Event 1- LACMA

Today my friend Jordyn and I visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Wilshire Boulevard ("Los Angeles County Museum of Art").  LACMA was absolutely beautiful on the outside and was full of unique art pieces. The day we went was free admission which made it very crowded. They were celebrating their 50 year anniversary! ("50th Anniversary Free Community Day").

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The museum consists of indoor and outdoor art, restaurants, cafes, and shops. I posted a picture out front of the museum with the infamous light posts. Each floor in the museum buildings had a theme. The one that stood out to me most was the German Art area which incorporated art and technology like we have been studying ("Haunted Screens: German Cinema in the 1920s").The image to the right is called "M" and the author is unknown. It is the face of this exhibit. The exhibit is called Haunted Screens: German Cinema in the 1920's, which is named after Lotte Eisner, a German film historian who wrote Haunted Screen.  There were black and white photographs, animated posters, and film throughout. The lighting was dark and the walls were all white. It caught my eye because I have learned so much about the German regime and the fact that it was real photos and events being displayed made me appreciate it more.

I am no artist and its hard for me to truly appreciate modern and foreign artwork but I enjoyed the vibe at LACMA and it was a perfect afternoon. Art can be defined and expressed in so many forms. "The definition of art is controversial in contemporary philosophy. Whether art can be defined has also been a matter of controversy" (Adajian, Thomas). I saw sculptures, pottery, canvas, painting, colored pencil, furniture, plants, film, photography, shapes, lines, and statues. There are absolutely no boundaries to what defines art and ultimately, the audience can interpret it in any way they want. Artist come from all over the world and from all types of cultures to produce a universally appreciated work. The LACMA represents the melting pot we live in called Los Angeles and all the diversity which comes with it ("Overview").

References 

Adajian, Thomas. "The Definition of Art." Stanford University. Stanford University, 23 Oct. 2007. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/art-definition/. 

"Haunted Screens: German Cinema in the 1920s." Haunted Screens: German Cinema in the 1920s. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. http://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/haunted-screens-german-cinema-1920s. 

"Los Angeles County Museum of Art." Los Angeles County Museum of Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. http://www.lacma.org. 

"Overview." Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. http://www.lacma.org/overview. 

"50th Anniversary Free Community Day." 50th Anniversary Free Community Day. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. http://www.lacma.org/event/community-free-day. 

Week 4- MedTech + Art

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Medical technology and art go hand in hand in diagnosing medical issues. Images from medical machinery are a combination of technology and art. Medical images of human insides are getting better and better and Tanya Lewis stated in her online article, “What Is An MRI?” that, “techniques are becoming much more quantitative, and smaller and smaller regions can be imaged — scientists can now image brain areas down to 1 millimeter thickness.” 

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As an athlete I have been educated on the human body and its anatomy through experience and has got me interested in a career in athletic training. I have had multiple MRI’s, CT Scan’s and X-Rays. Most recently, on April 14 just two weeks ago, I had shoulder surgery. I tore my labrum on uneven bars (gymnastics) and had it repaired arthroscopically.  Medical technology has had a huge impact and influence on me personally. Below I put a video of a shoulder repair just like the one I received ("Shoulder Surgery to Repair the Labrum Part 1"). The work they can do through tiny incisions and tools is unbelievable as Victoria stated lecture this week, medicine is becoming “more and more noninvasive on molecular level” (“Medicine and Art: Part 2”). The MRI I got done a couple weeks diagnosing my injury was a black and white imagine showing abnormality with dark colors and ultimately a tear and inflammation.  They injected dye into my arm for a clearer picture. It is an artwork with often time’s life changing information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnaZ6s1xqLU 

“Medicine has been influenced from photography and film.” (Vesna).  In this weeks lecture, Victoria mentioned the connection of medical technology and art and opened my eyes on how it is fascinating and relevant to every human being and our bodies. Whether its airport security or plastic surgery of some sort, our culture and society has changed because of medical technology and artistic advances (“Medicine and Art: Part 3”). Ultimately, the point of medicine and biotechnology is to help people live a better life.

References

"Athletic Training." |. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.                       

Lewis, Tanya. "What Is an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)?" LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 05 Dec. 2014. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. http://www.livescience.com/39074-what-is-an-mri.html.

"Shoulder Surgery to Repair the Labrum Part 1." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine and Art: Part 2.” Lecture.. Youtube, 25 Oct. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine and Art: Part 3.” Lecture. Youtube, 25 Oct. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4.

Week 3- Robotics + Art

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Since the rise of the Industrial Age machinery has played an important part in new technological advances (Intro lecture video). Without the development of this high-tech equipment, the rate of production would not be anywhere close to where it is today. What’s even more interesting is that these machines create more of themselves. Advances in these technologies have continued to grow and we are now to the point where some of these systems can think on their own. As of the 20^th century engineers have begun to establish robotic technologies to help with industrial development (Corday). 

We see all types of robotics in different types of industries ranging from transportation to agriculture. But it’s particularly intriguing to look at how robotics has affected art in relation to this weeks material. Before the late 18^th century art was small scale and usually meant for the upper class (Willette).  Because of the availability and price, after the Industrial Revolution all people were able to acquire and purchase was art.

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Society has responded to these transformations and there is a new style and taste for art today because of it. We have shifted from fewer paintings to more photographs, and now fewer photographs to more television. A lot of the art we see today is in movies. A great example of futuristic robotic art can be seen in the movie Transformers. The movie features auto robots fighting against each other along with extra terrestrial robots. We now have pets and animals and even humans as robots like its normal (Introducing Spot). Who could have pictured art like this in the 18^th century?

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Walter Benjamin, a philosopher in the early 20^th century, couldn’t have said it better when he stated, “The painting invites the spectator to contemplation… [With] the movie frame he cannot do so” (“Summary…”). Likewise in my opinion art was made for contemplation, reflection and interpretation. When looking at a painting you have to examine the details to understand the art. A moving object on your television screen takes away the examination factor because you see it for a split second then it moves on. This creates a form of art that cannot be scrutinized for what it’s really worth and we must be aware of the rapid changes taking place before our very eyes. 

References

Corday, Robert. "The Evolution of Assembly Lines: A Brief History." Robohub. N.p., 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

http://robohub.org/the-evolution-of-assembly-lines-a-brief-history/

Introducing Spot. Youtube. Boston Dynamics. 18 Apr 2015. Web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8YjvHYbZ9w

"Summary: The Work of Art in The Age of Mechanical Reproduction." Introducing the Frankfurt School. N.p., 28 Feb. 2008. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. https://frankfurtschool.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/summary-the-work-of-art-in the-age-of-mechanical-reproduction/

Vesna, Victoria. Robotics Intro. YouTube. Uconlineprogram, 18 Apr. 2015. Web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJcPtv7tnKY

Willette, Jeanne. "The Industrial Revolution." Art History Unstuffed. N.p., 6 Nov. 2009. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

http://www.arthistoryunstuffed.com/industrial-revolution/