Week 4: Medicine, Technology & Art

I have spent a significant amount of time volunteering in hospital settings with pediatric patients who are often in severe amounts of pain. While they try their best to remain optimistic, these children are undoubtedly suffering, not knowing when their pain will subside. This is why I found Diane Gromala’s work to be so interesting to me, while I have been fortunate enough not to experience the chronic pain she describes, I certainly have witnessed what it can do to a person who is constantly suffering.

http://www.coalcreekpt.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/chronic-pain.jpg

Gromala’s use of immersive virtual reality as a way to combat feelings of pain combines medical knowledge, technological advances and artistic ability to ultimately decrease the suffering of human beings. Virtual reality (VR) systems use multimodal stimuli to allow the participant to feel a true sense of presence within the virtual world. While the underlying mechanisms behind how VR systems work are still unknown, the current theory is that it distracts and in a way confuses the body into re-directing the mind’s focus away from the sense of pain within the body. This is possibly due to the connection between emotional, cognitive and attentional processes, and the brain and other neurobiological systems.

http://www.worldviz.com/category/press-release

What primarily fascinated me about this field was the use of real-time feedback within this virtual world. As Gromala described in her TEDx talk, this may mean that as one gets closer to a state of meditation, they see the sky in their visual field become clearer and the sounds they hear become more three dimensional. The participant is thus able to truly see the progress they are making. This ultimately switches the focus from the five senses that are being activated from the surrounding world, to the thousands of inner senses, enabling inwards awareness and focus. This alone may effectively help ease chronic pain.

http://cdn.futuretechnology500.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/future-virtual-reality.jpg

 I can only imagine that innumerable practical applications of this line of work. I imagine this being used in every medical field, from the various wings of the hospital dealing with physical illnesses or injuries, to psychiatric facilities helping people cope with mental illness. I am interested in not only learning more about this field, but in following its progression in the future.

If you have not watched Diane Gromala's TEDx talk, I highly recommend it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdarMz--Pw

Works Cited

"Diane Gromala." Government of Canada, Industry Canada, Canada Research Chairs. N.p., 26 Nov. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/chairholders-titulaires/profile-eng.aspx?profileId=2457>.

Gromala, Diane. "TEDxAmericanRiviera - Diane Gromala - Curative Powers of Wet, Raw Beauty." YouTube. YouTube, 7 Dec. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRdarMz--Pw>.

           

Li, Angela, Zorash Montaño, Vincent J. Chen, and Jeffrey I. Gold. "Virtual Reality and Pain Management: Current Trends and Future Directions." Pain Management. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138477/>.

Sharar, Sam R., William Miller, Aubriana Teeley, Maryam Soltani, Hunter G. Hoffman, Mark P. Jensen, and David R. Patterson. "Applications of Virtual Reality for Pain Management in Burn-injured Patients." Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 2008. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2634811/>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Medicine, Technology and Art.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 24 April 2015. Lecture.

"Virtual Penguins A Prescription For Pain?" NPR. NPR, 12 Feb. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.npr.org/2012/02/12/146775049/virtual-penguins-a-prescription-for-pain>.

Week 3: Robotics & Art

Throughout high school I played the flute, and my flute teacher would often tell me to play a single note and imagine painting the wall in front of me with the “color of the sound.” I would often imagine some sort of paint shooting out of the end of my flute and covering the wall, and depending on the note I was playing or how I was feeling that day, the color would vary. This is why I found this week’s discussion of musical cybernetics systems to be particularly interesting to me, as it seems to truly blend the musical arts with robotics technology to create an incredible sensory and perceptual experience for its audience.

http://alligator-sunglasses.com/post/26220306189/seeing-the-music

As Professor Vesna discussed, Gordon Pask developed the musician cybernetics system, or the MusiColour Machine, to accompany musical performers. As the musicians played traditional instruments, the machine “responded” to the performers with varying colored lights and movements. Using the frequency and rhythm of the music as input, the machine was thought of as another performer, as each output was unique.

http://cyberneticians.com/THSH3/T6.html

While Walter Benjamin expressed his concern over this lacking “unique existence” of art, the MusiColor Machine is entirely unparalleled in its individuality of output based on the varying sounds it inputs. This cybernetic arts system was designed to engage both the machine and the performer, to ultimately create a visual and auditory experience for the audience that was unexpected and somewhat hypnotic, yet still systematic.    

http://hdwallpaper.freehdw.com/0004/3d-abstract_hdwallpaper_colors-of-music_31765.jpg

This idea of cybernetics, or the endless fluidity of information, began as a new way of thinking about the impact of feedback and output on a mechanical system.  I found this fascinating because the idea of humans and a machine feeding off one another to create something beautiful is unusual compared to common notions and fears about the future of robotics. However, this idea of the connection between humans and robot-like entities may provide a great deal of value not only in the field of art, but in future scientific exploration as well.

CURRENT EXAMPLE: Disneyland’s production “World of Color” came to mind when I first learned about the MusiColour machine. In this production, the audience watches colorful fountains and lights dance to the pre-recorded music. While there is no feedback between performers and the machine, “World of Color” still perfectly exemplifies the use of modern technology to create an artistic, multi-sensory experience for viewers where the music, colors and lights work together, as Pask intended with his machine. 

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/entertainment/disney-california-adventure/world-of-color/

Works Cited

"ASC: Foundations: Defining 'Cybernetics'" ASC: Foundations: Defining 'Cybernetics' N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2015. <http://www.asc-cybernetics.org/foundations/definitions.htm>.

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. London: Penguin, 2008. Print.

Fernandez, Maria. "Aesthetically Potent Environments," or How Gordon Pask Detoured Instrumental Cybernetics." (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. <http://nordes.medialab.aalto.fi/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/08/Pask-in-White-Heat-Cold-Logic.pdf>.

Haque, Usman. The Architectural Relevance of Gordon Pask (n.d.): n. pag. Hack Design & Research. Web. <http://www.haque.co.uk/papers/architectural_relevance_of_gordon_pask.pdf>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics and Art.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 17 April 2015. Lecture.

"World of Color." Disneyland Resort. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. <https%3A%2F%2Fdisneyland.disney.go.com%2Fentertainment%2Fdisney-california-adventure%2Fworld-of-color%2F>.

Week 2: Math & Art

           I have always found it incredibly intriguing how artists use scientific knowledge about human perception in their work to create both realistic depictions of the world, as well as optical illusions.  In a psychology class I took last quarter (Psych 120B) about human sensation and perception, a great deal of time was spent discussing the incredible feat our brain encounters and must overcome while attempting to understand what exactly we are seeing within our field of vision at any given moment.  This directly applies to this week’s discussion of perspective as a way to portray 3D space on a 2D canvas. 

2D vs. 3D image

           To accomplish this, one must understand and use optics as Al-Haytham first discussed in regards to the physical and mathematical calculations the human eye uses to carry out the task of seeing. This way of thinking about artistic expression in mathematical and scientific forms ultimately had great influence on Renaissance art in terms of the techniques used by artists to portray depth and realistic entities within their work.

Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" 

            Since then, mathematics in art is still of great public interest today. Movies and TV shows such as the Da Vinci Code, 21 and Lost have taken this field to the next level by delving into people’s intense fascination with the relationship between numerical patterns and the real world. 

            It is possible that this consistent interest may come from the existence of mathematical equations in nature, such as the presence of fractals, patterns that are now known to have a mathematical equation, and the use of the Golden Ratio, a proportion that when used in art increases aesthetic appeal and also occurs naturally in the world.  These naturally occurring mathematical phenomena may serve as proof of the extreme importance of mathematics not only in the arts, but in the world itself!

The Golden Ratio, example in a sunflower

SIDE NOTE: a few days ago (4/8/15) was considered “Lost Day,” as in the hit TV series Lost, because the date and time corresponded to a sequence of numbers that was the source of great mystery within the show… just an example of the importance of numbers in the arts, as well as in people’s lives! (The clip below shows many of the times the same sequence of numbers is brought up in Lost!)

Sources:

"21 Trailer (Official)." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRzZX2aN3I0>. 

"FEATURES." Vivitek 2D-3D. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.vivitek3d.com/features.php>. 

Henderson, Linda D. "The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art Linda Dalrymple Henderson."         Leonardo 17.3 (1984): 205-10.JStor. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. 

Kurp, Josh. "Why ‘Lost’ Fans Have Been Waiting A Decade For Today." Uproxx. N.p., 4 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.  <http://uproxx.com/tv/2015/04/why-lost-fans-have-been-waiting-a-decade-for-today/>. 

"LOST: NUMBERS." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65FLP1ChetI>. 

"Nature, The Golden Ratio, and Fibonacci Too ..." Nature, The Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Numbers. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/nature-golden-ratio-fibonacci.html>. 

Ouellette, Jennifer. "Pollock's Fractals." Discover Magazine 1 Nov. 2001: n. pag. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://discovermagazine.com/2001/nov/featpollock>. 

"The Da Vinci Code - Official Trailer 1 [2006] [720p HD]." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMba3fckhuQ>. 

"The Last Supper - A Study of the Painting by Leonardo Da Vinci." The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.jaydax.co.uk/lastsupper/lastsupper.htm>. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 9 April 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg&feature=player_embedded>

  

Week 1: Two Cultures

I am a psychology major, which inevitably means the majority of my day is spent in Franz Hall, UCLA’s psychology building.  Franz is located directly on the dividing line of North and South Campus, separating science from humanities.

UCLA Franz Hall

Map of UCLA campus, highlighting Franz Hall

This is a particularly appropriate location for such a building, as I have heard countless times that psychology is truly a science, however I will be receiving a Bachelor of Arts in the field.  How exactly does this make sense? Professor Vesna’s explanation of the prominent divide in education made me realize that UCLA Psychology perfectly exemplifies the Two Cultures at UCLA, as it physically divides the campus without fitting neatly into either side. 

            

Division between arts and sciences

This separation prevails long before a student reaches the college level.  This became clear to me through Ken Robinson’s discussion of divergent thinking, an essential aspect of creativity that diminishes once a child enters the realms of the formal education system.  In addition, Charles Percy Snow asserts that the separate cultures of the arts and sciences does in fact begin in schools. This is of particular interest to me as I hope to become a Kindergarten teacher.  I have therefore realized that the path I hope to go on will lead me to the forefront of the Two Cultures issue. 

Children being formally educated in a classroom setting

Professor Vesna explains that this separation causes stereotyped beliefs that lead students to feel they must fit into either side in order to succeed. If children were taught with an eye towards collaboration between disciplines, not only will divergent thinking persist but over time the gap between art and science may close.  There may no longer be a North and South campus or a BA or BS degree, but rather a college with an education system that prepares one for the type of communication, collaboration and interdisciplinary exploration of the real world.

Sources:

Children raising hands in classroom. Digital image. Pearson Research and Innovation Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2015. <http://researchnetwork.pearson.com/wp-content/uploads/kidsraisinghands_anchor.jpg>.

Miller, Deb. Art vs. Science. Digital image. CMS Wire. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2015. <http://www.cmswire.com/images/artbrain1.jpg>.

RSA Animate Changing Educational Paradigms. Perf. Ken Robinson. YouTube. N.p., 14 Oct. 2010. Web. 3 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U>.

Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.

UCLA Franz Hall. Digital image. UCLA Life. UCLA Undergraduate Admissions, n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2015. <blog.admissions.ucla.edu>.

UCLA Franz Hall. Digital image. Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2015. <http://helper.ipam.ucla.edu/ucla_maps/franzhall.jpg>.

Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-25. Print.