Week 9: Art + Space

“Space is…a site of imagination. When we look up at the night sky, we can’t help but project our own ideas, concepts, fantasies, and conceits onto it.” –Trevor Paglan¹

           

Throughout history, mankind has always been fascinated by outer space. As we learned about in this week’s lecture, interest in space and astronomy has dated back to even before Copernicus’ heliocentric model of the solar system, leading all the way to the 20^th century’s moon landing.  While the space phenomenon has been a great influence to all forms of art from, movies to songs to paintings, I am also interested in how artists literally interact with outer space. I found that a recent trend with artists was actually to launch their artwork up above the atmosphere, and I wanted to know why.

For instance, Azuma Makoto, an artist from Tokyo, creates beautiful portraits by juxtaposing vegetation such as lilies and bonsai trees, floated into the stratosphere via balloon, against the image of the edge of the world behind them. This “exobiotanica” is meant to represent mankind’s “fortunate yet gravely responsible place in the history of space and time.”² 

Makoto's "exobiotanica" - Bonsai in Space

            Popular street artist Banksy, also known as Invader, also endeavored to send one of his mosaics depicting avatars from the game “Space Invaders” up into the atmosphere as a part of his film project, Art4Space.³ Banksy has been spreading his creations throughout the globe, but he finally sent his space invader into real space. A depiction of his work can be seen in the documentary below:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcGBte7HIEY

While the above art examples were mainly looking to push the envelope, artists have also been contracted to launch their art into space for practical reasons. The satellite company Planet Labs has recently hired artist George Zisiadis, who was charged with creating Tetris-like designs for more compact satellites since space travel is so expensive.⁴ He was able to marry functionality and aesthetic, while “injecting imagination and creativity into [Planet Lab’s] office.”⁵

Planet Labs' Artist in Residence, George Zisiadis,
and his Tetris-like satellite design

While humans have been able to harness the land, utilize the sea and, eventually, soar across the skies, space has always been the ‘final frontier’—a place of mystery and potential that modern society still has yet to realize. Art will continue to pursue this intrigue, as the above examples illustrate, and in so doing will further our understanding of the universe.

Works Cited:

[1] Kyle, Chayka. "Where Art And Space Travel Meet: Why Is The Art World Suddenly So Captivated By The Cosmos?" The Creators Project. Vice Media Inc., 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 31 May 2015.  

[2] Jones, Jonathan. "There's Life out There: The Artist Shooting Bonsai Trees into Space." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 22 July 2014. Web. 28 May 2015.  

[3] Rao, Mallika. "Street Artist Actually Tries Sending His Work Into Space." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 29 Oct. 2013. Web. 1 June 2015.  

[4] Schwartz, Ariel. "How A Startup Is Launching Art Into Space." Co.Exist. Fast Company & Inc., 17 Nov. 2014. Web. 30 May 2015.

[5] "Planet Labs - Artist in Residence." George Zisiadis. Web. 31 May 2015.  

Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heatherwick Studio

Me (left) and my two roommates outside of the
Hammer Museum, sporting our entrance stickers

The exhibit “Provocations: The Architecture and Design of Heatherwick Studio” at the Hammer Museum featured many unique works of art created by designer Thomas Heatherwick. While his constructions were beautiful, as the included pictures demonstrate, I was most taken with his inspiration for the art, which incorporates the two worlds of art and science. This comes across most obviously by way of the question asked next to the title for each piece. 

"Can a rotationally symmetrical form make a comfortable chair?"
I don't know about comfortable, but the chair was certainly fun! 

Instead of simply posting names for his artwork, Heatherwick also poses a question that each piece seeks to answer. “Can you squeeze a chair out of a machine, the way you squeeze toothpaste out of a tube?”, “Can a rotationally symmetrical form make a comfortable chair?”, “How can a big new development relate to its surroundings?” In so doing, Heatherwick transforms every piece into not just something beautiful to admire, but also a solution. This idea was applied not only to small objects, such as handbags, but also to larger projects as well, like the idea for the Learning Hub building in Singapore (pictured below). 

Learning Hub building, Singapore.
"Can a building help change the way we learn?"

As an observer, this peaked my interest. The titles left me wondering: which came first, the question or the idea? Perhaps he looked at a tube of toothpaste and wondered whether or not a chair-like construction could come out of it. Or perhaps Heatherwick came up with the design for the Learning Hub and then realized it could change the way students learned. This way of thinking inspired me to look at the more mundane things in my life in search of beauty—can vehicles be designed differently to be more environmentally friendly? Can the clothing I’m wearing have some health benefit to me? 

Extrusions: "Can you squeeze a chair out of a machine,
            the way you squeeze toothpaste out of a tube?" 

It is interesting too that the answer to all of the questions he poses is yes. I think it would make for a fascinating future display for Heatherwick to include any of his failed attempts, if he has any. For the answers to his questions to be no, and for the audience to be able to see what he did with that piece and in which direction this led him would be an enriching art exhibit. I learned quite a bit from Heatherwick’s display, and I left still thinking about the implications of his art, which is how you can tell his art is impactful. 

Week 8: Nanotechnology + Art

Liquid-resistant fabric, modeled after
lotus-leaf water repellant effect

            Nanotechnology has crossed over into the world of fashion, especially with development of modern style. Going beyond the creation of self-cleaning fabrics that mimic effects such as the ‘lotus leaf effect’ we learned in course material for this week, nanotechnology has proven to be a fashionable option for designers that incorporates and moves beyond practicality. “Fashion is thought of as a frivolous thing, but unless the world stops wearing clothes, this will remain one of the largest industries in the world, as it has been throughout, really, all of history,” says Charlotte Jirousek, a professor of fiber science and apparel design at Cornell University.¹

            Designers are able to manipulate the color palette of their fabric using nanotechnology by adding monolayers of nanoparticles onto cotton. This interacts with the way that light bounces off the material, thus allowing for the direct control of what color the fabric is reflecting. For instance, designers can add Ag nano-particles to their clothing that will give off a shiny, gold-like tint without having the dye the cloth.2 

Clothing modified with Ag nano-
particles to give off golden shine

            Olivia Ong, a former design student at Cornell, created a fashion line that she called “Glitterati”, which was intended to serve the dual purpose of functionality and style. Not only were the clothes aesthetically pleasing, Ong had also worked with fiber scientists to modify the material. The garments were engineered to protect the wearer from getting the flu without ever needing to be washed, and another piece was designed to eliminate harmful gases and protect skin from the effects of smog and air pollution.³ Clothing like this is groundbreaking, and I would definitely wear it if it were available for general purchase!

Olivia Ong poses pieces from her
nano-technological clothing line, 'Glitterati'

            Nanotechnology will, in the future, allow for clothes that trap odors and release them in the wash, make your skin feel cool, and even moisturizing your feet.⁴   This advance in fashion and technology is, in my opinion, a positive. But as with any innovation, some have their doubts—critics say that nanotechnology may eliminate traditional manufacturing jobs, cause the price of goods to increase, and have unforeseen effects in health and the creation of new weaponry.⁵ I think that the future of nanotechnology is upon us, however, and it would be better to embrace the innovation rather than attempt to hinder the inevitable.

Works Cited:

[1] Nutt, D.W. "Cornell Weaves Nanotech into Fashions." Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Ithaca Journal, 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 May 2015.

[2] Hinestroza, Juan P. "Can Nanotechnology Be Fashionable?" Materials Today. Elsevier Ltd. Web. 23 May 2015. 

[3] Ju, Anne. "Student Designer and Fiber Scientists Create a Dress That Prevents Colds and a Jacket That Destroys Noxious Gases." Cornell Chronicle. Cornell University, 1 May 2007. Web. 23 May 2015. 

[4] “Nanotech in Fashion: The Trend in New Fabrics." NPR. NPR, 7 Sept. 2004. Web. 22 May 2015.

[5] "Advantages and Disadvantages of Nanotechnology." Introduction to Nanotechnology RSS. 5 Apr. 2010. Web. 21 May 2015.

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