Week 8: Nanotech + Art

This week we learned about Nanotechnology and art. This topic introduces an entire new realm of things we have never seen before even bypassing scientific findings. Nanotechnology is where we see the major shift into the collaboration of the two cultures that have previously been so divided. Dr. Gimzewski in the lectures explains to us the impact of such a small scale concept. Richard Feynman is known to have created the origins of nanotechnology. He won the nobel prize and was one of the first to see just how far this could advance in technology and medicine.

Nanoparticles have been around since ancient times. An example of this can be found in a cup that is on display in a British museum. The Lycargus cup is from 400 BC and when you look at it in the light it appears to be green but when you light it from the inside it appears to be red. This is because the Romans found a way to incorporate gold nanoparticles. These gold nanoparticles have very specific properties that the Romans explored. This is only one example of ways that nanoparticles were explored in ancient times.

A more recent example of nanoparticles can be found in almost anything such as your clothes, food, or medicine. An Australian company uses vitamins that are nano-encapsulated so they have no taste but still provide nutritional value. Anything from cooking oils, health supplements, diet products, soft drinks, food processing, bakery and dairy all contain nano particles. Nanotechnology is surrounding us more than we will ever know. It helps us get through our daily lives and most of us were probably unaware.

Works Cited:

Berger, Michael. “Nanotechnology in Food.” Nanowerk, 24 Apr. 2019, www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-in-food.php.

“John Curtin Gallery.” Art.Base, art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology in Food, www.understandingnano.com/food.html.

“The Nobel Prize in Physics 1965.” NobelPrize.org, www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1965/feynman/biographical/.

“This 1,600-Year-Old Goblet Shows That the Romans Were Nanotechnology Pioneers.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Sept. 2013, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-1600-year-old-goblet-shows-that-the-romans-were-nanotechnology-pioneers-787224/.

Comments

Week 2: Math + Art

After watching and reading this weeks material I was surprised by the information that I had learned. I had been aware that math had been included in art but I wasn't sure to what extent. It started as early as 200 B.C. with the use of zero and in the 13th century with Giotto using linear perspective to create depth. Although it wasn't an exact mathematic formula it still embraced the basic concept. More than anything geometry is used in order to create the basic formulas and changes in perspectives for paintings and drawings. The geometry can be seen in something as simple as a tile floor, the entire image can shift just depending on the observers perspective. The golden ratio can be seen in art ranging from buildings to portraits and is a key formula to artists. One image I found particularly interesting was Piet Mondrian and his use of only lines to create a beautiful painting. He portrayed how simple mathematics and geometric shapes could be put together to form somethi...

week 6: Biotech + Art

In this weeks lecture we learned about biotechnology and the hybrid that scientists are creating between animals. I found this week to be extremely interesting as I had taken a biotechnology class in high school. My class focused on the scientific aspect rather than the art aspect and I never considered the two to be connected. With biotechnology there comes a lot of issues including the debate of morals and ethics. There is a large controversy over artists using animals as test subjects and genetically modifying them. Artists have entered into these laboratories and work directly with biologists, neuroscientists, geneticists and nanotechnologists to create their own type of artwork. Joe Davis walked into a laboratory of MIT in 1982 and immediately made an impact in the world of bioart. He already had an idea of how genomes could contribute to art he just needed someone to teach him how to synthesize DNA in order to modify organisms on a molecular level. He was almost immediat...

Event #2: Getty Museum

For my second event I attended the Getty Museum not far from here at UCLA. It was my first time ever going to the Getty and I was surprised by how beautiful it was. Not only was the art inside of it amazing but also the building architecture itself. It has views of LA where you can see for miles and beautiful geometric patterns in the garden. Although I walked through almost all the exhibits i'm going to focus on one in this blog post. The exhibit focuses on five photographers that over the past few decades have used photography to survey specific geographic spaces. These artists all wanted to create a personal vision language, drifting away from traditional landscape photography and its concern with scientific accuracy and aesthetic concerns. Above is Robert Kinmont's "My Favorite Dirt Roads" which depicts unpaved roads leading to Bishop, California. These photos capture the mostly empty landscape with the few occasional power lines suggesting some civiliz...

bella's desma blog

Search This Blog