Week 4: MedTech + Art

Week 4: MedTech + Art

29 April 2018

My Mom Before Her Surgery

I didn’t appreciate the artistic side to medicine until my mother underwent a hip replacement surgery two years ago. She was having chronic pain in her hip due to an injury in college, and was taking over-the-counter pain medicine to try and mitigate her injury. When she decided to go forward with her hip replacement she was told about a new medical technology which I found to be quite fascinating. This technology means they are now able to use MAKO robotic-arm assistance to replace hips with minimal human involvement. This is the future of medical technology, with more and more surgeries being replaced with 3D imaging and robotic placements and fixings. 

Titanium Hip

If you have ever seen a titanium hip, which is what my mom had placed, you would notice just how beautiful the design is. Made perfectly to match each individual hip, the outside of the metal is etched to ensure proper bone melding. The old bones are completely removed to make way for this new metal, and the pieces fit perfectly to make sure there is no catching in the movement of the joint. It is this beautiful, sleek, and matching metal structure which has given my mother so much relief and the ability to walk, run, and move without any discomfort.

Kevin Warwick And His Work

The idea that this new technology is a form of art is discussed quite well by Professor Vesna. I think the concept that MRI’s and other such medical imaging is art is quite profound and something that more people should consider when delving into their own personal medical issues. I think Kevin Warwick and his work with neurosurgical implants is really the future of medical technology. I expect more and more biological devices to be introduced into our society to improve health and that they will soon be incorporated into more artistic showcases as well.

References

“DePuy ASR Recall– Hip Replacement Recall & Lawsuits.” Injury Lawyer News, 19 Aug. 2014, injurylawyer-news.com/depuy-hip-replacement/asr-recall/.

Orlan – Carnal Art (2001) Documentary. Dir. Stéphan Oriach. Perf. Orlan. N.d. Film. YouTube. Web. 26 Oct. 2012. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=no_66MGu0Oo

“The Benefits of Robotic-Arm Assistance in Joint Replacement Surgery | Utah | IASIS: Centers of Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.” Steward Health Care, 12 July 2017, www.utahorthopediccenters.com/mako-for-hips-and-knees/the-benefits-of-robotic-arm-assistance-in-joint-replacement-surgery/.

“Total Hip Replacement with Mako.” Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Hip Replacement | THR | Stryker, Stryker, 2018, patients.stryker.com/hip-replacement/procedures/mako-robotic-arm-assisted.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine and Art: Parts 1-3.” YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded.

Warwick, Kevin. “Home.” Kevin Warwick, www.kevinwarwick.org/.

Week 3: Robotics and Art

Week 3: Robotics and Art

22 April 2018

Photograph to Painting Comparison

This week was all about the importance of the combination of robotics and art. I truly enjoyed the discussion Walter Benjamin had on the subject, where he covered the difference between the “progressive reaction” and the “reactionary attitude” (Benjamin 3). The type of reaction to photographs and film is different because people are able to experience the artwork on a deeper level of social magnitude. He specifically references the difference between paintings and film, which I believe is a fundamental distinction between mechanical art and traditional art that holds true today. He also delves into the mass production aspects of mechanical systems. I think its interesting when this idea is applied to things like art, because film allows pictures and movies to be widespread among the population, which opens it up to more criticisms. Traditional paintings, on the other hand, can only be in one physical location at a time.

Robots Poster

I think an interesting movie that delves into traditional robotics and art is the 2005 20th Century Fox movie Robots. This movie explores the idea of a traditional human style world run completely by robots with human-like emotions and thought processes. The movie doesn’t delve into the semantics of why robots have taken over the world, but the idea that robots, when developed properly, will be around longer than humans is very relevant to our current rate of innovation. Rodney Brooks, in his TED talk, expands on this idea, talking about how he sees us becoming very dependent on robots who are able to respond to us on the same emotional level. 

Rodney Brooks and a Robot

Overall, I do believe that humans will become more dependent on robotic technology as time goes on. I think robotics have had a much easier time taking over traditional mechanical jobs, like assembly lines, but soon will delve deeper into the artistic world of story creation. This is a future I personally look forward to, since it is so fascinating to witness this expansion of both art and science.

References

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Davis, Douglas. “The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction.” The MIT Press, 1995. Web. 22 Apr. 2018. 

Frank, Priscilla. “Watch Actors Transform Into Living Van Gogh Paintings Before Your Eyes.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Sept. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/loving-vincent-still-paintings_us_59b826f7e4b02da0e13cd1ed.

Martin, Dylan. “Can Rodney Brooks Rebuild U.S. Manufacturing by Selling Robots in China?” Americaninno.com, www.americaninno.com/boston/us-v-china-manufacturing-rethink-robotics-founder-weighs-in/.

“Robots Will Invade Our Lives.” Performance by Rodney Brooks, TED, TED Talk, 2003, www.ted.com/talks/rodney_brooks_on_robots/up-next#t-1098768.

“Robots.” The Movie Database, www.themoviedb.org/movie/9928-robots.

Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics pt1” CoLE. N.p.. Web. 22 Apr 2018. <https://cole.uconline.edu/~UCLA-201209-12F-DESMA-9-1

Wedge, Chris, director. Robots. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2005.

Event 1

Event 1: Cut! Paper Play in Contemporary Photography

15 April 2018

Me Standing Next to Partition 31
by Christiane Feser

I attended this exhibition at the Getty on Saturday April 14th with my friend, Aman, who is also taking DEMSA 9 this quarter. The exhibit itself was located very close to light up photographs from the 19th century, which was a fascinating juxtaposition to the contemporary geometric pieces being displayed for the exhibit we were there to see. The entire area was dedicated to 6 photographers who use paper and pictures, with different geometries, to create their visual craft. I personally enjoyed the work of Christiane Feser, Soo Kim, and Christopher Russell, who use cutting, incising, layering, or folding techniques to introduce a tactile element into photography, which is usually considered a more 2-dimensional art form.

(Repeating the words, as if
to understand better) by Soo Kim

Soo Kim’s work really illustrates this 3-dimensions quality with the work “(Repeating the words, as if to understand better).” This image is inkjet prints hand cut and layered on top of each other to create a more realistic dimensioning.  The photographs compare nicely to the contemporary lines and blank openness. The eye is truly drawn to the work in order to dissect this visual difference. The piece itself is very similar to the ideas seen in our week 2 discussions of the relations of mathematics and art. The geometric shapes of the lines and the way the photographs are layered onto each other give the piece a deeper artistic interpretation. 

Explosion #31 by Christopher Russell

On the other hand, Christopher Russell uses razorblades in his work “Explosion #31” to scratch pigmented print with plexiglass to create the texture and depth he desires. The black and white image does not do justice to the piece, which has more shadows and contrast in real life when a person is able to move around the room to view it from different angles. It is almost as if you could reach your hand into the light and transport yourself into the picture.

Overall I highly recommend my classmates go see the exhibit Cut! Paper Play in Contemporary Photography at the Getty. It expands on the conceptual ideas of dimensions mentioned in our week 2 discussion of Flatland, and shows the depth of geometric artistic renditions of modern photography. The combination of math and art were necessary to showcase the true unique qualities of the pieces of work displayed. 

Parking Ticket from Saturday April 15th at The Getty

References

Abbott, Edwin. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. London: Seeley and Co., 1884. Print.

Lang, Robert J. “Origami Mathematics.” Origami Mathematics. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.langorigami.com/science/math/math.php>.

Oullette, Jennifer. "Pollock's Fractals." Discover Magazine. Kalmback Publishing Co., 01 Nov. 2001. Web. 13 Apr. 2017. <http://discovermagazine.com/2001/nov/featpollock>.

Week 2: Math and Art

Week 2: Math and Art

15 April 2018

Flatland Ideas: 3-Dimensional Shapes in 2-Dimensions

My first experience with the combination of math and art was in my 8th grade geometry class where my professor showed us Flatland: The Film, which was a computed animated film based on the 1884 novella Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. I thoroughly enjoyed this expansion of mathematics, because I had never thought of shapes or lines in that unique way. Since I personally live in a three dimensional world, the idea that there could possibly be more dimensions “crossing over” into our dimension for communication or other purposes really opened my eyes to how intricate math could be when combined with imagination or other artistic insights (Abbott). 

Aestheometry Example

When I was little I had a different encounter with math and art, and at the time I didn’t actually understand that what I was doing could in any way even be related to math. The process was called Aestheometry, and is where straight lines are created in a way to show implied curves in artwork (Cummings). The image to the right truly highlights this process, with the colors and lines creating an illusion of curvature. This illusion is what makes the combination of math so interesting, because the geometry of the shape itself would never have given way to such a beautiful creation without both the strict mathematical geometry of straight lines and the artistic addition of colors into the image. 

Hyperbolic Crochet by Diana Taimina

Diana Taimina demonstrates the ultimate combination of both art and mathematics. She was able to create a medium for a subject mathematicians had accepted as too complicated for traditional visuals. Using crochet, Taimina became known for her precise hyperbolic plane creations, which could be seen in both museums made for math and art exhibits. I believe the lesson here is that if more mathematicians, or even scientists, had exposure to different artistic mediums, there could be more unusual and creative solutions to some of the most complicated equations of the universe. 

References

Abbott, Edwin. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. London: Seeley and Co., 1884. Print.

Cummins, Scott. “Aestheometry Designs - Art & Geometry.” Teachers Pay Teachers, www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Aestheometry-Designs-Art-Geometry-374133.

“Daina Taimina.” Daina Taimina | Crochet Coral Reef, crochetcoralreef.org/contributors/daina_taimina.php.

Kehe, Jason. “A Guide to Flatland: What It's Like to Live in Two Dimensions.” Wired, Conde Nast, 20 Nov. 2014, www.wired.com/2014/11/geometry-of-flatland/.

Lang, Robert J. “Origami Mathematics.” Origami Mathematics. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.langorigami.com/science/math/math.php>.

Oullette, Jennifer. "Pollock's Fractals." Discover Magazine. Kalmback Publishing Co., 01 Nov. 2001. Web. 13 Apr. 2017. <http://discovermagazine.com/2001/nov/featpollock>.

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

Week 1: Two Cultures

Week 1: Two Cultures

8 April 2018

Ceramic Bowl I Created in 2012

My own experiences with the ideas of two cultures in relation to the arts and sciences stem from school curriculum and outside activities. I grew up encouraged by my family to work hard on the scientific aspects of my curriculum with the understanding that the knowledge gained from this would advance my career and guarantee my future, just as the RSAnimate suggests most students are encouraged to do. Despite this, I was always drawn toward artistic endeavors in exciting places, like ceramics or painting, and would take classes outside school to nurture my curiosity in these humanities disciplines. I always felt my family was pushing me towards the science side of culture because of an ingrained society saying that becoming elite in science would lead to more success. This idea resonates strongly with what Snow says is how “we have set ourselves the task of producing a tiny elite” (Snow 21).

Senior Capstone Innovative Design Idea (Robotic Birdcage)

Our education system has separated the students into two fields so completely that high schools encourage students to either focus on advancements in math and engineering, or in literature and art. Rarely is there support for children to breach the gap between literature and calculus classes. As a Mechanical Engineer myself, I truly didn’t understand the importance of a “triangle of art, science, and technology” (Vesna 212) until I was enrolled in my senior Mechanical Engineering design class. This class truly epitomized the use of all aspects of the arts, science, and technology. Our task was to create any design possible with a limited budget, utilizing science and technology to properly and safely design a useful and beautiful product. This design had my team stretched to its imagination limits, since we had become so accustomed to straight calculations and experimentations from our many years in school. 

Scientific Analysis on Birdcage Component

It was through this design class that I realized the true fulfillment of becoming a Mechanical Engineer. Because I finally had the ability to create and build an idea from an initial design phase to completion, I realized that the true joy of my field comes from the fruition of my creative and unique mechanical designs. It was through my years of calculations and experimentation that I would then gain enough skills to utilize my ideas to help society advance scientific achievements in the creative sphere (Bohm 138). 

References

Bohm, D. “On Creativity”. Leonardo 1.2 (Apr. 1968):137-149. Web.

Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.

The RSA. "RSA ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms." Online video clip. Youtube. 14 October 2010. Web. 8 April 2018. 

Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a third culture: being in between." Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-125.

Wilson, Stephen. "Myths and Confusions in Thinking about Art/Science/Technology." College Art Association Meetings. 2000, New York City. 8 Apr. 2018.