The Origami Revolution Event was extremely interesting to me. As somebody who enjoys science and math, I thought the way the event illustrated the art of origami as a mathematical problem was intriguing. It also made this art concept much more comprehensible to me as I am someone who is better at math and science compared to the art and humanities. Before this event I never fully comprehended how much the arts can influence the sciences and math, but this event in my opinion was the perfect example of how these two fields can be combined to create meaningful innovations. This event really clarified the connection between these two fields. Scientists can harness the creativity explored in the arts to make technological advancements while artists can use mathematical concepts to create boundary pushing art. A great example of scientists using the arts came in the event when scientists were developing a space shield for a space telescope that uses folding techniques that are fundamental in origami.
This is the space shield built to block light for the space telescope
An example of an artist taking inspiration from mathematics is when two origami creators that are mathematicians seek to create a formula/program where any 3-D object can be made from folding a 2-D object.
This is the program that illustrates how to fold a 2-D paper into a 3-D object
These examples in the event where two that stuck with me and increased my understand of the connection between arts and science the most. I would highly advice this event to anyone wondering what event to choose between, especially for those who are more science and math oriented than art. I think this event is a great way for people who do not normal pay close enough attention to the art to see the value in art. This event certainly had this effect on me.
“The Origami Revolution.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 16 Feb. 2017, www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-origami-revolution/.
I think the most intriguing topics happening in medicine is the battle between in person appointments and tele-doc appointments. An increase in technology as well as Covid-19 has caused a massive increase in tele-doc appointments which has been paralleled by a massive debate whether tele-doc appointments are sufficient enough to treat patients. Some doctors believe that tele-doc appointments do not offer the same level of diagnosis and patient doctor relationship as an in-person visits does.
Diagram displaying the several pros and cons of Telehealth
Additionally, an increase in medical technology has spurred an art movement centered around the human body. With an more comprehension of the human body, an art movement based on the beauty, meaning, and science of the human body. Art pieces that use MRIs or X-RAYs or illustrate the human body are now being created and put in museums.
"Family Portrait, a series of four MRI-derived sculptural portraits of her parents, her sister Sophie, and herself"
Another extremely interesting point I learned in this topic is how the study of the arts can help med students in their studies. The arts help med students "sharpen their observational skills and teach them to be more empathetic." This is why medical school are increasingly focusing on the visual arts in order "to help them improve physician performance."
A final topic that caught my interest is the constant search for improvement on artificial limbs through the arts. Artists join scientists in the creation of the most realistic prosthetic that is increasingly more aesthetically pleasing for the user and viewer. Furthermore, a new genre of sculpture art has formed from prosthetics resulting in the creation of art inspired by prosthetics becoming popular enough to be put in museums.
Rebecca Horn’s Finger Gloves illustrate an exaggerated form of prosthetics
Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts.” pp. 73–99., doi:Università di Venezia.
Gromala, Diane. “TEDxAmericanRiviera - Diane Gromala - Curative Powers of Wet, Raw Beauty.” YouTube, YouTube, 7 Dec. 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdarMz--Pw.
Hajar, Rachel. “What Has Art to Do with Medicine?” Heart Views : the Official Journal of the Gulf Heart Association, Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5965014/.
Hughes, Kathryn. “Lives and Limbs: How Prosthetics Transformed the Art World.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 July 2016, www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jul/15/lives-and-limbs-how-prosthetics-transformed-the-art-world.
Moneypenny, Matt. “The Enormous List of Telehealth Pros and Cons.” Etactics, Etactics | Revenue Cycle Software, 29 Apr. 2020, etactics.com/blog/telehealth-pros-and-cons.
Rea, Naomi. “Major Exhibition Explores Visual Art and Prosthetics.” Artnet News, 19 July 2016, news.artnet.com/exhibitions/exhibition-sculpture-prosthetics-henry-moore-leeds-562523.
Szasz, George. “The Art of Medicine, and Modern Technology.” -, 9 May 2018, bcmj.org/blog/art-medicine-and-modern-technology.
As someone whose parents are involved in the art industry, I have experience with seeing how industrialization affects the arts. My parents both work in the bronze statue business and the increased accessibility of bronze statues due to the increased supply of bronze has made the bronze statue industry's market much more competitive. This has resulted in the decrease in the value of bronze art. The bronze industry is one of several examples of mass industrialization causing a deflation in the value of art. Art styles that used to be niche are now easily accessible causing an overflooding of their market. In this overflooding, as Walter Benjamin mentions, their is a loss of authenticity in favor or replicability.
A life size horse statue, one of the most common animal statues
But while industrialization has brought the destruction of many artistic ventures, it has also contributed to the invention of infinitely more. An excellent example of this is how the introduction of photo and video has forever changed the art world. It has transformed visual art from the paintbrush and canvas to the camera and frame.
The digitization of art has made the camera the new paintbrush
Overall, I feel that industrialization has made art much more about its economic affordability over its meaning and value. I have seen first hand how the works of famous bronze artists like Frederic Remington have gone completely unnoticed and unappreciated except by those knowing the details of the industry. Industrialization has caused people to prefer cheaper art over treasured meaningful pieces with historic value. Art has become more an economic commodity over time than a purposeful endeavour to create a reflection of culture and society.
This is Friedrich Remington a famous painter and bronze artist who was famous for his Western pieces
Andrews, Fred H. Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, vol. 97, no. 4800, 1949, pp. 708–710. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41364437. Accessed 17 Apr. 2021.
Hui, Yuk. “Objects of Art After Industrialization.” DOXA, 15 May 2012, www.doxacollective.org/2012/05/15/objects-of-art-after-industrialization/.
“Industrial Revolution.” Obelisk Art History, arthistoryproject.com/timeline/industrial-revolution/.
Johnson, K. Art and Artistic Reactions to the Industrial Revolution, historytradeart.blogspot.com/2010/05/art-and-artistic-reactions-to.html.
“Old Camera with Paintbrush in Color Stock Photo.” Adobe Stock, stock.adobe.com/images/old-camera-with-paintbrush-in-color/124063038?as_campaign=ftmigration2&as_channel=dpcft&as_campclass=brand&as_source=ft_web&as_camptype=acquisition&as_audience=users&as_content=closure_asset-detail-page.
Tuberman, Leon. “How Did the Industrial Revolution Impact the Arts and Crafts Movement?” Barn Furniture Blog, 30 Oct. 2017, www.barnfurnituremart.com/blog/how-did-the-industrial-revolution-impact-the-arts-and-crafts-movement/#:~:text=It%20also%20supported%20a%20design,and%20their%20utility%2C%20especially%20Modernism.
Walter, Benjamin. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. 1936.
This weeks content helped me come to the realization the connection between two often opposing disciplines; math and art. Math is able to guide an artist to perfect the look of their creative endeavor through mathematical concept that may increase the realism or abstractness of a creation. But art is also able to transform art as artists wild creativity can inspire mathematicians to reach to achieve something previously thought impossible or art can convert impossible to comprehend math into something easily digestible. Ultimately, math and art are interconnected on a two way street as "mathematics can assist in the aesthetic appeal of visual art, visual art is able to depict mathematical concepts in an elegant and effective manner"
This interactive model turns the math of sound waves into a concise artistic model
Math is also able to be transforms by artists into abstract art that illustrates a certain aspect of society. For example, the mathematical progress past the theory of a fourth dimension lead several artists, including Max Weber along with many other, to use the concept of the fourth dimensions "as a rational for exploring new kinds of language in art, literature, and music justified some of the most advanced experimentation of this era."
Max Weber's painting "Inside the Fourth Dimension
The combination of useful and non-useful artwork illustrates how math inspired art can come in many forms and should not be expected to defined in one niche category. Math inspired art can be seen in almost everything around us including buildings as architecture and interior design are two common forms of this art. Artists and Scientists use math in their work in both useful and aesthetic pleasing ways. We use math to either advance technology or to push the boundaries of artistic expression.
The juxtaposition between art and math mostly comes from the interpretation that these two fields involve the use of different skill; art activating creativity and math the more logical thinking. Although in reality this juxtaposition is more of a made up concept and these fields can be combined if we as a society end this constraining division between the two fields.
Ted Talk "The Math and Magic of Origami" details the bridge between math and art
Cooper, Luke. “Art and Mathematics.” Medium, Nice Slice, 10 Aug. 2019, medium.com/nice-slice/art-and-mathematics-a2677a515450.
Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion.” Leonardo, vol. 17, no. 3, 1984, pp. 205–210. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1575193. Accessed 10 Apr. 2021.
Lamb, Evelyn. “Bridging the Gap Between Math and Art [Slide Show].” Scientific American, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2012, www.scientificamerican.com/article/bridging-the-gap/.
Lang, Robert. The Math and Magic of Origami. Feb. 2008, www.ted.com/talks/robert_lang_the_math_and_magic_of_origami.
McCauley, Mary Carole. Baltimore Museum of Art Mounts Exhibit of 20th-Century Avant-Garde Painter Max Weber, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2013, www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-ae-bma-weber-20130323-story.html.
Ornes, Stephen. “For These Artists, Math Is Their Muse.” Science News for Students, 6 Dec. 2019, www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/math-is-muse-for-these-artists.
Selikoff, Nathan. “Fine Artist Playing with Interactivity, Math, Code.” Playing at the Intersection of Interactivity, Math, and Code, 18 Jan. 2020, nathanselikoff.com/.
C.P. Snow's The Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution illustrates the divide between the scientific/mathematic community and the literary/humanities community. Throughout my upbringing, I found myself aligning with the scientific/mathematic community. I enjoyed the simplistic and logical train of thought that was involved in these fields and struggled with artistic expression and expansion of my thought into the literary and creative realm.
Snow's perspective of eventually closing of the gap between the natural sciences and the humanities is one that I have found relatable recently. At my time in high school and now at UCLA, I have been aware of the divide between the stem majors and non-stem majors. My current major, business economics, is is considered a stem major, but plenty of people are shocked to learn that it is defined as such. Most associate stem majors with the physical and natural sciences and I am a perpetrator of this misclassification myself, often assuming this about others. Being on the more humanitarian side of STEM majors, has made me more aware of the presumptions often attached to STEM majors.
UCLA's classification of economics as a stem major has forced me to reevaluate the definition of science and redefine it with a more all encompassing meaning. It has made me open up to the fact that many humanities fields are comprised with more "science" than society gives them credit for. This presumption is not only dangerous for my community within the stem classification but further divides the gap between non-stem and stem majors.
I think the new perspective of regarding fields as more fluid and interconnected has enabled me to be able to express my creative side more by using my more comfortable scientific and mathematic approach to the world and being able to jump off of that into the humanities and artistic realm. This new way to thinking has been extremely useful in my interest in economics as the scientific side of economic with models and studies has given me a platform to portray my humanitarian and creative thoughts in the form of policy suggestions. Ultimately, the combination of these opposing fields through my attachment to one has made much more comfortable with and capable of expressing more non linear and theoretical concepts than I had previously been.
“7 Benefits of Using This Kind of Thinking at Work.” Jobs, Company Reviews, Career Advice and Community, fairygodboss.com/career-topics/linear-thinking.
Review, Peer. “STEM/Non-STEM Differences in Engagement at US Institutions.” Association of American Colleges & Universities, 25 Dec. 2020, www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/stemnon-stem-differences-engagement-us-institutions.
Vega, Antonio. Science vs. Humanities: Educating Citizens of the Future. 7 Mar. 2017, www.elesapiens.com/blog/science-vs-humanities-educating-citiziens-of-the-future/.
Snow, C. P. “Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution.” Reading. 1959. New York: Cambridge UP, 1961. Print.
Vesna, Victoria. "Toward a Third Culture: Being In Between." Leonardo. 34 (2001): 121-125. Print.
