Event 3 : Veteran Journeys Opera

 Veteran Journeys Opera

This event was a live stream of a recorded opera. Something I was a went into with low expectations as I have always enjoyed the life aspect of productions. I was almost expecting them to make it a traditional recording while just naming it an opera.  However, I think this opera was very tasteful in its editing and did not abuse the fact that it was recorded. they did not have any obvious cuts and even had an intermission when they did not necessary need one. I especially like that they showed all the faces as they were singing having as many as 8 people on screen singing at one point.

 

 This show according to Ucla is, "based on true stories from interviews of Veterans and family members as well as Dr. Kenneth Wells’ family members" (Veteran Journeys Opera. UCLA Center for Health Services and Society. 2021, June 3 https://hss.semel.ucla.edu/veteranjourneys/ ) Which is really touching to me because this means the characters reactions and thoughts to each other are real and genuine. 

 

Further I feel an opera is a great way to display these difficulties that veterans face, such as housing difficulties or mental health neglect, and how these issues affect the people around them. As someone who has lived with a veteran most of his life I was surprised to see these issues which could have been affecting a loved one for a long time. It has changed the way that I think about his actions and decisions.

Image sources:

Image 1: Veteran Journeys Opera, Act 2, YouTube live stream  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqj82pBURYeBbDu07ZRTLZg

Image 2: Veteran Journeys Opera, Act 1, YouTube live stream  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqj82pBURYeBbDu07ZRTLZg

Image 3: Veteran Journeys Opera, Act 2, YouTube live stream  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqj82pBURYeBbDu07ZRTLZg

 Sources:

Hope, C. (n.d.). Together for Wellness- Mental Health and Wellness Tips for Today. https://calhope.semel.ucla.edu/.

Kenneth B. Wells, MD, MPH. UCLA Health. (n.d.). https://www.uclahealth.org/kenneth-wells.

Print out your VA Welcome Kit. Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). https://www.va.gov/welcome-kit/.

Veteran Journeys Opera. UCLA Center for Health Services and Society. (2021, June 3). https://hss.semel.ucla.edu/veteranjourneys/.

Wherever you are, whenever you need to talk with someone, CalHOPE is here. CalHOPE Home. (n.d.). https://www.calhope.org/.

 

Week 9: Space and Art

 Week 9 Space + Art

This week’s guest speaker Richelle Gribble introduced a lot about the connection between art and space to me. I have been aware of the necessary relationship between art and science for a while now, but I keep thinking of the relationship as mostly one sided. Noting the ways that art benefits the scientific process, in the form of presentation, models, etc. 

 

Hearing Gribble talk about how some of her projects and fellow artists are benefited by their access to space was a first for me. Obviously, I knew that space and been represented in basically every artistic medium, but the physical relationship was new to me.

 

For Example, after the lecture I looked into Gribbles "Planet’s lab" project to try and get a more in-depth understanding of the relationship. They take up little satellites called coves as "Secondary Payloads" and they take pictures of earth. This blew my mind, that these satellites are in space currently, with the sole purpose of contributing to art. Which is much more involved than them just tagging along like in a car or shipping truck, they must be written into the plans extensively. Also, they are not up there for taking calculations or to look at weather patterns or any other scientific contribution. It is a very inspiring thought.

Photo sources

Image 1: Blueprint https://th.bing.com/th/id/R2e735e8e83721ebd4c1094cb8133476f?rik=yuu35ZBLLJbUng&riu=http%3a%2f%2fwww.sorell.dm%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2017%2f07%2fBlueprints.jpg&ehk=WYXTgMLGDeqVt7nvaWE7%2fBpUvx0p5nD%2fdvYEvI21cH4%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw

Image 2: second photo on Gribbles gallery https://www.richellegribble.com/planet-lab

Image 3: Fifth photo in Gribbles gallery https://www.richellegribble.com/planet-labs

Sources

Bonestell - Home. Chesley Bonestell. (n.d.). https://www.bonestell.org/.

cosmic dancer - a space art intervention by arthur woods. The Cosmic Dancer Sculpture - a spaceart intervention on the Mir space station by Arthur Woods. (n.d.). https://www.cosmicdancer.com/.

MARS PATENT. MARS PATENT: Home. (n.d.). http://www.mars-patent.org/index.htm.

Planet Labs. RICHELLE GRIBBLE. (n.d.). https://www.richellegribble.com/planet-labs.

Smith, Y. (2015, January 8). NASA Image of the Day. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html.

Week 7: Neuroscience and Art

 Week 7: Neuroscience and Art

This week’s topic was interesting but fairly complicated. During the guest speakers lecture on Monday I came out of it feeling like there was a lot more to be said on the topic, so I was excited to watch the recorded video from the professor. But I had a hard time following them because some of the connections she made were hard for me to follow for whatever reason.

 

I did however really enjoy the tedtalks, especially the one with Vilayanur Ramachandran. The different way brain damage can have results on people and the way he talked about them were interesting to think about, seeing the logic they used to explain the behavior was fun to follow.

 

He explains that the initial logic behind the behavior was flawed and goes on to explain how if you go with the initial logic off an isolated case it makes sense. bit falls apart when applied more widely. Though he did not talk very much about the art side of things, which I know was not part of his talk, but there were a lot of artistic input in his presentation in the form of the graphics used, and whole layout.

image Sources:

1: Screenshot from David Deutsch: A new way to explain explanation | TED Talk

2: Screenshot from Christopher deCharms: A look inside the brain in real time | TED Talk

3: Screenshot from David Deutsch: A new way to explain explanation | TED Talk

Sources

William Faulkner. (n.d.). Notes on Characters from As I Lay Dying. BookRags. http://www.bookrags.com/notes/aild/chr.html#gsc.tab=0.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Consciousness. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consciousness.

A new way to explain explanation. (n.d.). TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/david_deutsch_a_new_way_to_explain_explanation#t-262388.

A new way to explain explanation. (n.d.). TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/david_deutsch_a_new_way_to_explain_explanation#t-262388.

 A look inside the brain in real time(n.d.). TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_decharms_a_look_inside_the_brain_in_real_time#t-167001.

Event Two: Midterm presentations

 Midterm Presentations

All the presentations were remarkably interesting. Seeing everyone have such deeply considered ideas made me think about my own midterm quite a bit. Most of the ones presented had to do with exploring concepts and unknowns, whereas mine was more of a straightforward invention. For the final I will be sure to try and talk to more classmates and see the approach they take.

I noticed quite a few of the projects had to do with dreams, memories, or feeling which, I think are all intertwined. I like how they all focused on expressing these things to others, SolArt by Mary being a great example. The concept being to track, record, and display dreams and emotions onto a 3d printed chip.

I think it is amazing as a thought experiment because it really does touch on so many questions. One of which is privacy, which I would have liked to hear Marys' point of view on. Personally, I think of dreams as very intimate and private things, so if this were created I would not want the company having access to them at any kind of data base. Marketing is also fun to think about, if these dreams are recorded would marketing companies want access to them so that they can target products? Though perhaps I an off the mark completely and people will be super open about them, posting the recordings on line, perhaps even volunteering/selling their dream data to companies.

Image Sources

Picture 1: Citrix. (n.d.). sharefile. https://barnraisersllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/collaboration-illustration.jpg.

Picture 2: From Marys' presentation

Picture 3: From Marys' presentation

Sources

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2020, October 21). Hearing aids: How to choose the right one. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/in-depth/hearing-aids/art-20044116.

Techopedia. (2012, November 12). What is Targeted Marketing? - Definition from Techopedia. Techopedia.com. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/23796/targeted-marketing#:~:text=Targeted%20marketing%20is%20the%20process%20of%20identifying%20customers,a%20marketing%20strategy%20aimed%20at%20that%20specific%20group.

bradstreet, dun. (n.d.). What is Targeted Marketing & How Does It Work. https://www.dnb.com/resources/targeted-marketing.html.

Brain scan research shows that lack of sleep severely alters brain function. PsyPost. (2016, July 25). https://www.psypost.org/2016/07/brain-scan-research-shows-lack-sleep-severely-alters-brain-function-43977#:~:text=Brain%20scan%20research%20shows%20that%20lack%20of%20sleep,do%20not%20occur%20after%20a%20night%20without%20sleep.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2020, April 15). EEG (electroencephalogram). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/eeg/about/pac-20393875.

Event 1: Growing Cells on Apples, LEGOs and Bread. Why Developing Unconventional Biomaterials Matters

 Event One 

    This event was a guest lecture from Prof. Andrew E. Pelling on the 26th of April, who spoke about unconventional Biomaterials. Prior to the lecture I did not realize what exactly biomaterials were used for or what he meant by "nonconventional". 

 

    From what I now understand, Biomaterials are materials from outside of the body, implanted into and accepted by said body. They are materials traditionally are highly manufactured and have strict criteria they follow as to. What marks Prof. Pelling materials as unconventional is that they are already natural and not manufactured. He uses thinks like apples and asparagus, which completely go against the grain, even making It a game with his colleges to go into grocery stores and finding the "cheapest" biomaterials there.

My largest take away from the lecture as less so to do with the actual study, and more to do with the scientific method that proved itself throughout the study. Starting with a fascination and resulting in a medical devise I believe is a beautiful thing. To carry out these experiments to try and answer a question, and to problem solve as the experiments lead down an unknown path is truly inspiring. There is also the business aspect that I have never considered, he mentioned that he has started several companies to market and produce their products, from medical devises to more affordable lab equipment. This is something I will try and incorporate into my midterm, not only the project itself but the marketing economics of the project.

Sources: 

Online brochure for the lecture: Microsoft PowerPoint - 04.26.21 Andrew Pelling.ppt [Compatibility Mode] (ucla.edu)

Could we treat spinal cord injuries with asparagus? (2020). TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_pelling_could_we_treat_spinal_cord_injuries_with_asparagus 

Pelling, A. (2020, November 10). Building the scaffolding of life. Spiderwort. CelluBridge - Spiderwort (spiderwortbio.com)

Pelling, A. (2020, November 10). Building the scaffolding of life. Spiderwort. CelluJuve - Spiderwort (spiderwortbio.com)

Pelling, A. (2020, November 12). FDA grants a Breakthrough Device Designation for Spiderwort Spinal Cord Technology. Spiderwort. https://spiderwortbio.com/news/fda-grants-a-breakthrough-device-designation-for-spiderwort-spinal-cord-technology/.

Image sources:

Image of Prof. Pelling: Andrew-Pelling-300x300.jpg (300×300) (apegaconference.ca)

Picture 2: A slide from the lecture that I took a picture of

Picture 3: A slide from the lecture that I took a picture of

Picture 4: A slide from the lecture that I took a picture of

Week Four: Medicine + Technology + Art

 Med + Tech + Art

This week we have talked about the different ways medicine and art and interacted. On one side there is a need for medicine to be designed well, such as a hearing aids, which an artist will help look nice. On the other side there are artistic movements that bring awareness and information towards medical issues, such as the Aids pandemic. Specifically, I would like to focus on the Aids Quilt project, which I had no idea about until this week. The founder Cleve Jones started the project in 1985, and the premise is to create a memorial for those whose death is aids related. I think it is genius because as quilts they can be made in a way that represents the interests and personality of those who have passed, showing that they are more than just an unfortunate victim to aids. Such huge projects like these not only help improve the lives of those that are currently living, but also those in the future that may contract the virous as well.

Cleve Jones

 

In my elementary school these was a classmate who left school and eventually passed due to HIV/Aids which he was born with. As a child this was a little lost on me but years later in high school I realized just how tragic it is. Especially considering that it could have been prevented if his parents were more educated on the subject, or if there was less of a negative connotation around it.

Sources:  

Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations Between Science and Arts.” (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 26 Oct. 2012. 

Tyson, P. (2001, March 27). The hippocratic oath today. Retrieved April 24, 2021, from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/hippocratic-oath-today/ 

Vesna, Victoria. “Http://www.youtube.com/v/psjnQarHOqQ.” Lecture. Medicine pt2 . Youtube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psjnQarHOqQ>.

 Jones, C. (n.d.). Quilt project. Retrieved April 24, 2021, from https://www.aidsmemorial.org/quilt 

Orlan – Carnal Art (2001) Documentary. Dir. Stéphan Oriach. Perf. Orlan. N.d. Film. YouTube. Web. 26 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=no_66MGu0Oo

Images

Aids quilt virtual exhibition [Video file]. (2020, November 30). Retrieved April 24, 2021, from https://youtu.be/tr0A9ssAzQM

Cleve Johns image: https://img.thedailybeast.com/image/upload/c_crop,d_placeholder_euli9k,h_1440,w_2561,x_0,y_0/dpr_1.5/c_limit,w_1044/fl_lossy,q_auto/v1491847035/articles/2017/02/22/cleve-jones-on-harvey-milk-when-we-rise-and-fighting-for-lgbt-equality-under-trump/170221-teeman-cleve-jones-tease_sboamb

Children's informational book: https://th.bing.com/th/id/R8430ecfda5d3c67566788ec270a94a59?rik=y4Jf%2brKeyTr0fw&riu=http%3a%2f%2fwww.blurb.com%2fimages%2fuploads2%2fcatalog%2f006%2f949%2f111%2f7708134-0cd43c7721a01bb622a3f364ceabca94.jpg&ehk=S06K8JzKPRXaoMwt1W00PcX1F%2f83mXg%2b9bue7GR9AfI%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw

Week Three: Robotics + Art

Robotics + Art

        Benjamin Walter covers a lot in his “The work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”, because of this I would like to focus on section XII of the reading. Section seven starts with Walter saying, “Mechanical reproduction of art changes the reaction of the masses toward art.” I think that it is interesting to consider how the masses reaction towards art has changed.  Walter seems to think that a big factor is simply the sheer number of people that can watch a movie, compared to the comparative small number that view a painting, “individual reactions are predetermined by the mass audience response they are about to produce, and this is nowhere more pronounced than in the film.”

I think that this mentality of exposure is super interesting and makes me curious on what Walter would think of video games. Where the audience size is just as large as a movie, but the experiences can be vastly different, between the choices you make and your skill level. I think that he would argue it is a middle ground in a way. The audience size is the same, yet the experiences vary so much it is close to an isolated experience, much like a painting. A good example of this would be the games produced by Telltale games.

Image Sources

Movie picture Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTYpAp0q5mffTRdCA0xKLVehdryeKR7L2zTXl85R2oxFO0EwdUAVMkoQ3HDtVRwip27YDPOChoHCLFouK3tw-Y_Jx3VJtssjTAE79k4jv5i58LnFNTpiMe_rOmJ_TejiC2c2axpss8Q/s1600/2+Cleopatra+1963+hh.jpg

Telltale games Image: https://th.bing.com/th/id/Ree4bfccb9a2b9f52ae0a497165e0d03d?rik=epn%2bnS8GzmIVwg&riu=http%3a%2f%2fd1506sp6x4e9z7.cloudfront.net%2fgamasutra%2fuploads%2f639649.jpg&ehk=Pw63dBBzoPlUm3XmVAmSxqwgwPPXW%2bXCKhCnfe068LA%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw

Telltale game collection Image:  https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-Jh9D-CAAAkixI.png

Sources

Benjamin Walter. (1936). The work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction 

The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction (An Evolving Thesis:1991-1995) Douglas Davis Leonardo , Vol. 28, No. 5, Third Annual New York Digital Salon. (1995), pp. 381-386

Lipson, H. (Director). (2007, March). Building "self-aware" robots [Video file]. In TED. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://www.ted.com/talks/hod_lipson_building_self_aware_robots

Brooks, R. (Director). (2003, February). Robots will invade our lives [Video file]. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://www.ted.com/talks/rodney_brooks_robots_will_invade_our_lives

Brooks, R. (Director). (2003, February). Robots will invade our lives [Video file]. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://www.ted.com/talks/rodney_brooks_robots_will_invade_our_lives