Baraka Beckett DESMA9

Of all of the topics that we have gone over in this class I am least surprised with space's connection with art. I have fond my memories of my self as a child looking up into the stars and being quite simply amazed by the beauty of space. The black acts as a sort of canvas while each star and planets acts as its own individual piece of art. Often when I consider the beauty of space it then leads me to the question of why is the universe beautiful in the first place. Quite simply scientists do not have a specific answer as to why the universe is set up in a manner that is ecstatically pleasing. These leads me to consider the influence of a possible higher power. This idea is most easily viewed in arts relationship with space, because of how limitless and impossible the universe is as a concept. This then leads me to consider a higher power. Unfortunately as of right now there is not definitive proof that a higher power exists h...

When I first saw what this unit was genuinely did not know what nano technology was, let alone how it related to art. However after going over the material this week I have come to the conclusion that nanotechnology might have the most relation to art in comparison to all of the topics that we have covered in this course. Nanotechnology is essentially the study of things that are microscopically small. This directly relates to art because when an artists creates a work of art the most important parts about the piece are the small details that are implemented. In fact everything in our world is comprised of microscopically small things that we can't see but shape literally everything. That is why I consider nanotechnology to be so important, simply because its abundantly relevant in all aspects of our lives. In the reading they state that "When working on this kind of scale, we immediately reach the limits of rational human experience, and ...

For my second event I went to the botanical gardens located here on campus. The first thing that I noticed when I entered the garden was just how beautiful it was. The garden was quite large as well, to the point where when I was in the middle It felt like I was in the first. Its still crazy to me that this much vegetation and life is surround by the heavily industrialized Westwood area. This leads me to the question of if these gardens are an example of man made art, or simple the beauty of nature. This is interesting to me because on the one hand a lot of the plants and trees where actually planted by humans to be in specific spots. In fact the whole garden was planned out by humans as-well as the ponds and rivers. Even though the plan originated from humans the fish and the plants act and grow on their own accord. It is for this reason that I consider these gardens to be a perfect blend of art and science. I feel like going to these gardens will help me ...

The human brain has always fascinated me every since I first learned about it in elementary school. The brain is capable of so many thing, in fact it is through its power that I am able to write this blog. Even though we now know a lot about the brain there are still aspects of it that are shrouded in mystery. One aspect of the brain that I find particularly interesting is its reactions to certain drugs like LSD. In the third lecture video professor Vesna talks about LSD and its psychedelic effects. From the way it was described LSD seems to allow you to view art within your own brain. The capability for a substance such as this would be limitless. I also came to the realization that art that exists within your brain is the purest form of art. When you really think about it, the brain is the mother of all art, for the simple fact that everybody who ever created art did it while using their brain. When you consider this you then realize that a substance that can create art...

Overall I find myself having mixed feelings towards the topic of this week. Humans infusing technology into our biological world was a natural progression of our technological advancements. However when we manipulate and disfigure living creatures in our own world for the purpose of art, I feel that we have crossed the line. When professor Vesna talks about Marta Dimineza's art and what she did to the butterflies it made me sick. That is not to say that I am entirely oppose to the idea of us mixing technology with nature to create art. I would have no issue with an artist using plants or any sort of vegetation to portray their artistic vision, in fact I would not even mind if they used a dead animal. My issue is when another living creature has to go through pain and suffering for something like art. It is for this reason that I believe that artists that use biotechnology should have very strict rules in regards to the things they can work with.  On the flip side I feel...

When going over this weeks material the main concept that I found that was most interesting to me was the idea of plastic surgery. Through my whole life my parents have drilled into me that plastic surgery is wrong and that the body god gives you sacred. However I have always been fascinated by plastic surgery and the way it can interlay change how you look. Though I understand my parents perspective towards plastic surgery after viewing the material from this lab I believe plastic surgery to  simply be another way for humans to express themselves and that its not wrong in anyway. In lecture 3 when professor Vesna talked about the origins of plastic surgery it was enlightening to me because I had always thought that plastic surgery was just a cosmetic option for the affluent. However learning how it was used to help injured people who fought in the war changed my perspective on plastic surgery entirely. The story about Arlone I found to be disturbing for m...