kevinyDESMA9

            The medical fields, particularly human anatomy, have always fascinated artists. Understanding human body structure components such as the skeleton and muscles is an essential skill for many art students. One modern example of how art and medicine intertwine is the BODY WORLDS exhibit, a touring art gallery that features perfectly preserved human organs and bodies. This special exhibition is in fact the product of a long history of medical technology. Specifically, Gunther von Hagens’s plastination technique (discovered in 1979) made it possible to preserve biological tissue specimen using polymer mixtures. This type of art reflects on society’s changing perceptions of human anatomy. From analyzing individual cadavers to creating databases on systems of microbial organisms in the body, medical technology continues to inspire revolutionary pieces of art (Vesna, 2012). (The book cover of Gunther Von Hagens's Body Worlds Catalog, first published in 2006.)        

            Kinetic and robotic art is quickly becoming popular among contemporary artists, such as Perry Hoberman’s Faraday’s Garden (1990) and Faraday’s Ghost (2011) masterpieces. The history of robotic art dates back to the industrialization periods, starting with inventions such as the printing press. This device introduced the concept of mechanization, specifically allowing the mass production of books and rapid spread of knowledge. The mechanization of labor then sparked the idea of the robot, a term coined by Czech playwright, Karel Capek. Laborers were basically treated as machines, being required to adapt to the other automated systems along the assembly line. Capek commented on this unsettling work culture through a play involving robots because he felt that workers were being replaced by mechanization. With the growth of computers, however, society increasingly became dependent on the capabilities of machines. Finally in the 20 th century, artists such as Roy Ascott star

“The problem is not that we are too materialistic—it is that we are not materialistic enough.” This past Thursday, I attended Linda Weintraub’s Art|Sci Gallery, which was part of Eco-centric Art+Science Week. Linda Weintraub is an educator, author, and artist who believes in the beauty and necessity of environmental consciousness, through which people can discover newfound respect for the physical world. The interactive exhibition opened my senses and allowed me a taste of the woods of New York. I am glad to have experienced the ideals of ecological materialism and contemporary art through Linda’s project! ("Welcome to My Woods" Poster in Gallery) She first shared her inspiration for this gallery: an undergraduate student who taught underprivileged high school students in Los Angeles. This undergraduate was shocked by how few of them had seen the ocean, and even more dismayed when she saw how strange it was for them to walk on the sandy beach. The high school stu

In this week’s lesson, we learned about how mathematics influenced art and science in history. An example of a paradigm shift in the history of art was the introduction of linear perspective. Based on the mathematics and science of physical optics, linear perspective heavily influenced artists during the Renaissance period. Techniques such as the vanishing point helped paintings appear geometrically correct, effectively reproducing reality in the eyes of art spectators. Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” perfectly portrays the use of one-point perspective in this famous art piece.  (Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper", with lines to emphasize linear perspective)             In history, mathematics also influenced the construction of other forms of art, such as architecture and music. For example, the Great Pyramids of Giza and the contemporary Modulor system are based on the golden ratio, developed by Greek mathematicians. Lastly, this week’s readings provi

            In the first week of DESMA 9, students were introduced to the concept of two cultures. This term, coined by Charles Percy Snow, or C. P. Snow, was thoroughly discussed in his lecture to Cambridge University in 1959, titled “The Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution.” The two cultures refer to the science and humanities disciplines, which today are seemingly disparate fields of study. Interestingly, Snow’s lecture focused on the disparity between the wealthy and poor populations, but it facilitated many discussions about the understanding between scientists and literary intellectuals. John Brockman even proposed a third culture in 1995, consisting elites associated with technology and the empirical sciences. To address this complicated issue, it is prudent to understand how this paradigm shift came to be, and how it is reflected in life today. Before this separation between the arts and sciences started to form, many notable historical figures actually were involve