Desma 9 Spring 18 Blog

I feel this week’s theme has caught my attention more than the previous blogs due to how interesting technology can be used in various ways for medical purposes. Specifically for human benefit, many machines such as X-Rays and MRI’s are perfect examples of how technology is important to our world. For example, I have had multiple surgeries that have been successful throughout my time here at UCLA; however, without the technology, we would of never know I had multiple bone spurs in my right elbow and left ankle or that my left hand is fractured. If it was not for technological advancements in medicine, who knows what would happen. In the case, technology is key in the medical world and will continuing to revolutionize medicine. In relation to art, Professor Vesna mentions that artists took interest of the human body. In order to feel closer to the human anatomy, artists use to dissect cadavers to take a closer look at the structure of the human body. Not only did artist benefit fro...

A huge transformation to the artistic world is Industrialization. Due to the industrialization boom, technology has developed and will continue to flourish due to it constantly revolutionizing. Specifically, Professor Vesna mentions the first printing press and how it changed society by its ability to create letters and blocks with words as their “printer.” Over time, the printing press revolutionized into the typewriter, which then again evolved into modern-day printers that can be used to print from a computer. Another important product of industrialization would be the Camera. Due to its ability to capture beautiful scenery, historical evidence such as places or monuments, or just everyday life of people, the camera has turned photographs into art and memories. Although the camera was an amazing result of industrialization, printing of photographs becomes an issue with cameras. According to Walter Benjamin’s book, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” he argu...

For the first event of the quarter, I attended the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). I choose LACMA due to the pieces coinciding with the culture of art and science that we have been talking about. Specifically, Richard Serra’s Installation called Band popped out to me the most. It is actually considered Contemporary Art according to the information at the museum. I felt this is right and fits the description of the “Third Culture” due to its combination of art and science. Due to its large shape, I considered how math is crucial to the success of Band ’s design. Going back to week 2, Marc Frantz emphasizes the importance of the vanishing point in order to find the right distance, areas, and measurements needed. Serra signifies the crucial importance of angles, shapes, and sizes in his work. As for art, Band creates a cultural performance through your own voice when you enter inside the structure. Serra invites the viewers into his piece which makes them feel apart of the exp...

Due to my better understanding of mathematics, I felt I had a better understanding of how math and art go hand and hand versus science and art. Specifically, Professor Vesna's lectures helped me conceptualize how math is a critical necessity in art. Both math and art are important to create a piece due to the use of angles, shapes, and sizes. For example, Angles are important in order to achieve a unique look. Marc Frantz symbolizes how important it is to have a vanishing point. Math is needed in order to create a vanishing point due to having the right measurements for the distance and areas. In this case, a perfect example would be origami. Capitalizing on Frantz point, Robert Lang emphasizes how different types of art can be created just from paper. Math would be involved due to knowing where and how to fold the paper. Another important part of math and art would be shapes. I believe shapes bring life to art and characterize each piece. Shapes tend to capture the audience member...

Given C.P. Snow's concept of the division of art and science, I have always believed the two categories have been separate.  Even over fifty years later, I agree with Snow's description of stereotypes with scientists being known for dangerous with their experiments and artists being uneducated of technology because of their enjoyment of painting on a blank canvas. By taking the two cultures into consideration, UCLA's campus is heavily divided by these categories. North campus can be mistaken as easier due to their majors focusing on art related subjects, whereas South is focused on science. Snow would agree that UCLA's division causes a larger problem to the culture due to the curriculum of schools and universities being the source of the problem. For example, I am currently a fourth-year history major at UCLA. Due to the campus culture of South campus being seen as the more "vocational" side, this drives a larger division between the possibility of bringing...