EVENT: SAD but Not Afraid Gallery

    My last event that  I attended was the SAD But Not Afraid art gallery.  The gallery had a number of different pieces of art designed by students at UCLA.  Each piece of art was unique as some offered interaction while others evoked deep thought.  I can truly say that I was perplexed by each peace that I saw because they all forced me to think about possible meanings behind their appearance and structure.

 
One piece that I found extremely intriguing was titled Pain and Pleasure and created by Louis Pham.  The structure and organization of Pain and Pleasure symbolized just that; comfort and discomfort.  The pieces that are resting on the bench with their smooth shapes flowing to the audience represent the pleasure aspect.  On the other hand, the cramped feeling given off by the bright colors and proximity of the pieces symbolize pain.  The interaction that the art encourages also inhibits the general theme of Pain and Pleasure.  When the viewer hits the pieces together, they make an elegant sound.  However, there are spikes in the middle of the pieces that evoke pain when touched.

Another piece that  I found interesting and what seemed to me was the main attraction of the gallery, was a giant colorful sand painting in the middle of the room.  This work by Victor Beteta and titled Alfromba Indocumentada (Undocumented Rug) was meant to represent the 11 million undocumented people living in the US. The train represents the citizens travels to the US.  "Los Papeles" represents the immigrants paperwork when they finally become a citizen.  The purpose of this work was to bring awareness to these citizens and make it known that they should receive equal opportunities.

I would definitely recommend this exhibit to fellow classmates.  It was interesting to see work that fellow UCLA students are capable of.  It also made me think about possible projects that I would do if I was apart of an exhibit like this one.

Space + Art

  As the professor discussed, space exploration and space itself involve a lot of the topics that have already been discussed in previous lectures.  For example, nanotechnology can be seen in the discovery of "buckyballs," balls composed of hydrogen gases.  Nanotechnology is also involved in the creation of telescopes which has proven to be crucial in the process of space exploration and discovery.

The endeavors of space saw a drastic jump when living creatures began to be launched into the treacherous tundra.  Russia was the first to do so when they sent a dog, Laika, into orbit.  Although Laika did not survive the entire endeavor, body sensors proved that it is possible for living creatures to survive in the extraterrestrial ecosystem.  The next step after Laika, was sending a chimpanzee into space.  The chimpanzee, more like humans in physical body structure and brain processes, was responsible for carrying out on board procedure such as pulling levers.  This was performed by flashing lights at the creature and then rewarding it when it did the right thing.  These two creatures paved the way for human space exploration which is now crucial for the understanding of our solar system and the rest of space.
 

 Some may wonder where space and art collide.  One instance of a parallel that can be seen between the two has to do with the lack of gravity.  Groups have utilized this weightlessness to perform special types of dancing. One group, in specific, has built a tank that simulates the lack of gravity experienced in space.  In this tank, performers take to the sky as they show off their truly unique moves only possible in weightlessness conditions.  Another example of how art and science can possibly collide can be seen in the Arctic Perspective Initiative.  This group is trying to connect all of the communities in the arctic polar regions of earth through low cost communication technologies.  If successful, this project could potentially prove to be helpful in space travel and exploration.  Space is a harsh tundra that offers a wide array of question marks, but also a number of opportunities.





Works:

"Arctic Perspective Initiative." N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2016. <http://arcticperspective.org/>.

Forde, Kathleen. "Dancing on the Ceiling." N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2016. <http://zerogravity.empac.rpi.edu/>.

Gibney, Elizabeth. "Buckyballs in Space Solve 100-year-old Riddle." Nature. N.p., 15 July 2015. Web. 28 May 2016. <http://www.nature.com/news/buckyballs-in-space-solve-100-year-old-riddle-1.17987>.

Latson, Jennifer. The Sad Story of Laika, the First Dog Launched Into Orbit. Digital image. Time. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2016. <http://time.com/3546215/laika-1957/>.

"Space Dog Laika Finally Gets a Happy Ending." Seeker. N.p., 12 July 2011. Web. 28 May 2016. <http://www.seeker.com/space-dog-laika-finally-gets-a-happy-ending-1765295559.html#news.discovery.com>.

Top 10 Space Stories of 2015: Readers' Choice. Digital image. Seeker. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 May 2016. <http://www.seeker.com/top-10-space-stories-of-2015-readers-choice.com>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Space + Art." Desma 9. Los Angeles. 28 May 2016. Lecture.

Nanotech + Art

As Jim Gemzewski and the Professor said in their work, The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of fact and fiction in the construction of a new science, the phrase seeing is believing is not necessarily true for nanotechnology.  In his lecture, Gemzewski goes on to talk about how nanotechnology deals with science on a molecular level which involves things smaller than the eye can see.  It is a study that has evolved over the years into something that is heavily involved in everyday life, even though many may not know or understand it.


Nanotechnology is something that has surprisingly been around for thousands of years.  As Gemzewski stated,   nanotechnology goes as far back as 400 AD.  Although the study was not particularly advanced at this time, evidence of nanotechnology is present in a lot of old roman artifacts.  Gemzewski primarily talks of cups that change color when light is passed through them.  The cause of this discoloration, which appeared to be an accident, is still unclear to scientist who have studied the goblet.

More recent applications of nanotechnology can be seen in projects that are a bit more complex.  One product of nano technology is the scanning tunneling microscope.  These advanced microscopes allow individuals to get visualizations at the atomic level.  This has proved useful in medical advancements crucial for the betterment of health care.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNEqRq6NyUw

Other, less practical, applications of nanotechnology include the generation of sound from a physical bone, as Boo Chapple has been working on.  Chapple has found a way to vibrate bones in a way the creates a sound that he can manipulate.  Other applications include the Nova project which is making technological advancements smaller and smaller.  The creators of Nova hope to someday create tiny microscopic robots that can travel into a body and kill selected viruses.

Works:

ArchimedesBerlin. "Surface Studies with a Scanning Tunnelling Microscope [english]." YouTube. YouTube, 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 19 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNEqRq6NyUw>.

Gemzewski, Jim. "Nanotech + Art." Los Angeles. 19 May 2016. Lecture.

The Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine. Digital image. Salvador- Morales Laboratory of Nanotechnology. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2016. <https://labofnano.gmu.edu/>.

"Making Stuff." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 19 May 2016. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/making-stuff.html#making-stuff-smaller>.

Morali, Zeeya. Rome. Digital image. Smithonian.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2016. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-1600-year-old-goblet-shows-that-the-romans-were-nanotechnology-pioneers-787224/>.

Scanning Tunneling Microscope. Digital image. Vilaglex. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2016. <http://www.vilaglex.hu/Fizika/Html/PaszAlMi.htm>.

Vesna, Victoria, and Jim Gimzewski. "The Nanomeme Syndrome: Blurring of Fact & Fiction in the Construction of a New Science." N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2016. <http://vv.arts.ucla.edu/publications/publications/02-03/JV_nano/JV_nano_artF5VG.htm>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Art.Base. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2016. <https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.