Event 1: James Turrell: A Retrospective at LACMA

James Turrell: A Retrospective at LACMA

I had the opportunity to visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on October 14^th 2013. I specifically wanted to attend the exhibition by James Turrel which I had earlier learnt that it featured early geometric light projections, prints and drawings, installations exploring sensory deprivation and seemingly unmodulated fields of colored light, and recent two-dimensional work with holograms. In addition to that, I had learnt that the museum is largest art museum in western United States and that it has over 100,000 art collections from different regions of the world which are showcased through exhibitions, public programs, and research facilities.

This is Me!

My Ticket

The Museum’s Exterior

The Museum’s Interior

In this exhibition, James Turrell makes light the center of attraction. He gives light texture, weight and size thus making the viewers have a firsthand experience of what light really made of. The exhibition featured two installations, the first one referred to as Perceptual Cell and the second one called the dark Matters. The Perceptual Cell featured a spherical chamber in which an immersive light program takes place.

 Afrum White

Raemar Pink-White

Breathing Light

The exhibition also involve going through different rooms that were lit up in different lights and shapes of colors. In the first room, three suites of drawings and prints. Turrel shows how shading in grey, white and black shapes produces an illusion of a 3-D object on a flat surface. Another interesting gallery showcased the projection of white light into the corner of a dark room which produces a huge 3-D cube that floats in air and seems to rotate when one walks around it. Other exiting exhibition included Juke, Green, St. Elmo’s Breath, Key Lime and Raemar Pink White.

Example of 3D Images

The experience was so interesting and amazing. It was an experience out of this world and it showcases how artists use scientific concepts to come up with extra-ordinary work. I recommend a visit by anyone who wants to get a different perspective of light.

Unit 4 MedTech + Art

MedTech + Art

This week’s topic focused on the relationship between medicine, technology and art. It was interesting to read about various artists who use the body as a medium of showcasing their artistic prowess. Previously, I had no idea how art and medicine related to each other but professor Vesna’s lecture on how artists such as Orlan undergo medical procedure in order to display their work in art was an eye opener. 

Orlan

http://sumnonrabidus.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/i-need-no-really-i-need-a-tattoo/

 Medicine plays an important role in the society. Its connection with art is hard to find but artists such as orlan who use their own body to and plastic surgery procedures to make carnal art are a great example of how medicine contributes to art. Technology in the field of medicine has evolved over time with new machines such as the MRI being developed to aid in patient treatment and care. Casini is of the view that such inventions as the MRI shows how art contributes to medicine since it has made it possible for people to have a glance of the internal organs without dissecting the body. In addition to this, it was interesting to learn about the contribution of artists such Da Vinci in medicine. To make more realistic images, artists such as Da Vinci used the human anatomy to find out how various body systems worked. Scientists borrowed from these findings to develop new medical technologies.

Da Vinci Portrait of the Human Anatomy

http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/leonardo-da-vinci/anatomical-studies

 I also read about the works of Emily Watson and Zoran Todorovic whose artworks are influenced by the human anatomy. This week’s topic was very interesting and I was amazed at how art can have a wide scope and influence medicine and at the same time how medicine can inspire artists.

Todorovic Work

http://isthisbioart.com/tag/body/

  

Works Cited

Casini, Silvia. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and Arts. Configurations, 19.1 (2011):73-99.

Culturebase. Zoran Todorovic. 2007. Web, 25 Oct, 2013. http://www.culturebase.net/artist.php?188

Jeffries, Stuart. Orlan’s Art of Sex and Surgery. 2009.  Web. 26 October 2013. <http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2009/jul/01/orlan-performance-artist-carnal-art>

Vesna, Victoria. Medicine and Art: Part 2. YouTube, n.d. Web. 26 October 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded>.

Watson, Emily. Resume and Bio. N.d. Web. 25 October 2013. <http://www.metalemily.com/pages/Resume.html>

Week 3: Robotics and Art

Robotics and Art

I found this week’s topic on art and robotics quite fascinating. I am a great fun of science fiction and was not surprised when professor Vesna pointed out in her lecture that art has greatly influenced technology. The example she gave of how the idea of robots was first presented in movies was clear and wholly explained how art and robotics relate. I also got to know that it is not only art that influences technological innovations but advancement in technology also influences art.

Artistic Drawing of a Robot

www.trendhunter.com

In “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” Walter Benjamin points out that not only does technology have positive impacts on art, but it also influences art in a negative way. Additionally, he discusses the evolution of art over various periods including the industrialization period. He points out the various perspective of art and goes back in time in a bid to trace how advancement in technology has influenced art.

Painter Robot

www.trendhunter.com

Science fiction movies usually combine art and robotics. One such move is Pacific Rim, a movie directed by Guillermo Del Toro. In the movie, Earth is invaded by monsters that kill people and destroy buildings indiscriminately.

Pacific Rim Robot

ademonsvoice.blogspot.com

To engage the monsters which have emerged from an interdimensional portal in the Pacific Ocean, people build gigantic robots controlled by two pilots. The visuals used in the movie are sophisticated.  This movie clearly shows how art and robotics can be combined. This movie might even inspire future technological innovations where we might start using giant robots to do various things such as constructing building and moving heavy loads.

  

Works Cited

Vesna, Victoria. Lecture part 1, 2, 3. “Robotics + art. 19 Oct 2013. <https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/63226/wiki/unit-3-view?module_item_id=970429>

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Marxists. 1936. N.p.Web. 19 Oct 2013. <http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm>.

Thinking ahead. Robots and art. 2011. N.p.Web. 19 Oct 2013. <http://thinkinghead.edu.au/ra2011/>

Lim, Angelica.What Roboticists Can Learn From Art, and What Artists Can Learn From Robots.2013. N.p.Web. 19 Oct 2013. <http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/diy/what-roboticists-can-learn-from-art>

Ganson, Arthur. Machines. 2013. N.p.Web. 19 Oct 2013. <http://www.arthurganson.com/pages/Sculptures.html>

Unit 2: Math and Art

 Math and Art

In material engineering, we apply both mathematical and art concepts. This week’s topic attempts to show how the two relate and it thus follows that engineering is a perfect example of how art and math are used. I also came to learn that various artists actually use mathematics to come up with amazing pieces, and in her lecture, professor Vesna states that Mathematics symbols are actually forms of art thus confirming that art and math are related. In addition to that, it was interesting to learn about the vitruvatian Man and the golden ratio concept. Professor Vesna pointed out that the two are some of the example of geometry and symmetry in architecture and nature.

Art in Engineering

www.ecofriend.com

Another interesting point learnt this week is that not until recently did artists start incorporating mathematical concepts into their pieces. This has greatly contributed in ensuring that the pieces are more realistic. In addition to that, I found M.C. Escher’s work quite impressive and unique. It was amazing to see how an artiste can incorporate both math and art to come up with amazing pieces of art. It is not surprising that his work has been used to bring out various mathematical concepts and ideas. He employed topological distortions and transformations, strange or multiple perspectives, and visual recursion.

M. C. Escher Tessellation

http://fineartebooks.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/when-art-intersects-with-mathematics-constantin-brancusi-m-c-escher-and-cristian-todie/

Apart from that, another important point that I was able to note is that mathematics actually inspires art. Mathematical patterns and designs are usually too precise, too symmetrical and too mechanical in the eyes of an artist and building from these designs and patterns, artists are able to transform the mathematical art into a truly inspired image or art form.

Math Meets Art for Prof Coxeter

http://www.math.toronto.edu/coxeter/art-math.html

 

 

 Work Cited

Burk, Philip, et al. Music and computers. 2013. Web. 11 Oct 2013 <http://music.columbia.edu/cmc/MusicAndComputers/>.

Gupta, Arvind. The interesting connection between math and music. 2009.Web. 11 Oct 2013 <http://www.vancouversun.com/Entertainment/interesting+connection+between+math+music/1473881/story.html>.

Schattschneider. D and College. M. Mathematics and Art -So Many Connections. 2003. Web. 11 Oct 2013. <http://www.mathaware.org/mam/03/essay3.html>

Mathacademy. The mathematical art of M.C. Escher . 2013. Web. 11 Oct 2013 <http://www.mathacademy.com/pr/minitext/escher/>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov”. Cole UC online. YouTube. 9 April 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg&feature=player_embedded>