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Showing posts from April, 2024

Laura Ponce, Event 1 Blog Post, DESMA 9

     Attending Ryszard W. Kluszczynski's lecture was a very eye-opening experience that not only broadened my understanding of new media arts and cyberculture but also provided invaluable insights into how art, science, and technology all come together to serve a purpose. During week 3, we talked about robotics and art. Specifically, Professor Kusahara explained how engineers in Japan find ways to make robots a need, not a luxury. Kusahara mentions making robots that respond to natural disasters and medical emergencies (Vesna, n.d.). I was reminded of this in Kluszczynski's exploration of scientific innovations that serve humanity. This can also be related to Gijs van Bon’s work, where humanity and machines coincide (van Bon, n.d.). I really enjoyed this particular segment of the Zoom meeting because it showed how art can simplify and help communicate complex scientific concepts to those who are not professionals in that specific topic. Similarly, just this past week, Body Co

Week 4, Laura Ponce, DESMA9

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       Medicine and art share a profound connection that is rooted in their shared goal of understanding and expressing the human experience. While medicine focuses on healing the body, art delves into the depths of human emotion and perception. Both disciplines intersect in their pursuit of empathy, communication, and holistic understanding. Medicine informs art by offering insights into the complexities of human anatomy, physiology, and psychology. This enriches artistic interpretations of the human condition. As explained in one of the lecture videos, plastic surgery is a profession that allows both of these topics to come to its true form Vesna). I had a septorhinoplasty in 2021 and I can attest that the artistic side of plastic surgery does indeed delve into human emotion and perception.  On a more literal note, one example of how art and medicine intersect is through the use of medical imaging techniques like MRI’s, fMRI’s, and CT scans (Casini, 2011). Doctors have repurposed the

Week 3 Blog, Laura Ponce, DESMA9

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    In the domain of robotics and art, these two join forces to combine technology and creativity and produce ideas and creations that are out of this world. As Professor Vesna stated, to even get into robotics, we have to travel back to the creation of the printing press in 1040 by the Chinese (Vesna, n.d.). The impact of the printing press was one of a kind. Professor Vesna also highlights industrialization and how it connects to robotics, stating that the creation of the robot was through theater as a response to the mechanization of labor (Vesna,). This revolutionized the world in ways that humans back then couldn’t even think of. Movies, mass production, and the way humans thought about everyday life were hugely impacted.  Team, D. (2023, July 18). AI & Robotics in robotic art: Unlocking creativity . Daisie Blog. https://blog.daisie.com/ai-robotics-in-robotic-art-unlocking-creativity/  A great example of the robot aesthetic is explained through Machiko Kusahara, a professor at

Week 2 Blog, Laura Ponce, DESMA9

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     In this week’s module, we reviewed math and art and how they both have a dynamic relationship with each other. Sometimes, these two ideas are separated immediately. No thought is given to whether math and art are connected. But, what we don’t notice is how often we use math in art. In Professor Vesna’s lecture, she confirms that the connection of art and science is through math and art (Vesna, 0:28). Historically, the explanation of the origin of math incorporates art. In Professor Vesna’s mathematics lecture, she mentions that when drawing regular and irregular shapes, mathematical formulas are needed to calculate the dimensions, area, or volume of said shape (Vesna, 3:35).  Hey, J. (2016, November 7). The golden ratio . Sketchplanations.  https://sketchplanations.com/the-golden-ratio  Architecture serves as a prime example of the relationship between mathematics and art. It uses mathematical concepts to design structures that are not only visually appealing but also structurally

Week 1 Blog, Laura Ponce, DESMA9

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Hi everyone! My name is Laura Ponce and I am a 4th year psychology major. I am super excited to take this class this quarter! This week, we covered the idea of “Two Cultures”. It was very interesting. Growing up, I always thought of the arts and sciences as two separate worlds. In my academic journey and home environment, there wasn't much emphasis on the arts, which led me to see them as very distinct from the sciences.  Eskridge, Robert. “The enduring relationship of science and art.” (2003). https://archive.artic.edu/sciarttech/2a1.html  At UCLA, there exists a noticeable divide between st udents pursuing degrees in the humanities, social sciences, and arts (referred to as North Campus) and those focusing on STEM fields (known as South Campus). This physical separation often results in limited interaction between individuals from different academic backgrounds, as students primarily engage with peers who share their majors and disciplines. There's a significant economic disp