Desma 9 Final

Desma 9 Final from Mayra Zaragoza

You can also see it on:
http://www.slideshare.net/mayrarzaragoza/desma-final

Event 5: Science Center - Hubble 3D and Endeavour

     At the Science Center I chose to see the Hubble 3D film! It was an amazing film and I encourage everyone to watch it. I am hoping to go watch it again because it is an experience beyond explanation. 

     The Hubble is a giant telescope that was sent into space on a mission to capture images that no one could ever imagine seeing. My jaw dropped when I saw what this telescope could do and capture. Dying stars, newborn stars, nebulas, a star nursery, and many more images that will make you wonder if we could ever see these things up close in person. The telescope's lenses were replaced multiple times during its course and with every fix it enhanced its capturing abilities and has surpassed anyone's expectations. What it has captured is amazing (VERY aesthetically pleasing) and has opened the world to new exploration and learning to unlock the secrets of space. 

     Please, please, do look at the images that it has captured. They are extremely mind blowing; I literally got goosebumps and maybe a tear in my eye. This was the most amazing experience I have had. I jokingly told my parents that I want to be an astronaut now. The film featured a lot of traveling into space like the powers of ten video but into low earths orbit. I would see the camera and the craft as a form of art and space merging into one and not to mention the photographs it captures that inspire artists to create new and exciting work! 

     I got to thinking what materials were used in the making of a space shuttle to take these courageous astronauts into space to repair the Hubble. I few are aluminum, iron, ceramic. The shuttle is covered in individual ceramic tiles that can withstand very high temperatures and the metals have to be durable in order for the ship not to fall apart. I find it very hard to believe that people ride inside the shuttle that goes up to 3000 degrees kelvin or even more because I work with ceramics and it sometimes takes days for my pieces to cool off and those pieces are only several inches tall! I cannot imagine a shuttle that huge. 

      All in all, making the shuttle and the Hubble required great knowledge of probably all the sciences such as chemistry, physics, mathematics, and some type of mechanical engineering subject. And what is brought back from the telescope is art, yes art, images that serve as pieces to make art or art pieces themselves. I do think the shuttle and Hubble telescope are works of art that took many years of planning and designing. I am happy that this was the last trip for this class because it was better than the rest. 

   I want to leave you with a piece of art that is called Grand Finale by McLean Fahnestock. 

Space and Art

    In the lectures of space and art I learned many new things. I also saw a merge of all the topics, such as biotech, nanotech, robots, mathematics, and of course art. During the space race we learned many new things like creating new devices that could withstand space and from the curiosity of man we have seen and discovered new materials that can be useful for humans. What I thought was very interesting was the creation of a fuel depot in the future. It is estimated to be in place during the year 2020. This depot would use the water from asteroids and convert it into liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to fuel the rockets. Another thing that could be useful is the asteroid mining. This would get us resources such as metals like nickel and platinum that would generate a lot of money.

    We seem to have a fascination with the unknown and this has lead us to go into the depths of space to see many different galaxies. The Power of Ten video showed us just how far and vast space is. I am skeptical to think that we would be able to live in space without our natural resources such as water, plants, and most importantly oxygen. But, science amazes and opens new doors to the unimaginable and maybe in the future we would create a device that would allow us to live off of the rays of sun (some type of cyborg perhaps).

    Ars ad Astra: The First Art Exhibition In Earth Orbit, is an art show in the Mir Space Station. This has pushed art into a new dimension. Art can now be seen in space and I think this is amazing. Amazing because there is now a new theme or idea; art can be launched into space so it can forever be floating through space! It will float into the depths of space until it disintegrates, lands somewhere, is found by an alien, or pushed out into another earth like planet. Who knows! We have yet to answer the question, “How far can you get?” and I do not believe we will because we die so young unless we make a high speed rocket that can push us far out into the dark and quiet world known as space.   





1. "Leonardo Space Art Project Visioneers." Leonardo Space Art Project Visioneers. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://spaceart.org/leonardo/vision.html>.

2. "Powers of Ten. Based on the film by Charles and Ray Eames. An Eames Office Website." Powers of Ten. Based on the film by Charles and Ray Eames. An Eames Office Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://www.powersof10.com/>.

3. "Ars Ad Astra, The 1st Art Exhibition in Earth Orbit on the Mir Space Station, Space Art, art-in-space." Ars Ad Astra, The 1st Art Exhibition in Earth Orbit on the Mir Space Station, Space Art, art-in-space. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://www.arsadastra.com/>.

4. "Asteroid mining by 2020: Robo-ships to dig space rocks for gold & fuel." - RT News. N.p., 12 Dec. 2011. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://rt.com/news/planetary-resources-asteroid-mining-835/>.

5. Bonsor, Kevin. "Valuable Asteroid Resources." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, n.d. Web. 28 July 2014. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/asteroid-mining1.htm>.

Nanotechnology and Art

   Nanotechnology is invisible to the human eye; it can be manipulated to serve us and can harm us. In our lectures, professor Gimzewski gave us many amazing examples of nanotechnology. It ranged from scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to self organization in nature also known as the golden ratio.

   What interested me the most about the STM was that you can move or propel atoms so they can chemically bond with other atoms and that manipulation makes patterns at a microscopic level.  Here is a beautiful example of this scan and here is a link that leads you to an art gallery of many STM pictures.

http://www.nanotech-now.com/Art_Gallery/Weiss-Group.htm

   When nanosizing materials such as gold it gives us different colors that give that special look in stain glass. When gold is nanosized it is seen as red or orange and this color depends on the size of the particle! Silver is seen as yellow! Here is a stain glass window using nanotechnology before it was even discovered!

   Nanotechnology can also give people without limbs or those in need of organs hope. Biomimicry is the imitation of the structure of other living creatures. There was an example of gecko feet but I was thinking more or a general reptilian structure. When a lizard’s tail is cut off its body generates a new one! This can be used in people without limbs (or so I think).

   Mimicry can also be used in clothing! The lotus flower has a waterproof skin that the droplets of water just slide off. This technology has inspired scientists to create self cleaning fabrics!

   In our reading I really enjoyed the nano-scape, this device allows us to access the nano world through touch! A magnetic force allows one to push around the invisible nano particles thus creating a invisible sculpture.

   From stain glass windows to invisible nano sculptures nanotechnology bridges the gap between art and science because it can take up many forms.

1. "art in the age of nanotechnology." Artabase. John Curtin Gallery, 30 Apr. 2010. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://www.artabase.net/exhibition/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.

2. "From Nanotech to Nanoscience | Chemical Heritage Foundation." From Nanotech to Nanoscience | Chemical Heritage Foundation. Chemical Heritage Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. 

3. <http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/media/magazine/articles/26-2-from-nanotech-to-nanoscience.aspx>.

"Nanotechnology: Small Science, Big Deal!." . Nanoscale Information Science Education, 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 27 July 2014. 

4. <http://www.nisenet.org/sites/default/files/catalog/uploads/8893/nanotechnology_slides_31oct11.pdf>.

"Nanotechnology Now." Nanotechnology Art Gallery. Weiss Group, n.d. Web. 27 July 2014. <http://www.nanotech-now.com/Art_Gallery/Weiss-Group.htm>.

5. Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters. "Stained Glass in Medieval Europe". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/glas/hd_glas.htm (October 2001)

Event 4: Getty Museum - 18th-Century French Drawings from Los Angeles Collections

     What I want to focus on is the mathematical and art lecture because there was a lot of precise and architectural elements going on between the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The drawing exhibition featured multiple drawings from portraits to landscapes. These showed me the importance of getting features right from bodies and buildings. Two point perspective was key to getting everything in the right position. This use of mathematics was what helped these artists get the right proportions and to show depth in their pieces. Some were sketches showing the first states of the drawings and other were finished products that looked realistic. 

     As I entered a different room I began to see paintings and I related them to the drawings because paintings almost always start off as drawings first. You need to set up your blue print in order to know where to apply the oil paint on the canvas. I saw the progress of how using different colors and shades affected and brought out amazing and realistic perspective to the paintings; even more than the drawings themselves

   






       It seemed that art and architecture was extremely important during this time and it showed in their every day household items. There were clocks, mirrors, beds, carpets, tapestries, candles, cups, anything you could think of had a touch of architectural element to it. Architecture requires the use of mathematics, drawing, and of course physics to make sure you know how to structure the buildings so they would not fall apart. Columns were a huge part of architecture because they were the support system that held together the whole building. Along with the knowledge of the sciences, you require the skill to draw and plan out the architectural structure. The person designing the structure may have required help from an artist and this shows an actual encounter of the two cultures meeting. I do believe architecture is a subject that is in the third culture. 

I also found materials such as gems and minerals that were used in Psalters (books) that were ground up to show how colorful they were. (This brought me back to the Natural History Museum where I visited their gems and mineral exhibit). Not to mention that these books are full of art work and types of architectural displays.

Neuro-Science and Art

   The brain is a very intricate and fascinating thing. I think we are really obsessed in knowing why and how we work (the human body/mind). I do not think we will ever really know how we fully function or get all the answers. I also admire and respect all that study the brain because I have taken a bio psychology class and it was horrible. I lack the understanding of things I cannot see. If I cannot have it front of me real time or see it with my eyes I cannot understand it at all ( I don't know why that is).

   I feel like I say I do not understand the brain and I do not want to work with the brain or any aspect of it but I do! In my art I encounter my dreams and try to decipher them. I do keep a small notebook next to me so that if I do remember what I dreamed I write it down. A second thing I do is I try to show my childhood memories as best I can. These two things I can relate to in this weeks topic.

   Brainbow is an amazing creation because it helps to see the different neurons in the brain and distinguishes them from one another. It also helps map out the different  neurons to know where they are connected and where they go. The Brainbow process is very artistic and it has influenced many to make more of these images.

I cannot help but to think about the biotech lecture; there was an example of goldfish neuron drawings. WHAT!? Yeah, it is so mind blowing! I had to look around to find another example like this and I found the rodent neuron drawings! This is how it works; neurons/cells in a petri dish interact with the mechanical arms by sending electrode signals which triggers the arms to move. Which is so amazing! Here is a link to the site: http://cyberneticzoo.com/cyberneticanimals/2001-4-meart-rat-neuron-drawing-machine-symbiotica-australianamerican/ 

The results look like scribbles but I do think some are handsome.

   In our reading, NeuroCulture they stated that, "Neuroscience is a rich source of inspira- tion for the arts because of the universality of the questions it addresses". This is very true and I feel like all my fellow artists can agree. Our mind has millions of doors it can open and address and this gives so many options for artists! I found a website dedicated to Art of Science which is quite interesting.

I encourage you to look at these wonderful images!
 http://www.princeton.edu/artofscience/gallery2013/one.php%3Fid=414.html






1. "2001-4 - MEART Rat Neuron Drawing Machine - SymbioticA (Australian/American) - cyberneticzoo.com." cyberneticzoocom RSS. Symbotica, n.d. Web. 21 July 2014. <http://cyberneticzoo.com/cyberneticanimals/2001-4-meart-rat-neuron-drawing-machine-symbiotica-australianamerican/>.

2. "." . N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4gnh2R6mc1qbpwkro1_1280.jpg>.

3. "." . N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://biomedicalcomputationreview.org/sites/default/files/u38/06-fall-meart-drawing.png>.

4. Frazzetto, Giovanni. Neuroculture. : Macmillan Publishers , . Print.

5. Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-Mark Cohen.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 12 May 2012. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://youtu.be/eDq8uTROeXU>.

Bio-Technology and Art

    Bio-Technology was quite a shock to me. This was not the first time I have heard about it but I did learn a lot of new different experiments that took place. In last weeks lecture we learned about Orlan and I did a little research and did find her Harlequin coat which I thought had to do a little more with biology than Med-Tech.

   The Tissue Culture and Art Project was a little disturbing an strange to me. It involves the growing of leather without killing animals. It is grown from cells into a layer of tissue that is alive! WOW! This has never even crossed my mind! It was extremely mind blowing to think we can grow pieces of living cells to make things like jackets! It is still unbelievable to me!

   I did find the use of live animals unethical because it is a live creature that one is experimenting on. I understand that some people say that it is for the good of humanity but what about the good of the animals? Professor Vesna made a great point as to saying that the mouse and the human share a large percentage of DNA and that they are greatly related to us. We know this but we still experiment on them continuously like they are not really worth that much (we also see them as pests). I often do think of animals as I buy cosmetics or even groceries. We do not really know what they are thinking or what they feel.

   It is very unpleasant to me that we genetically engineer animals now so we can make them bigger for our use but in the long run we are torturing them. Chickens are unable to walk, turkeys cannot even mate because they are so big, and bulls are being engineered to produce healthy cows.

Our fruits and vegetables are also engineered; we consume these everyday not knowing what chemicals have been put into them. We often do not have a choice because that is all we have. That is true for my city; they do not carry organics. I do not think that we are ever going to get out of the genetically engineered foods because of how much we consume and the little space we have to grow produce.

On a more positive note! Bio tech has it's negatives and positives but I do think it is more positive than negative despite the experimentation. We find new ways of creating things that help us such as the tissue cultures. I found that you can grow a lot of things with just cells and maybe in the future we won't have to kill animals but instead grow our food in petri dishes. (Is that too weird? Let me know)











1. "The Tissue Culture & Art Project: Oron Cattes and lonat Zurr - Victimless Leather." . Fact HQ, n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://www.fact.co.uk/projects/sk-interfaces/the-tissue-culture-art-project-oron-cattes-and-lonat-zurr-victimless-leather.aspx>.

2. "." . N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://www.topsixlist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/genetically-modified-food.jpg>.

3. "." . N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/700/cache/lab-made-beef-burger-mark-post_70099_600x450.jpg>.

4. "Meet the Super Cow." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Feb. 2008. Web. 20 July 2014. <http://youtu.be/Nmkj5gq1cQU>.

5. Vesna, Victoria. "5 BioArt pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 20 July 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EpD3np1S2g&list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7>.