Week 7: Art + Neuroscience

This week’s exploration of how drugs like LSD and cocaine produced psychedelic hallucinations in the user’s mind got me wondering about how these substances affect artists and the production of their art. As we discussed neuroscience and how drugs played a role in first medicine and then in psychotherapeutic endeavors, I couldn’t help but wonder whether drugs could actually inspire anything worthwhile in the ream of art—especially considering the health-related cost to the user.

With a little research, I found that artists have actually been using drugs to alter their minds and help inspire their artwork for years¹—including Van Gogh, Picabia, The Beatles, and Graham Nash.

Musician Graham Nash, who used LSD
           and other drugs while creating music

Viktor Oliva’s 19^th century painting “Absinthe Drinker” is a reflection of his own experience with the mind-altering substance. In this instance, Oliva’s work seems to have been positively influenced by absinthe—as far as history is concerned, it didn’t much negatively effect his life, and he used his love for the drink to create a beautiful piece of art. The painting still hangs on the wall in Café Slavia in Prague, the very place in which Oliva’s piece was inspired.2

Viktor Oliva's "Absinthe Drinker"

In Oliva’s case, his art was unintentionally inspired by the hallucinogen that he was already drinking. Sometimes, however, artists take these substances specifically to alter their mindset so that they can produce art that is a direct result of their drug-induced state. This approach is far more dangerous, as evidenced by Bryan Lewis Saunders. Saunders is an artist who, in 2001, decided that we would take a different drug everyday for a few weeks, and after the high kicked in he would create a self-portrait.³The purpose for this was to see how the influence of each drug might alter his perception. The result was a series of quite interesting pictures, but at what price?

A selection of Bryan Lewis Saunder's self-portraits,
           under the influence of Psilocybin mushrooms,
           absinthe, and marijuana [from left to right, respectively]

Saunders admits that his experiment left him, “lethargic and [he] suffered mild brain damage that fortunately wasn’t irreparable.”⁴ Ultimately, messing with your mental and physical health is not worth it for the sake of art.

While it may appeal to some artists to take drugs in order to expand their creative scope, in the end the benefits do not outweigh the risks for the individual. Taking drugs can result in toxicity, addiction, and even death.⁵  When it comes to making art, one should rely on the creativity of their sober mind instead of pharmacologically altering it. 

Works Cited:

[3] Anthony, Robert. "Artist Creates Self-Portraits On Different Drugs, And The Results Are Insane." Elite Daily. 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 May 2015.  

[1] Dagen, Phillippe. "Under The Influence: Tracing A Long, Twisted History Of Artists And Their Drugs." Worldcrunch.com. Worldcrunch, 18 May 2013. Web. 14 May 2015

[5] Fields, R. Douglas. "Creativity, Madness and Drugs." Scientific American Global RSS. Scientific American, 22 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 May 2015.  

[4] Saunders, Bryan Lewis. "Under the Influence." Bryan Lewis Saunders. Web. 15 May 2015.  

[2] "Viktor Oliva: Absinthe Painter, Absinthe Drinker." Get to Know Lucid Absinthe. WordPress.com, 10 Sept. 2012. Web. 17 May 2015.  

Picture Links:

https://media2.wnyc.org/i/620/372/c/80/1/GrahamNash_wildtales.jpg

http://www.beyond-the-pale.co.uk/absinthe-oliva.jpg

http://img.thesun.co.uk/aidemitlum/archive/01577/Bryan-Lewis-MAIN_1577958a.jpg

Week 6: Art + Biotech

There are certainly many positive outcomes that can arise out of the use of biotechnology--for instance, the ability to create modified sources of fuel that are more sustainable, the development of new forms of medicine, and the enhancement of foods to make them plentiful and more packed with nutrients (Verma, Agrahari, Rastogi & Singh).  

A hyperbolic representation of the biotechnology/genetic
modification already prevalent in our lives 

But some would argue that biotechnology is unnatural and unnecessary, especially when it crosses over into the realm of art. As biotech has become increasingly important to our society in the last couple of decades, instances of biotechnological tinkering have raised some ethical questions in the scientific community. The idea that artists are using real life as a means to an artistic end is an uncomfortable one, especially when the consequences of doing so cannot be immediately known (Zurr & Catts).  

An example of an ethically questionable piece of art/biotechnology is the creation of bioluminescent trees (Fang), which could potentially be a source of electricity-free light to line the streets at night.

Leaves genetically modified to emit light 

 This sounds like a fairly harmless idea at first--no one would reject the the option to be able see at night without having to waste electricity. But critics of the innovation say that the implementation of this genetically modified tree won't come without consequences. 

An instance of "synthetic biology" such as the dissemination of glowing trees does not currently have a precedent in the wild, and we therefore can't be sure what will happen when the seeds are released. By accepting the spread of these bioluminescent trees, people will also be more accepting of biotechnology on a larger scale, which could have disastrous effects down the road if we aren't careful (Lukacs). Once synthetic biology has been domesticated, some predict that being able to design your own living beings may cause more harm than good. Tom Philpott, writing for Mother Jones, asks: "What if these new life forms behave in ways we can't predict--or mutate in ways we can't predict--altering food chains or larger biosystems?" (Philpott). 

Soon, plants like the one pictured above could be
giving off light--making street lamps unnecessary! 

Ultimately I think that before people start to tamper with modifying genes, even for art's sake or the advancement of biotechnology (such as was the case with the GFP bunny (Kac)), more research should be done on the possible consequences and effects of synthetic biology. 

Works Cited: 

Fang, Janet. "Bioluminscent Trees Could Light up Our Streets." IFLScience. 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 7 May 2015.  

Kac, Eduardo. "GFP BUNNY." 2000. Web. 8 May 2015.  

Lukacs, Martin. "Kickstarter Must Not Fund Biohackers' Glow-in-the-dark Plants." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 6 June 2013. Web. 9 May 2015.  

Philpott, Tom. "The Scary Side of Synbio Glowing Plants." Mother Jones. Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress, 10 June 2013. Web. 10 May 2015.  

Verma, Ashish, Shishir Agrahari, Shruti Rastogi, and Anchal Singh. "Biotechnology in the Realm of History." Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences. Medknow Publications Pvt Ltd. Web. 10 May 2015.  

Zurr, Ionat, and Oron Catts. "The Ethical Claims of Bio Art: Killing the Other or Self-cannibalism?" Web. 8 May 2015. <http://www.tca.uwa.edu.au/publication/TheEthicalClaimsofBioart.pdf>. 

Picture links: 
http://inhabitat.com/glowing-plant-project-kickstarter-campaign-creates-bioluminescent-plants-for-natural-lighting/
http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/bioluminscent-trees-could-light-our-streets
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/label-genetically-modified-foods.html

Week 4 MedTech + Art

Asclepius, Greek God of medicine;
healers would dress as deities like this to help
their patients heal more quickly 

It can certainly be argued that there is an art to medicine, and one doesn’t have to look hard to find artistic elements in medical procedures. Besides the fact that medicine has traditionally had an influence on art, such as the importance of human dissection in artists’ accurate representations of the body (Vesna), art has also inspired medicine for thousands of years. Ancient healers used natural remedies, repeated ‘healing’ incantations, and in some cases even dressed up as different deities to help patients believe that they were being healed ("Belief and the Healing Arts of Ancient Civilizations."). Since this ancient placebo effect of sorts, the healing powers of psychological belief have been adopted by modern medicine as well. Though doctors may no longer dress up in costume to convince their patients that they’re being taken care of, the relationship between mind and body has been explored and developed in modern medicine and it has been proven that feeling better psychologically can have a tremendous impact on one’s physical recovery (Arguriou).

            Medical technology and art are also intertwining in more modern ways as well—for instance, scientists are getting close to being able to project one’s thoughts and memories into a video format. They use fMRIs to decode brain waves after subjects watch a YouTube video, and use the resulting waves to reconstruct the images within the mind. Soon, the ideas one thinks and dreams could become a visual masterpiece (Diaz).

YouTube clip demonstrating how brain waves can be translated into images 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsjDnYxJ0bo

            While it seems as though art and medicine have a positive relationship, sometimes their connection can go too far. This week’s video featuring the artist Orlan seemed more like a display of attention seeking instability rather than an artistic commentary (Orlan). Self-mutilation in pursuit of beauty is not art, in my opinion. This reminded me of the internet sensation surrounding the extensive plastic surgery performed on a young Russian girl, Valeria Lukyanova, in her attempt to attain the looks of the ultimate icon of beauty, Barbie. (Idov).

Valeria Lukyanova, the Human Barbie doll

It is well known that Barbie’s proportions are unrealistic and even unhealthy for a doll that girls see as a role model. It’s a bit disturbing that a medical procedure once used to restore warn-torn limbs (Vesna) is now being used to unnecessarily augment people’s bodies. I only hope that as medicine progresses, the artistic side of medical technology is used to further healing and innovation rather than propagate unhealthy body images.

Works Cited:

Arguriou, Peter. "The Placebo Effect - The Triumph of Mind over Body." Nexus Magazine. NexusMagazine, July 2007. Web. 25 Apr. 2015.

"Belief and the Healing Arts of Ancient Civilizations." WRF. World Research Foundation. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. 

Diaz, Jesus. "Scientists Reconstruct Brains' Visions Into Digital Video in Historic Experiment." Gizmodo. 22 Sept. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. 

Idov, Michael. "Valeria Lukyanova, the Human Barbie Doll." GQ. Condé Nast, Apr. 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. 

Orlan -- Carnal Art (2001) Documentary. Dir. Stéphan Oriach. Perf. Orlan. N.d. Film. YouTube. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. 

Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine Parts 1-3." Lecture. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. 

Week Three: Robotics + Art

Mass Production & Art (or Lack Thereof)

In a world of rapid technological advancement, it makes sense that modern art would absorb and adapt to fit the mold of this progress. Art and robotics have had a mutually influential relationship since the birth of the latter concept during the Industrial Revolution. Walter Benjamin asserts that mass production takes away from the authenticity of a finished product—so while it may have once required a carpenter to spend hours of painstaking work building a rocking chair, a machine can now produce hundreds of them in an hour (Benjamin).

Craftsmanship & Art

I agree with this concept in terms of the construction of tangible pieces of artwork, such as an oil painting on canvas, or a handcrafted clay sculpture, as I think industrialized production of this kind takes away from the ingenuity of creation. When it comes to computer-generated and digital art, however, I think that mass-production and dissemination are actually a byproduct of the medium and don’t take away from the quality of the product. For example, someone renting a copy of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) can expect to experience the film in nearly the same way as anyone else watching, because “popular culture “in the age of mechanical reproduction” is generally mass produced and ready for virtually identical mass consumption.” (Irwin, 42). 

Benign Robots & Art; 'Her'

            This concept is also relevant as we move into what Robert Manning calls the “Third Industrial Revolution”, or the rise in the importance of robotics in our modern life. Manning predicts that humankind sits on the threshold of a new technological era, where we will soon move from tools like Roombas and ATM machines to the use of self-driving cars and robotic personal assistants (Manning, 2). Hollywood has been foreshadowing this shift for years, as it continues to produce movies that feature robots intermingling with humans, and questions the role that these entities will assume.

Evil Robots & Art, 'The Terminator'

The robots in these movies take on different roles, whether they be sinister (Singleton), as with The Terminator (1984) or I, Robot (2004) or benevolent, like the movie Her (2013)—where not only do the robots get along with humans, but even have the capacity to love them (Meadows). Whether or not these artistic portrayals of robotic technology will ever become a reality remains to be seen. It is clear, however, that art and robotics will continue to influence one another in the future. 

Works Cited: 

Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction". 1936. PDF file. 

Irwin, William. Philosophy and the Interpretation of Pop Culture. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. 42. Print. 

Manning, Robert A. "Rising Robotics and the Third Industrial Revolution." Strategic Foresight Initiative. Atlantic Council, 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.

Meadows, Mark Stephen. "Robot Love: Spike Jonze's New Sci-fi Film 'Her' May Be Closer to Reality than You Think." Robohub. 28 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. 

Singleton, Malik. "80 Years of Robots in Hollywood." TIME. TIME Magazine, 29 June 2007. Web. 18 Apr. 2015.