whether its due to age, distance, or financial reasons. ut advancement of technology in art does not always have to be negatively controversial. The idea of robotics in art has sparked the idea of robotics embracing the idea of spreading knowledge and art to the public. Art can be seen in books and computers, so the emotional connection of seeing a piece in person is slowly disintegrating. Those who lack accessibility to museums in order to view the pieces have been granted a gift. Sources: [1] ABB Robotics - Robotic Artist at Long Distance Art Event. ABB Robotics, 2013. Film.
[2] Benjamin, Walter, and J. A. Underwood. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.
[3] Lim, Angelica. "What Roboticists Can Learn From Art, and What Artists Can Learn From Robots." Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/diy/what-roboticists-can-learn-from-art>. [4] "Robots Open up the World of Art."CBSNews. CBS Interactive. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/robots-open-up-the-world-of-art/>. [5] "The Art Assembly Line." WSJ. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303745304576357681741418282>.
As I was growing up, the idea of math and art were extremely distinct. You were either good at one or the other, but never both. I believed that I was always on the artistic side because I was terrible at math. But as I have dived in to the fundamentals of art, I have come to realize that mathematics is extremely prevalent in art. As a costume designer, I am dealing with proportions and measurements of actors and as a set designer, I must draw everything with perspective and scale large theaters into miniature 3-D renderings and models.
The idea of the two intersecting was made clear to me when Professor Vesna mentioned Brunelleschi's ideas about perspective and vanishing points. Without these tools, the renderings of sets that I design would be unrealistic and not practical to recreate on stage.
Without Brunelleschi's use of mathematics, the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore would still be incomplete and architecture to this day would not have progressed. The use of mathematics has pushed the limit to create beautiful art, such as the dome, and leads to an advancement in technology and infrastructure.
Artists are constantly using mathematics to create their vision and works of art. They use the measurements of a canvas to map out the composition of their art and if they specifically create people or buildings, the proportions must be correct to create a realistic portrayal.
When I first tell people that I'm a theatre major, the assumption is immediately that I am in acting, but in fact, I am a design/production track. Most UCLA students are unaware that a theatre program exists as this school because it is deep North Campus, even further than Broad. However, as focused as costume and set design is in art, it is also extremely technical and technology driven. The fusion between the two is evident within the aesthetically pleasing visuals costume and sets portrays in theatre, but also the tedious measurements and building it takes to make sure that each piece is practical, safe, and working correctly. In relevance to this course, I am excited to learn more about the merging between the two subjects that have divided our school.
As a Korean-American, I have experienced the difficulty of balancing and merging two cultures in my life. Growing up without a true Asian community in my school and neighborhood, allowed me to truly see the distinction between the two cultures in relation to food, relationships, schoolwork, and more. However, as I grew up I learned how the two cultures would intermingle in order.
"Artistry/Technology"
Before starting this class, I thought it would simply be learning and discussing artists whom have fused the two cultures together. But once the lecture videos started I became even more interested as I began hearing about the discussion regarding the separation between arts and sciences and how it has taken a toll on society. I really enjoyed the reading "On Creativity" by David Bohm that made coherent points that connected, Charles Percy Snow's two cultures of literary intellectuals and natural sciences. Bohm made the point that scientists, just like artists, are seeking to discover something original that has some kind of significance. I believe that North and South Campus students have generally made that their goal as students at a highly competitive school in order to have the unique "it" factor to make them the best. The distinction between having talent and being original is a life principle that I believe that everyone should ingrain in their minds.
Artistry/Technology. Dir. Pablo Ganguli and Tomas Auksas. Youtube.com. Liberatum, 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=108&v=fKhETsSoT_c>.
Healy, Kent.
South Korean flag merged with United States of America flag. Digital image.
N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2015. < http://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/S.-Korea-America.jpg>.
Originality
Is the Only Antidote. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.maxims4mavericks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Originality-is-the-only-atidote-Kent-Healy.jpg>.
Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New
York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.
Hi! My name is Jamie Cho and I am a first year Theater major with my concentration on design/production. Within design and production, I specialize in costume and set design, so I have a great interest in art. Since our campus is mostly divided by North and South campus, I am extremely interested to see how the two can collaborate. Art is so prevalent in society today, as is technology, so the two merging together is fascinating and I am excited to learn more.
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