Final Project: FoodSavvy

https://docs.google.com/a/g.ucla.edu/presentation/d/1_KJ55yGdDjlx0fYosSxU4mnf0uFFW9_Dl-eMXgFoLCk/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

Extra Credit Event #2: Air and Space Museum

The last museum I attended was the San Diego Air and Space museum. I had never been to this museum, and I have lived in San Diego my whole life. I really enjoyed learning about naval aviation, Sputnik, Atlas, and how rockets are built. I felt that this does pertain to our Desma course because artists undoubtedly look to space for inspiration. In addition, the technology of all of these definitely influence art.

  While at this museum, I learned even more information about the Space Race and the ways that Sputnik affected the world. It stated that Sputnik started the space age, and the U.S. and U.S.S.R rivalry. I also learned about the ATLAS, and its facilities. The ATLAS stands for the Argonne Tandem Linac Accelerator System, and it is the world’s first superconducting linear accelerator for heavy ions at energy in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier. Its is the primary facility for nuclear structure research. It is known to be the forefront of nuclear research. By studying these neutron rich species, this is definitely a frontier in nuclear physics research which could change the way that we see nuclear energy. Any new finding could affect the technology of today, which would simultaneously affect art. When technology is being worked on and improved, art is affected well.

Another part of the museum that I was really interested in was how rockers are built. In a picture I have inserted below, it shows a rocket engine and what is needed. There has to be a turbine, an oxygen pump, combustion chamber, and a nozzle. All of these components help to fuel the rocket engine in order to get into space. The pump is the first step in this process which lifts up the pressure of the propellants. Next, because there are burning propellants, the fuel is pumped through a combustion chamber. Then the pressurized fuel is passed to the turbine, which operates the pump. Immediately affter a high pressure gas is ignited, and it goes through the nozzle. Lastly, the gas accelerates through the nozzle and there is an action reaction. The rocket is then ready to go. This is of vital importance because humans have always been fascinated with space and what is up there, and this technology shows everyone just how getting into space is possible. This set of technology can be described as art, because everything has to mechanically work, and it is truly art when everything is working together in order to propel the rocket into space. With this technology that is becoming even more advanced, the possibility of building a space elevator is highly increased. As we talked about in the space lecture, an elevator from earth to space is becoming a reality largely in part because of various fields working hard on new technology. With the new research on nano technology, really anything can be possible.

Evidence that I attended the Air and Space Museum:

Citations

"Argonne Physics Division - ATLAS." Argonne Physics Division - ATLAS. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Aug. 2014.

"Atlas Rocket Exhibit." San Diego Air & Space Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Aug. 2014.

"Basics of Space Flight: Rocket Propulsion." Basics of Space Flight: Rocket Propulsion. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Aug. 2014.

System, Argonne Tandem Linear Accelerator. ATLAS (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

"8 Space Pt3 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 03 Aug. 2014.

Extra Credit Event 1: Timken Museum of Art

      This week I had the opportunity to go to another museum of art at Balboa Park in San Diego, this one was called the Timken Museum of Art. This museum is considered to be one of the greatest small museums in the world. In here, I was able to see many famous artists like Rembrandt, and Rubens. However I was not allowed to take photos inside the museum. The exhibit I found most interesting, and I felt connected the most to Desma lessons we learned were the Futurist exhibit made by El Lissitzky. His graphic art really intrigued me, and I learned so much more about him and his works after researching him after visiting. These geometric and abstract pieces of graphic art represent his comparison to the utopian ideals of Soviet Communism.

Through these abstract paintings he would make with geometric shapes, he referred to them as “prouns.” These were defined as a spatial relationships of his compositions, and they contained a varying perspective. These “prouns” also were considered to be the interchange between painting and architecture. He made strong political statements through his artworks. He believed that the future of the arts was to be integrated, and his “prouns” are considered to be precursors to industrial modern architecture. This integration of painting and sculpture, or architecture, can be paralleled to what we learned in the intersection of art and math. Lissitzky helped show others about this integration of math and art that people today want to follow.

I found one of Lissitzky’s quotes to be very interesting. “The artist constructs a new symbol with his brush. This symbol is not a recognizable form of anything which is already finished, already made, already existing in the world- it is a symbol of a new world, which is being built upon and which exists by way of people.” This shows just how much art can influence and shape lives. Art is a way of innovation and contains much power. In Lissitzky’s work, many times he would use Jewish symbols in his pieces. These symbols would help him promote his Jewish culture.

One of the works I truly found interesting was this proun by Lissitzky, seen in the picture above. This photo lays the foundation for architecture. It shows that math is definitely needed in art. The ideals of mass, space, and color are all needed in order to obtain the best painting possible. I also enjoyed learning how Lissitzky’s artwork was not just aesthetic, but it also had much significance to the politics of the time. I like how he intersected the idea that art can be visually pleasing, but also can have importance and meaning.

Here is proof that I attended the Timken Museum of Art

Citations

"Archiveellissitzky." Archiveellissitzky. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.

"Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.

"The Art Story.org - Your Guide to Modern Art." El Lissitzky Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014

"THE COLLECTION." MoMA.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.

"| Timken Museum." Timken Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014.

Event #3 San Diego Museum of Art

    This week I had the opportunity to explore the San Diego Museum of Art, and found many connections to what we have learned in this Desma 9 course. The art that really appealed to me and made me think of ideals we have learned in this class was the section of the museum with abstract art. I particular enjoyed this painting by the American Frank Stella. The piece of artwork is called Flin Flon VIII, and is an acrylic on canvas. I was able to learn more about this man, and found it interesting that he first began with just black and white canvases in his exhibits, but then later on his artwork changed and he began to integrate color in his compositions. I found this painting below to be interesting because it explores color, form, as well as pattern. All of these together remind me of an optical illusion. This artwork by Frank Stella reminds me of the week we learned about the intersection of mathematics and art. This painting uses many geometrical shapes, and the artist obviously used much mathematics in order to get these figures and shapes just right. He many times used geometry in his work, and has also done a “geometric variations” exhibition. Without math, his artwork would not be accomplished.

    Another abstract artist that I enjoyed seeing at the Museum of Art was Salvador Dali. His piece the Specter of the Evening, was one of the most intriguing and different paintings that I was able to see at the museum. When reading about the artist, I found it interesting that Dali was fascinated with Freud’s psychoanalytical theories, and put them into his art work. He constantly compared the unreal or unexpected objects in his masterpieces. In the picture below, Dali is bringing up Freudian ideas of dreams and hallucinations. In this piece, he shows death and decay- which correlates with psychoanalytical theories of Freud. This artwork correlates with course material because we learned about Freud when we did the Neuroscience and art lecture. In the course, we learned how Freud divided the mind into the conscious and subconscious, and he believed that the subconscious was very important because it revealed details about the self. Dali creates these images of what he sees in his subconscious, shows how he was directly influenced by Freud.

   The last abstract artwork that I found to be very fascinating as well as correlated to the course was Oskar Fischinger’s “Light Area, Motion in Space.” (pictured below) Oskar Fishchinger, upon learning more about him, was an abstract painter who was notable for inventing abstract musical animations way before computer graphics and music videos came out. I felt that this painting really correlated with what we learned during the week of mathematics and art. These geometric structures that are displayed in the painting give meaning and purpose. Each of the designs are set in a specific place, that the artist believes is geometrically the best. Not only did Fischinger contribute to the abstract art community, but he also did much work in the abstract film industry as well. These ideas of manipulating different shapes, as well as light, is also seen in his films. These mathematical concepts play a very important and influential role in Fishchinger’s abstract art. I believe that mathematics and neuroscience topics have played a very important role in this course, and I have seen the connection in many pieces of art.

Proof that I attended the San Diego Museum of Art:

Citations

"Frank Stella on Abstract Art Framed." Frank Stella on Abstract Art Framed. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2014.

"Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 30 July 2014.

"Modern and Contemporary Art." San Diego Museum of Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2014.

"Oskar Fischinger: Artist of the Century Iota." Oskar Fischinger: Artist of the Century Iota. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2014.

"Salvador Dali." Surreal Years. Art, Paintings, and Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014.

Space+Art

 The other topic we discussed this week was space and art, which was also very interesting. It was fascinating to see how space and art are related because I had never thought the two were. In the first lecture, we learned about the history of humans and space, by talking about Copernicus and his belief in the heliocentric model of the solar system. In addition, we learned more about the history of space with a lecture about the space race in the fifties. This competition between the Soviets and the United States, which took place during the cold war, had much impact on the math and science of the younger generation of Americans. After the Soviets launched Sputnik, the U.S. government decided to put more money into math and science education. Humans have constantly been interested in space and society, which is seen in much of our popular culture even today.

This idea of having a space elevator, is possibly becoming a reality. It used to be just science fiction, however scientists are now saying that this could in fact happen. This elevator would stretch from earth into space, and would haul cargo into the earth’s orbit. This design is being proposed by LiftPort, which the elevator would be about 62,000 miles high. This space elevator would be used for tourism, as well as further exploration of space. In addition, this elevator could also be built to travel to other planets, like Mars.

While researching more about the intersection of art and space, I found an artist that was inspired after going into space. His name is Alan Bean. Bean was a former astronaut, who walked the moon on Apollo 12, however became a painter later on in life. In the photo below, he is discussing his painting on exhibit at the National Air and Space museum. After Bean left NASA to become a full time artist, it surprised many of his colleagues. He did his art in his own way: by experimenting with colors, adding different textures from his spacesuits, and also incorporated dust particles as well. Another painter named Michael Caroll, states that “space art informs us and inspires us.” By bringing in this painting of space to the public eye, this helps make space a more influential topic in the lives of Americans.

Citations

Bonsor, Kevin. HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, n.d. Web. 25 July 2014.

"Space Pt6." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 July 2014.

"When Space and Art Intersect." The Space Review:. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 July 2014.

"8 Space Pt1 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 July 2014.

"8 Space Pt2 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 24 July 2014.

Nanotechnology+Art

This week we learned about nanotechnology and art, which was very fascinating. The scale of nanotechnology is so small that it can not be seen by the naked eye alone. It is the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, or supramolecular scale. I was very interested in learning about nanotechnology because I knew very little about it. There are so many products today that have nanotechnology, but many people do not know. Sunscreens rely on nano particles as well as cosmetics. L’oreal is known to use much nanotechnology in alot of its products. Their products are seen in a picture below. There is a group against nanotechnology which is called the nano ethics group. Studies show that in some food and drink cases there are also nano particles. We are not quite sure yet if these nano particles are dangerous, however some scientists predict they could be.

The slim shake chocolate milkshake has very low calories, but a lot of nano particles. This is seen here in the picture below. Many groups of people are against nano technology in food, and many individuals want to know whether their food is genetically modified. This product, the slim shake chocolate milkshake, claims to have “nanoclusters” mixed with tiny particles of cocoa that are designed to carry nutrients to the eater’s cells. The benefits that scientists have found out about nanotechnology is that if they are put in the packaging of food, it can possibly make food last longer. In addition, nanotechnology can also reduce fats and salts in processed foods.

Nanotechnology is used in medicine as well. In nanomedicine, there are new forms of therapy and treatment to revolutionize medicine. There are also pharmaceuticals that can target tumors, and drugs that people can take that will reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy. These nano devices help the patient because they are small enough to enter the cells. There can be potential cancer therapy with these nano shells that will be able to target the cell and kill off some tissue. One example of a drug that uses nanomedicine is abraxane, which is used to treat breast cancer. This drug contains the nanoparticle albumin bound paclitaxel. In regenerative medicine, silica based nanoparticles help deliver molecules to transplanted cells derived from stem cells. Nanotechnology in medicine is making wonderful strides for the health community, and is something that scientist will keep researching even more. This nanotechnology can possibly hep cancer patients, as well as people with other health problems.

Citations

Lawson, Presentation By Sope. NANOTECHNOLOGY IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY- LEGAL ISSUES ISSUES, REGULATION AND CHALLENGES CHALLENGES.

"Nanoethics.org - The Ethics and Societal Impact of Nanotechnology." Nanoethics.org - The Ethics and Societal Impact of Nanotechnology. Web. 25 July 2014.

"Nanotech Jim Pt6." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 July 2014.

"Nanotech Jim Pt4." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 July 2014.

"Nanotechnology Project." PEN News. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 July 2014.

Event #2: Reuben H. Fleet Science Museum

     This past week I went to the Reuben H. Fleet Science museum and attended the Illusion exhibit. Many of these illusions correlate with what we learned this week about the intersection of neuroscience and art. The top three experiments that really stood out to me were: All of the Universe is Full of the Lives of Perfect creatures, Delicate Boundaries, and lastly the very famous piece called Supermajor. All of these experiments play with the person’s mind. The mind is deceived and that is why the audience is confused about what happens; and ultimately they undergo an optical illusion.

In the first piece of work called All of the Universe is Full of the Lives of Perfect creatures, seen in a picture below, the person looks into a mirror and is transformed into their “inner animal.” In the interactive mirror, the viewer’s movements and expressions are imitated by the animal. There is a different animal every time a new person goes in front of the mirror. This project can be related to neural mechanisms, and also demonstrates the theory of cooperative behavior of facial expressions. This also shows that people have an unconscious way of communicating with each other through their expressions. The mirror neurons in a person's brain are activated when they watch someone performing an action, and then they try to mirror it. These mirror neurons show that people map facial features of others into their own brain. This shows the intersection that neuroscience and art display, because the mind affects facial expressions which can be considered a form of artwork.

      The next piece of art that I thought was very interesting in this exhibit was Delicate Boundaries. This piece was an interactive installation of a world of small digital bugs on a computer screen. As visitors approach, the bugs swarm towards their hand; but also if they press on the screen with their palms up, the bugs crawl onto their skin, and up the person’s hand. Obviously, the bugs are fake but it messes with the visitor’s mind between what is truly real and virtual. This part of the exhibit is also one that deals with the intersection of neuroscience and art. (as well as technology) This confuses the viewers' mind of what is real, and the concept of illusion perception of technology. People do not expect seeing the screen, that something will eventually come out. This piece deals with the viewers acknowledging the digital space, in relation to physical space. This shows that with growing technology, and in today's changing digital world, the visions of reality could perhaps be altered in the future of art and technology.

Lastly, the famous piece of work called Supermajor was another part of the exhibit that I really enjoyed. This art piece had a very interesting set up: there was a light over six vintage oil cans, where one of them looked like oil was pouring out onto a pedestal below. However, when one looks closely the oil is not really pouring out, but actually going back into the can. This artwork plays with the minds of the viewers: it forces the viewers to compare what their eyes see and what they know should be true. This optical illusion plays with our mind. It sounds like there is something dripping down, but it is really just the mind that is telling the eyes that oil is dripping down because it looks like it. This artwork again displays the intersection of neuroscience and art, because the mind is telling us one thing; while the piece of artwork is actually displaying something else.

http://vimeo.com/5288817

Here is evidence that I attended the Illusion exhibit at the Reuben H. Fleet Science museum.

Citations

"All the Universe Is Full of the Lives of Perfect Creatures." Karolina Sobecka RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2014.

"COMING SOON: ILLUSION at SCIENCE GALLERY." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 19 July 2014.

"ILLUSION at Science Gallery Dublin - Rua - Irish Magician | Deception Artist | Illusionist | Escapologist N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2014.

"ILLUSION." Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2014.

"This Mind-Boggling Installation Breaks The Laws Of Physics--Or Does It?" Co.Design. Web. 19 July 2014.

Neuroscience+Art

Neuroscience and art have a very interesting relationship. Art affects the mind, just as the mind gives art a particular meaning. Artists study the brain in order to find out what different colors, or shapes alter the way the brain perceives art. Even though artists and neuroscientists seem to have not that much in common, in reality they do. This quote from the article by Mengfei Huang of Stanford University depicts the comparison perfectly, “Artists like to break neurologic and perceptual rules, but in order to break rules, one must first understand them. Thus, it is fitting that artists take just as much interest in understanding visual perception as the neuroscientist, and have created in their canvases a repository of knowledge from their investigations.” This shows that artist indeed must understand neurological details, in order for them to implement in their artworks.

 Research in the field of Neuroaesthetics shows us, through the work of Ishizu and Zeki, that there are neural mechanisms that make people appreciate beautiful pieces of artwork. In one study, volunteers had to rate thirty different paintings presented to them on a beauty scale from one to nine. One to three would be meant as “ugly,” four to six as “indifferent,” and seven to nine as “beautiful.” At the conclusion of this study, the results demonstrated that there was a single region that was common to all of the volunteers that were more active when they viewed the painting they deemed beautiful. This common area in the brain was called the medial orbiotfrontal cortex, and this neural activity would increase in this region seen in the picture below. This is an interesting study because it shows us that the brain and artwork are undoubtedly connected.

This experiment shows us how intersected the brain and art truly are. However, the scientists upon doing more research, found out that not only one brain region is increased by experiencing beauty; rather there is much interaction among the different brain regions. In another article that also talks about Neuroaesthetics, the author states that neuroaesthetics is aimed at advancing our understanding of humans processing beauty and art. Many times in art, the shadow contours do not look like actual reality, but to our eyes the shadows make the piece of artwork look real. Artists also exaggerate certain features or colors, in order to get the artwork to look a certain way to the viewer. These tricks, made by the artist, help the viewer see the artwork better. In Impression, Sunrise by Monet, the shimmering of the water surfaces, as well as the sun’s glow is seen because the objects are similarly painted, but with different colors.

Citations

Faulks, Sebastian. "The Neuroscience of Art." The Lancet. (2008): 715-16. Web.

"Neuroaesthetics | The Scientist Magazine®." The Scientist. Web. 18 July 2014.

"Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 July 2014.

"Neuroscience-pt2.mov." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 July 2014.

"Statement on Neuroesthetics." Statement on Neuroesthetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2014.

Biotech+Art

This week we learned about the intersection of biotechnology and art. The part I found most fascinating about this week’s lecture was when the artists entered the science lab. These artists in particular, were officially named “Symbiotica,” where they engaged in science labs. The artwork that is made from Symbiotica can not be found in most art galleries; their artworks can be found at large scientific institutions. This Symbiotica group was inspired to combine biotechnology and science when they saw a piece of work called the Earmouse. The Earmouse was where there was an implanted lab-grown cartilage structure in the shape of a human ear, put under the skin of a mouse. This Earmouse was the spark that made this group want to make this type of artwork. Their artworks were made from purely scientific objectives, but inspired artists later to experiment with biological structures. Symbiotica has changed the way that people see the world, because they have shown that scientific objects can be made into artwork.

Another lecture I enjoyed was Biotech part four, which talked about body modification and how science and technology could potentially overcome human limitations. This lecture also talked about trans-humanism. The performance artist Stelarc is a huge proponent of body modification, and his work is seen when he did his project “the third ear.” In 2007, Stelarc had an ear surgically attached to his left arm. He did this because he wanted to explore this idea of transhumanism. This meaning that he wanted to transform the human condition by enhancing the intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities. He wants to explore how technology can eventually help the human body.

Another issue that relates biotechnology and art is genetic modification of food. Alot of food in our modern world is genetically modified for aesthetic purposes- like fruit coloration and shape. For instance, food is enhanced or modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits. Some of the criticisms of genetically modified foods is that there are many human health risks such as: allergies, and other unknown effects on human health. Genetically modified foods have been getting a bad reputation in modern times for these criticism, and this has thus sparked a movement for more organic food. Not only has genetically modified foods been in the news, but also the idea of genetically modified babies. This brings up the issues of ethical debates, and is something that our generation will have to grapple with during our lifetime. This issue of genetically modified foods or children is something our future society will also have to deal with as well.

Citations

"5 BioArt Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 16 July 2014.

"5 BioArt Pt4." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 July 2014.

"Bioart: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Using Living Tissue as a Medium | Underwire | WIRED." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 26 July 0011. Web. 18 July 2014.

"Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?" Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? Web. 15 July 2014.

"SymbioticA." The University of Western Australia. Web. 18 July 2014.

MedTech+Art

In this week’s lectures, we went over how medical technology is a form of art. This can be seen in MRI’s and X-ray machines. The human body has always been one of the great mysteries and complexities that the human race has faced. Even in ancient history, the Egyptians were fascinated with human bodies, and would cut them open when mummifying their dead. The human body itself can be seen as a work of art, and the continued dissection of bodies over time shows human interest in it. As mentioned in part one of lecture, Body Worlds was an exhibit that preserved body parts and exhibited them to an audience. I was lucky enough to have the chance to visit this when Body Worlds came to San Diego in 2009. It was an incredible exhibit, like nothing I had ever seen before. The part that made the most impact on me was seeing the lungs of a smoker compared to a healthy one. This exhibit influenced people to not only see the body as a piece of beauty or a work of art, but it also made people more aware of being healthy towards their precious body.

This picture displays the human body as a form of art.

In lecture, I found out that plastic surgery has been around for centuries. I thought it had only come about during the period of The Great War because of the need for reconstruction surgeries. Plastic surgery today is very popular, and even more so in the region of Southern California, where many of us reside, because of the focus on outward appearance. An increasing number of people are on the quest to find beauty perfection, or they are trying to hide their own perceived flaws. On a TV show that is currently airing called Botched, people come into a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon’s office in order to fix a certain body part that they identify to be their flaw. This show can be related to the artist Orlan who would undergo many plastic surgeries to change her appearance. However, she stated that she was not undergoing these surgeries to make her body more beautiful; rather she wanted to display diverse artwork. Orlan stated that she wanted to acquire the ideal of female beauty depicted by male artists. I personally feel that people like Orland, or others that are always changing their physical appearance for whatever reason, are not considered artists using medicine as art.

This process of using medical technology is to produce, or what many people believe, a more desired and beautified look.  Many people strive for perfection, and with this technology various people can obtain it. However, I believe these plastic surgery procedures are no longer an art form, but almost a mutilation of the human body. Orlan pushes the limit of the human body too far with technology. I believe artistic beauty of the human body is seen in more natural forms, without plastic surgery or technology. 

Citations

"Artiste Transmédia Et Féministe. Météorite Narratif Du BIO ART. Web. 12 July 2014.

"Botched." E! Online. Web. 11 July 2014.

"Current Exhibitions." Body World. Exhibitions. Web. 12 July 2014.

"Medicine Pt1." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 10 July 2014

"Orlan - Carnal Art (2001) Documentary." YouTube. Web. 12 July 2014.

"

Event 1: Museum of Man

For my first event of this course, I decided to go to the Museum of Man. I was able to see two exhibits: the Mayans and Instruments of Torture. The exhibit on the Mayans not only correlates with Desma course material, but it also relates to my History 20 course which I am also taking right now as well. I had not been to the Museum of Man in a very long time, and was pleasantly surprised at all the new exhibits which included the Mayans and instruments of torture.

The Mayans were a very advanced society that came up with a creation myth as well as a calendar. Their society can be related to what we have learned about in the section of combining math with art. In this picture, we see the hieroglyphic inscription of the Stela K which describes the calendar. It states that their start date was in 3114 BC, and had an end date of December 21 2012. This calendar, even though it was not exact, was important because it was the first time people in Mesoamerica were keeping track of the days and years. However the Mayan’s calendar is slightly off to ours, containing 360 days. For an ancient civilization, these mathematical advances were quite impressive.

On this Stela C sculpture, the Mayans were able to combine their mathematical advances with their artwork. The artwork of this sculpture is very beautiful containing their Gods and also relating it to their mathematical data, or their calendar. This shows that even in ancient society, humans were combining art and science into one unit.

While at the Museum of Man, I also attended the Instruments of Torture exhibit. Pictures were prohibited, so the only photo I was able to get was one at the entrance. This exhibit was very gory, as well as incredibly sad. While looking at the instruments of torture, I saw how these devices of torture connected with both art and technology. I was able to see different torture instruments from a wide variety of time periods, and I saw how technology has progressively changed over the years. Here is a photo of a chair where people were tortured in the 1700’s.

Now in modern times, torture devices have changed, however they are still similar to ones back then. This improvement of torture devices, can be compared to technology, and how technological advances change over time. Even though these torture devices are indeed terrible and horrific devices, they still do show art in a very depressing way. These torture devices were art because mathematical calculations had to be in order to form these instruments.

Here is a picture as proof that I attended these exhibits at the Museum of Man in San Diego: