Event 3

LACMA

The last event I visited this quarter was a nod to technology, science,and art throughout the years. It was an exhibit that highlighted works at LACMA from 67-71 and featured work from different artists around the world (LACMA). It was interesting looking at the exhibits and seeing how the "new technologies" from those times have developed and how they are still incorporated in new art and science. One artist whose work I found very interesting was Giant Ice Bag by Claes Oldenburg, an American sculptor (Wiki). It was also interesting to hear the he was an artist who thought artists should disappear from their art, which is an unusual concept; he wants not to be a part of his art but instead to have his art be its own entity, almost like a parent to his child (Kino).
The first part of this project that was so interesting was the amount of technology needed to construct this project: engineers, electricians, custom fabric makers (Conserving). Another interesting part of this project, that I think gets lost a lot in our serious talks about technology and art, is that Oldenburg thought that his works should have a bit of humor to them (Leob). It is a unique thought process to see how this piece would fit into the same conversation that we are having about art and medtech, but 40 years ago. I believe that being able to look back on this art and technology through the looking glass of time affords us an opportunity to not only comment on how art has changed and technology has changed, but also how the relationship between the two has matured.

Sources:

"A conversation with Claes Oldenburg about the giant writhing icebag." Claire Leob. 26 Apr. 1971. Radio.  

"Claes Oldenburg." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 7 June 2015.\

"Conserving Claes Oldenburg’s Ice Bag–Scale C, 1971." Watch: Artists: Conserving Claes Oldenburg's _Ice Bag–Scale C_, 1971. Web. 7 June 2015.  
  
"From the Archives: Art and Technology at LACMA, 1967–1971." From the Archives: Art and Technology at LACMA, 1967–1971. Web. 7 June 2015.  

Kino, Carol. "Going Softly Into a Parallel Universe." The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 May 2009. Web. 7 June 2015.  

Event 2

Griffith Observatory

Griffith Observatory was a great place to visit, both as a non-native Los Angeles resident (the view of the Hollywood sign is breathtaking), and also as a student in this course. The purpose of the art in this instance is to make the science of space for easily understood by the everyday observer (Carolyn). It is one of the kinds of space and art crossovers we touched on in week nine, art
about space opposed to art in space (Vesna). It is an amazing opportunity to have such a large vessel of space and art combined so close to us to enjoy.

It is unique as an art exhibit because people all have such different feelings about space. For some it is frightening, not knowing what is in the great beyond, whereas for others it is an experience of clarity, being able to see such vast concepts so close; the later was the case for the namesake of the Observatory (Howell). After looking through a telescope, Griffith said, "if everyone could look through that telescope it could change the world (Griffith)." I found the experience to be a bit of both, moving me from what I saw, but also reminding me how little we know about our space. I thought that this response should be something more artists strive for: creating an emotional connection with the observer and causing them to think or question the status quo. The following video explains how one artist, a composer, uses his craft to add a layer to the space and art marriage (Gettell).

Sources:

"Carolyn's Tour of the Griffith Exhibits." Carolyn's Tour of the Griffith Exhibits. Web. 7 June 2015. 

Gettell, Oliver. "'Time's Up' Ticks into Future at Griffith Observatory Planetarium." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2012. Web. 7 June 2015.  

"Griffith Observatory." Official Site: Los Angeles, CA. Web. 7 June 2015.  

Howell, Elizabeth. "Griffith Observatory: Astronomy for the Public | Space.com." Web. 7 June 2015.

Vesna, Victoria. "Unit 9 | Space + Art." Lecture. 2012

Event 1

Fowler Museum 

One of the events I attended this quarter was right here on our ownMaking Strange: Gagawaka Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram currently resides in UCLA's Fowler Museum, a place that in my four years at UCLA I had yet to visit (Fowler). The first thing I did was watch a video in the exhibit about Sundaram and learned a bit more about the Indian contemporary artist (wiki). After learning about Sundaram, I explored the exhibit and quickly realized how well it applied to our discussions about different medical sciences. It was interesting how the use of the materials throughout juxtaposed with the finitely of life (Dambrot).
UCLA campus. Overall, it was an amazing afternoon taking in all of the culture that has been right under my nose for so long.
The outfits alone were like walking through a Lady Gaga fashion show, but know what I learned in this class I was able to see past that and dig deeper into the exhibit as more than just novelty outfits (Artfour

m). The obviously contemporary art takes into account many different aspects of life in order to comment on it: neurology, organs, and medtech such as x-rays(Postmodernist). The two pieces shown in this blog are the
two that I thought most encompassed this class. The one at the left really captured neuroscience and art in my opinion, and the one on the right really brought to reality medtech and art. Going to the Fowler and experiencing technology and art so close to where I have spent the last four years of my life really brought this course to life for me.




Sources:

Dambrot, Shana. "Making Strange: Gagawaka Postmortem." L.A. Weekly. Web. 5 June 2015.


"Making Strange: Gagawaka Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram | Fowler Museum at UCLA." Making Strange: Gagawaka Postmortem by Vivan Sundaram | Fowler Museum at UCLA. Web. 5 June 2015.  

"Postmodernist Art Definition, Characteristics, History." Postmodernist Art: Definition, Characteristics, History. Web. 5 June 2015.  

"Vivan Sundaram." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 5 June 2015.  

"Vivan Sundaram Talks about GAGAWAKA." Artforum.com. Web. 5 June 2015.