Nanotechnology and Art

When first introduced to nanotechnology, I had trouble envisioning its overlap with art. The sheer fact than nanotechnology occurs on a scale far too small to be seen, let alone comprehended, by humans confused me but also made me want to learn more. Richard Feynman explored nanotechnology when he endeavored to write 25,000 pages of the encyclopedia Britannica on a pinhead. From this experience, he realized that the nanoscale pervades classical mechanics and is dominated by quantum (Gimzewski, pt.1) After becoming more familiar with the science, I learned that nanotechnology is about shifting our perception of reality from being visual, to being based more on sensing (Vesna).

Don Eigler's Design using STM

The discovery of a new form of carbon catapulted nanotechnology forward. This allotrope lead scientists towards nanotubes which are sheets of tetrahedrally bonded carbons that are stronger than steel. This monumental discovery had incredible implications in the nanoworld and motivated artists, inventors, and scientists to begin exploring it (Gimzewski, pt.2). Afterwards, the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope really opened up the world to nanotechnology. It feels the surface of a sample, maps the position of the atoms in real space, and gives the user the ability to manipulate them on a single atom basis. With this outstanding technology, Don Eigler was able to create visual designs in the nanoworld by rearranging atoms. This was the first real view of nanoart (Gimzewski, pt.2).  

Stained Glass

Quantum Dot in Cells

Although, structurally, the nanolevel must remain very simple, nanoparticles have a great influence on the color we see on a macroscale. Nanosized gold particles have very specific properties that were used for coloration in ancient Roman pottery. Stained glass also uses nanoparticles to make brilliant colors that cannot be formed with just regular pigmentation (Gimzewski, pt.3). Because nanoparticles have wavelike properties, as the size of the particle decreases, so does its wavelength, which alters the color we see. Quantum dots use this property and are used to tag different types of disease. They are so small, they can pass through the blood brain barrier to specifically target cells that have never been targeted before. The quantum dots produce brilliant images produced by these revolutionary nontoxic, multipurpose nanoparticles (Gimzewski, pt.4).

Blue Morpho Butterfly

We can see nanotechnology in the micro-christmastree-like structures of the blue morpho butterfly wing. The color of the structures should be black, but photons of light are manipulated on the nanoscale and reflect a brilliant blue pigment (Gimzewski, pt.5). This discovery challenged and motivated scientists to continue to explore the nano world.

ASEE. "Picturing the Very Small." EGFI: Dream up the Future. EGIF, 22 Feb. 2010. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/website-picturing-the-very-small/>.

Gimzewski, Jim. "Nanotech Jim Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE>.

Gimzewski, Jim. "Nanotech Jim Pt2." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEp6t0v-v9c>.

Gimzewski, Jim. "Nanotech Jim Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0HCNiU_108>.

Gimzewski, Jim. "Nanotech Jim Pt4." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHCuZetAIhk>.

Gimzewski, Jim. "Nanotech Jim Pt5." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OWc8nmHJmY>.

Jukofsky, Diane. Encyclopedia of Rainforests. Connecticut: Oryx Press, 2002.

Machalek, Alisa Zapp. "An Owner's Guide to the Cell." Inside the Cell. NIH: Basic Discoveries for Better Health, 9 Aug. 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/insidethecell/chapter1.html>.

M0tty. "Église Du Sablon - Brussels - Stained Glass." Wikipedia Commons. Wikipedia Commons, 27 June 2011. Web. 24 May 2012. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Église_du_Sablon_-_Brussels_-_Stained_glass_(02)_-_2043-0007-0.jpg>.

Vesna, Victoria, and Jim Gimzewski. "Nanotechnology." (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

Neuroscience and Art

Although ideas about how our brain functions and its prevalence in every day life seems pervasive, the brain has only been studied for about one century. Aristotle, sometimes said to be the father of psychology, thought the brain was unimportant and that the real thinking went on in the heart. Ramon y Cajal, founder of neuroanatomy, claimed that only artists could be attracted to science because of its creative process and its ability to surprise (Vesna pt.1). Neuroscience has recently been a rich source of inspiration for artists because of its relatability, and the universality of the questions it addresses (Frazzetto).

Brainbow Images of a Fruit Fl

Brainbow is a relatively new way to distinguish neurons fro each other by means of expressing a different fluorescent colors. Earlier labeling techniques could only map a few neurons but this allows more than 100 different mapped neurons to be illuminated (Vesna, pt.1). It was immediately apparent that this incredible array of colors was both beautiful and informative. The extraordinary images of neural circuitry rivaled artistic representations of the brain and inspired many to focus on the beauty of our nervous system (Frazzetto).

Albert Hofmann in an LSD Inspired Portrait

In 1938 Albert Hofmann accidentally synthesized Lysergic acid diethylamide, better known as LSD, which causes remarkable hallucinations and kaleidoscopic images. After intentionally ingesting his drug, Hofmann reported that every sound generated a vividly changing image and that he saw things he never could have imagined before (Vesna, pt.3). This new drug paved a pathway from the outside world, through the mind, and straight to the artist creative centers of our brains.

MRI Scans of Brains Affected by Different Genres of Music

Recent developments in imaging technology have opened up doors to our knowledge of the brain. fMRI, or functional magnetic resonance imaging, maps brain activity to examine neuronal pathways and specific brain activities. Artist like Daniel Margulies and Chris Sharp have taken advantage of this new technology and created an activity for their subjects. They give the participants a philosophical passage about about knowledge and perception and then play them Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” as they get their brain scanned. The final project is a video that shows a cross-section of a brain with changing patterns of colors in the areas that light up during this complex thought provoking experience (Frazzetto). This project, out of all the ones relating to neuroscience, was the one that piqued my interest the most. It reveals the unique complexity our brain possesses to process and interpret information in a beautifully elegant synthesis of art and science.

Cohen, Mark "Neuroscience-Mark Cohen.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 12 May 2012. Web. 17 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDq8uTROeXU>.

Frazzetto, Giovanni, and Suzanne Anker. "Neuroculture." Nature Reviews Neuroscience Nat Rev Neurosci 10.11 (2009): n. pag. Web. 17 May 2015.

Newitz, Annalee. "Two New Scientific Studies Reveal Hallucinogens Are Good for Your Mental Health." Io9. Kinja, 19 Aug. 2010. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://io9.com/5617273/two-new-scientific-studies-reveal-hallucinogens-are-good-for-your-mental-health>.

Preston, Andrew. "The Masters of Our Minds: Meet the Brain Scientists Battling to Preserve Our Sanity." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 20 Nov. 2010. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1330570/Brain-scientists-battling-preserve-sanity-MS-Alzheimers-Parkinsons.html>.

Reify, Vy. "Science Sunday: Brainbows, Part 2." Teen Skepchick. N.p., 05 Feb. 2012. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://teenskepchick.org/2012/02/05/science-sunday-brainbows-part-2/>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 17 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzXjNbKDkYI>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-pt2.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 17 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFv4owX3MZo>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 16 May 2012. Web. 17 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5EX75xoBJ0>.

Biotechnology and Art

Kepler's Nested Polyhedra

During the mid-twentieth century, artists began exploring the realm of biotechnology and vastly expanded their pallet to include nature, the human body, and genetics. As Bio-artists began working directly with biologists, the ethical implications of artists meddling with genetics rose to the surface. The public began to question whether or not using genetically modified animals was okay for science, let alone for recreational art (Vesna, pt.1).

Bio-art’s main objective is to comment on the ethics of biotechnology being done in labs and artists like Joe Davis have taken eccentric standpoints. He has developed many projects from constructing Kepler’s nested polyhedra out of amino acids to designing an audio-microscope that transmits light information into sound, giving organisms their own acoustic signature. He takes scientific concepts, like self-assembling molecules, and puts them in his art like his primordial clock, which he intends to be self-assembling alarm clock (Vesna, pt.1).

Davis's Strategy for Alien Communication

Perhaps Davis’s most famous and controversial piece of bio-art was his idea to put a sign of human life into a bacterial genome and release it into space. He worked with microbiologists to insert microvenus into the genetic makeup of e coli in order to communicate with other life forms (Vesna, pt.1). His art pressures the viewers to ask deeper questions like what is life? And what does it mean to manipulate life into something we desire?

SymbioticA's Drawing Robotic Arm

Some of the bio art that was more fascinating to me was the art that explored semi-living objects. SymbioticA is a bio-art group that explores tissue culturing and focuses on semi-living projects. They constructed a robotic arm that was run by the activity of goldfish neurons. This interface of a biological neural network to a remote robotic drawing arm was incredibly interesting to me, but I imagine quite controversial due to its utilization of a living organism’s neurons (Vesna, pt.2).

Stelarc's Third Ear

Once piece that really struck me was Stelarc’s third ear, a sub-dermal implant made of cultured human cartilage with an implanted microphone. This ear was meant to address the barriers between living and nonliving things (Levy). Bio-art has developed as one of the most dramatic statement-making ways of doing art. It poses important ethical questions like should living material be used for artistic ends? Or where should we draw the distinction between living and non-living? These questions play an important role in all of our human experiences and I believe should be explored further.

Cage, John. "Innovative New Media Artists in the 20th and 21st Century."Innovative New Media Artists in the 20th and 21st Century. N.p., 21 May 2012. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://people.ucsc.edu/~lphamilt/project_2.html>.

"DNA Code." Scientific American. Scientific American, n.d. Web. 9 May 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.scientificamerican.com%2Foscillator%2Fdna-code%2F>.

"Johannes Kepler." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 8 May 2015. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Kepler>.

Kelty, Chris. "Outlaws, Hackers, Victorian Gentlemen." Meanings of Participation: Outlaw Biology? (2010): n. pag. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://diybio.org/2010/01/29/outlaw-biology-at-ucla-symposium/>.

Levy, Ellen K. Defining Life: Artists Challenge Conventional Classifications (n.d.): n. pag. 2009. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://nanobioart.artscicenter.com/hybrid/sites/default/files/Ellen_Levy_BioArt.pdf>.

Repetto, Douglas Irving. "ArtBots Participants (2003)ArtBots 2003 Home Page: Http://www.artbots.org/2003/." ArtBots. Eyebeam Festival, 13 July 2003. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://minerva.union.edu/kleind/today/20030713.htm>.

Vesna, Victoria. "5 Bioart Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 9 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg>.

Vesna, Victoria. "5 BioArt Pt2." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 9 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=MdSt-Hjyi2I#t=31>.

Vesna, Victoria. "5 BioArt Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 9 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=3EpD3np1S2>.

Medicine, Medical Technology, and Art

Artist Sketch of Human Anatomy

This week’s topic particularly excited me because of my interest in medicine. I was very involved in art when I was younger, but as I became more focused on academics, my interests deviated away from art; to me they were mutually exclusive so, this week I was excited to see how they intertwine.

Human Sliced for Visual Human Project

Ingber discusses basic structure of biological molecules and the way they combine as incredibly artistic in his article for Scientific American, but medicine on a grander scale interests me more (Ingber). Early on in medicine’s history, doctors and artists collaborated to create incredibly accurate depictions of the human form. Doctors needed artists to draw detailed diagrams of different systems of the body, and artists needed doctors to validate their artistic representations of the body with science. Art manifested itself in the Visible Human Project, which is composed of digitally represented cross sections of the male and female anatomy (Vesna, Pt1). On the surface, this endeavor seemed purely scientific, but I later considered the creative ability it took to visualize a human made up of thin slices and recognized the overlap of medicine and art.

Orlan Preparing for A Surgical Performance

The way art can most obviously be seen in medicine is plastic surgery. Surgeons literally reconstruct the human form into a more aesthetically pleasing shape. One artist whose work made a powerful impact on me was Orlan, a french artist who used her own body as a medium. Since 1990 she has had 9 cosmetic surgeries, each done as a performance (Vesna, Pt3). Not only does she incorporate science and new medical technology into her art, but she makes grand statements about ridiculous beauty standards that are very relevant to my generation.

Virtual Reality Therapy

Although learning about the history of medicine and art was intriguing, what struck me the most this week was Diane Gromala’s talk on chronic pain.  She began by commenting on our current culture and how our dependence language has disconnected us from our senses. Humans have 100,000 times more inner sensors than external senses and getting more in touch with our inner world can be helpful for those with chronic pain. Her current work with virtual reality and its ability to help patients focus their energy inward has a meditative effect and can relieve many symptoms temporarily (Gromala). This shows the incredible therapeutic power of art on humans not only psychologically, but physiologically as well.

Fripp, Alfred. "Human Anatomy for Art Students." Pintrest. N.p., 1911. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Ffoxyenglishlass%2Fart-human-anatomy-for-art-students%2F>.

Gandey, Allison. "Medscape Log In." Medscape. WebMD, 14 May 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/721680>.

Gromala, Diane. "Curative Powers of Wet, Raw Beauty." YouTube. TEDxAmericanRiviera, 7 Dec. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdarMz--Pw>.

Ingber, Donald E. "The Architecture of Life." Scientific American Jan. 1997: n. pag. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

Orlan. "The Reincarnation of Saint-Orlan." Creative Mapping. Creative Mapping, 04 Aug. 2014. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.creative-mapping.com/controversial-french-artist-orlan-is-perhaps-most-infamous-for-using-her-own-body-as-a-tool-for-a-series-of-performance-surgeries-known-as-the-reincarnation-of-saint-orlan/>.

Sellers, Emily. "Visible Human Project" Glogster. N.p., 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.glogster.com/emilysellers/visible-human-project/g-6lt4etm95cl8j5agptuuga0>.

Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." PBS. PBS, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep0M2bOM9Tk>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine Pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 22 Apr. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIX-9mXd3Y4#t=188>.