Week 6: BioTech + Art

 May 12, 2023

There is a difficult line for when science can be implemented into art, but this week's content helped me see that line more clearly. Some of the content this week made it clear to me that there needs to be special standards to differentiate scientific innovation and unnecessary artistic endeavors. A key example was the skin art created by Orlan (Vesna, 1:59). I believe her artistic message could have been conveyed in much better ways. 

[Image 1] The artist Orlan

It felt more acceptable to learn about the genetic modification of iris flowers than it did to learn about growing skin in petri dishes for art (Vesna, 2:08). Steichen's work feels distinguishable from Orlan's and Kathy High's to me, because Orlan's and Kathy High's work utilized blood and skin and Steichen's art is plant based (Vesna, 1:49). 

[Image 2] Delphinium Connecticut Yankees

    I'm not sure exactly how to differentiate, but I still think that specific standards and policies should be employed to ensure that artists are able to capture informed consent from their subjects. Watching the Ted Talk on biotechnology that concentrates on growing organs demonstrated a clear objective that can only be achieved through its success. Some of the other biotech art pieces were not able to so clearly demonstrate to me that they only ways to convey their message was through the art piece.

[Image 3] Ted Talk from Anthony Atala: Growing New Organs

References

“Interdisciplinary Artist Working with Technology, Art and Biology.” Kathy High, www.kathyhigh.com/. Accessed 12 May 2023.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 Bioart PT2.” YouTube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdSt-Hjyi2I&list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 Bioart PT4.” YouTube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fbruinlearn.ucla.edu%2Fcourses%2F160989%2Fpages%2Funit-6-view%3Fmodule_item_id%3D5946338&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjQsMTY0NTAz&feature=emb_share&v=2qSc72u9KhI.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 Bioart PT5.” YouTube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fbruinlearn.ucla.edu%2Fcourses%2F160989%2Fpages%2Funit-6-view%3Fmodule_item_id%3D5946338&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjQsMTY0NTAz&feature=emb_share&v=z7zHIdsFS3A.

Wall, Rebecca. “The Human Body in Art.” ArtWeb Blog, 28 Dec. 2022, https://blog.artweb.com/art-and-culture/human-body-in-art/.

Image Citations

[Image 1] Criado, Lula. “Orlan, beyond Any Conception of the Body.” CLOT Magazine, 22 Jan. 2019, clotmag.com/biomedia/orlan-beyond-any-conception-of-the-body.

[Image 2] Hartmann, Cecilia. “Moma: Edward Steichen Archive: Delphiniums Blue (and White and Pink, Too).” InsideOut, 2011, www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2011/03/08/edward-steichen-archive-delphiniums-blue-and-white-and-pink-too/.

[Image 3] Atala, Anthony. “Growing New Organs.” Anthony Atala: Growing New Organs | TED Talk, 2009, www.ted.com/talks/anthony_atala_growing_new_organs?utm_campaign=tedspread.