martinadDESMA9
Friday, June 12, 2015
Thursday, June 4, 2015
event 3: do our rivers have a chance?
My final event took place at the Hammer Museum, through their year-long programming of lectures about water. It's been clear over the past few years that water, and its conservation, are critical to California's future. We are currently in a serious drought that has left much of Central California struggling for water, with some towns having no access to water at all. Do Our Rivers Have A Chance? was an insightful investigation into the problem of water shortages and water pollution that happens not only in California but throughout the world.
The first lecturer was Steve Fleischli, Director of the Water Program at the National Resources Defense Center. Fleischli shared photographs from his travels through which he evaluates the state of rivers throughout the world. The photos ranged from small tributaries to large bodies of water, all suffering through some state of distress. In the image below, the fresh water stream that flows into the city river on the left is obviously clean while the city river is green and disgusting. The juxtaposition of the images illustrate the apathy of maintaining water sources in big cities. The building in the background of the picture on the right, a symbol of human development, looms ominously above the dirty river, a symbol of nature that has been abandoned in favor of focusing on industry.
Fleischli's imagery not only provided firsthand evidence of the quality (or lack thereof) of water across the globe, but also offered a visual representation for the state of every location he visited. The LA River, shown in the first picture above, is barely even a river. But what do you expect when you build a city in a barren desert and expect it to flourish? The images of the pig farm lagoons of the American South provided a rare glimpse at the reality of the meat industry and its impact not only on mistreated livestock but also on the environment at large. The lagoons, Fleischli explained, were giant vats of pig excrement that were carelessly left to fester in the sun until being used to fertilize fields. When a bad storm rolled in, the lagoons overflowed and their toxic waste contaminated everything it came across.
Through examples such as the pig farm, it was obvious that advancements in technology have affected our rivers. We may grow as a society, but we often forget one of the most basic necessities that keep us alive -- water. Fleischli's lecture helped me better understand the need to balance human progress and sustaining what we already have.
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Fleischli and the LA River. Or lack thereof. |
The first lecturer was Steve Fleischli, Director of the Water Program at the National Resources Defense Center. Fleischli shared photographs from his travels through which he evaluates the state of rivers throughout the world. The photos ranged from small tributaries to large bodies of water, all suffering through some state of distress. In the image below, the fresh water stream that flows into the city river on the left is obviously clean while the city river is green and disgusting. The juxtaposition of the images illustrate the apathy of maintaining water sources in big cities. The building in the background of the picture on the right, a symbol of human development, looms ominously above the dirty river, a symbol of nature that has been abandoned in favor of focusing on industry.
Fleischli's imagery not only provided firsthand evidence of the quality (or lack thereof) of water across the globe, but also offered a visual representation for the state of every location he visited. The LA River, shown in the first picture above, is barely even a river. But what do you expect when you build a city in a barren desert and expect it to flourish? The images of the pig farm lagoons of the American South provided a rare glimpse at the reality of the meat industry and its impact not only on mistreated livestock but also on the environment at large. The lagoons, Fleischli explained, were giant vats of pig excrement that were carelessly left to fester in the sun until being used to fertilize fields. When a bad storm rolled in, the lagoons overflowed and their toxic waste contaminated everything it came across.
Through examples such as the pig farm, it was obvious that advancements in technology have affected our rivers. We may grow as a society, but we often forget one of the most basic necessities that keep us alive -- water. Fleischli's lecture helped me better understand the need to balance human progress and sustaining what we already have.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
week 9
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Black Milk Clothing |
Space has found its own market in the fashion industry. When
I worked in retail in 2011, I noticed a growing trend in “galaxy print” clothes
and the trend hasn’t subsided since. From off the rack and casual dresses to
couture gowns, space is well loved in textile form. Valentino’s Pre-Fall 2015
collection is the most recent example of space fashion, with its gowns taking
on less NASA HQ image look and more of a childhood-evoking representation of
the stars and planets.
Valentino Pre-Fall 2015 |
More than just capitalizing on the look of space, fashion
has drawn inspiration from a time period Dr. Vesna spends much of her lecture
discussing – the Space Race. Designer André Courrèges’ work was
influenced greatly by the American and Soviet sprint to the stars, which was in
full swing during the height of Courrèges' career. The designer used clean lines
and geometric shapes paired with helmit-like hats and goggle-like glasses to
evoke the future of humanity post-space exploration and even titled one of his
collections “Moon Girl.” His work continues to influence both runway and street
style today with its wholly 1960’s look.
André Courrèges |
But space fashion is not simply exclusive to Earth. Recent
advancements in what people wear in space
have led to better-dressed astronauts than the bulky white and fishbowl helmeted
suits of yesterday. Space suit designers such as the brand Orbital Outfitters
have begun work on fashionable and practical suits in the hopes of one day
cashing in on commercial space travel. On the other hand, NASA has also created
more aesthetically pleasing space suits, but theirs are more concerned with
technological advancements and safety of their astronauts rather than sartorial
concerns. Future suits, like the one pictured below, expect space travellers to
use bioluminescence-esque lights to ensure ease when mining and inspecting
minerals on other planets. The suits are also designed to ensure easier and
more fluid movement from the wearer.
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NASA Mock Up |
Space and fashion go hand in hand, be it the look of space,
the look of the future, or the look of space travel.
Alston, Gary.
"“ANDRE COURREGES – THE COUTURE’S SPACE CAPTAIN." HOUSE OF RETRO.
N.p., 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 31 May 2015.
<http://houseofretro.com/index.php/2013/04/17/andre-courreges-the-coutures-space-captain/>.
Maggs, Sam.
"Beautiful Space Dresses Are the Star of Valentino’s Pre-Fall 2015
Collection." The Mary Sue. N.p., 26 Jan. 2015. Web. 31 May 2015.
<http://www.themarysue.com/valentino-space-dresses/>.
Pierce, Lenny.
"Space Fashion: NASA’s Latest Styles in the Astro Apparel of Tomorrow |
Nerdist." Nerdist. Nerdist Industries, 01 Apr. 2014. Web. 31 May
2015. <http://nerdist.com/space-fashion-nasas-latest-styles-in-the-astro-apparel-of-tomorrow/>.
Ramzi, Lilah.
"Back to the Future With ’60s Space-Age Chic." Vogue. Condé
Nast Digital, 1 Aug. 2014. Web. 31 May 2015.
<http://www.vogue.com/946311/60s-space-age-fashion/>.
Steere, Mike.
"Blending Safety with Sexy: Space Fashion Is Here." CNN. Cable
News Network, 9 Oct. 2008. Web. 31 May 2015.
<http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/09/space.fashion/index.html?eref=rss_tech>.
Friday, May 22, 2015
event 1: Provocations
I attended the Provocations exhibit at the Hammer Museum and
viewed Thomas Heatherwick’s awesome designs and architecture. I had known about
his Seed Cathedral from my good friend who’s a USC architecture student (I let
the USC thing slide). I had no idea, however, that Heatherwick was behind the
beautiful cauldron at the 2012 Olympics.
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Starstruck by a miniature Olympic cauldron. |
Throughout the exhibit were blueprints and to scale models
of designs from his studio, located in London. The efforts of the Heatherwick
Studio blend practicality and modernity, as seen in the design for a park in
the Middle East. Because of the extreme heat and sun of the desert, the studio
decided to provide built in shade for the park. However, rather than simply
creating canopies, they designed a two-story park. The top level provides shade
for the bottom level; in which palm trees and other plants flourish near a
manmade pool. The design allows people to comfortably relax and come together,
making community more possible than before.
In his TED Talk, Heatherwick makes it clear that creating
public spaces that allow for human interaction is important to him. For his
Seed Cathedral, the majority of the space they used is textured open space,
allowing the public to gather and use the space however they want – including
rolling down the manmade hills together. The theme of community also stands out
trough Heatherwicks Studio’s creations, including the amazing spinning top
chairs. The Hammer Museum had the chairs for use in their plaza, and my friends
and I put them to good use. Spinning around in a chair with friends and
strangers, everyone expressing their glee through laughter, was a really
touching experience. For a few minutes, everyone who was spinning was linked
together.
Heatherwick Studios is able to use technology to research
and develop new ways to create everything from buses to bridges to buildings.
The science they use simultaneously brings pragmatic and humanistic elements to
architecture.
week 8
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My own first brush with nanotech came in the form of The Magic School Bus. |
Nanotechnology is a common branch of science to use in
fiction, as seen by the well-used “Fantastic Voyage” trope. The plot of
shrinking a submarine with people inside down in order to enter a human body
and, usually, fix something inside the person is used throughout all genres.
The idea, originally stemming from the 1966 sci-fi movie of
the same name, is so popular to use within narratives, especially on
television, because it bridges the gap between the present and the future. It
blurs the line between what technology is currently capable of and what it may
one day be capable of. Nanotech itself has advanced technology to such a point
that tiny things feel futuristic. “Nanotechnology in fiction” has its own
Wikipedia page because of how much its used for its fantastical futurism.
In the video above, the 2014 Samsung Keynote explores the nanotechnology of an extremely thin and bendable plastic screen. One of the speakers bends the screen back and forth as the video on it continues to play. While Samsung is laying the groundwork for bendable phones and tablets today, the products are still currently years away from the market. But the technology is there. With advancements such as this happening at top speed, it isn’t surprising that nanotechnology is used within fiction to explore the both the present day and the future.
""Fantastic
Voyage" Plot." TV Tropes. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2015.
<http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FantasticVoyagePlot>.
"Fantastic Voyage." TV Tropes. N.p., n.d. Web. 22
May 2015. <http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/FantasticVoyage>.
"Nanotechnology in Fiction." Wikipedia. Wikimedia
Foundation, n.d. Web. 22 May 2015.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology_in_fiction>.
Rubin, Ben Fox. "Ahead of the Curve: Samsung, LG and
the Bendable Phone - CNET." CNET. N.p., 29 Dec. 2015. Web. 22 May 2015.
<http://www.cnet.com/news/ahead-of-the-curve-samsung-lg-and-the-bendable-phone/>.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
week 7
In my second year of college, I switched from majoring in
Political Science to English. I was worried about my decision, fearing I made a
mistake, until I took a literary theory class and finally understood the value
of an English degree. While we covered many theorists, it was psychoanalysis
that stood out to me as an interesting and effective way to analyze literature.
Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Jacques Lacan are three psychoanalysts who have
shaped the way I view not only literature, but all media.
Dr. Vesna’s lecture refers to David Cronenberg’s 2011 film A Dangerous Method, which details the
relationship between Freud and Jung. The film uses the father of transference,
the concept of unconscious displacement of past trauma upon other people, to
further explore what transference truly is. Throughout the film, Jung befriends
Freud, already an established psychoanalyst, and begins an extramarital
relationship with Sabina Spielrein. In the scene below, you can see the end of
transference between Sabina and Jung as he breaks off their sexual relationship
and she realizes their relationship was based on a projection of her past abuse
from her father onto Jung.
The act of transferring past trauma onto a person is
obviously not a healthy basis for a relationship, and often vacillates between
love and hatred. However, Jung argues that all relationships are based in
transference and should not be given up on when the transference feels broken –
that relationships are made stronger by working with transference. This kind of
narrative can be seen in any story about the relationships between employees
and their bosses. My favorite example is in the AMC series Mad Men (which ends
its final season tonight). Peggy Olson, a young woman from Brooklyn, begins her
career as a secretary at an ad agency and moves her way up to become an ad
executive, through the ups and downs of transference with her boss, Don Draper.
Peggy, at the beginning of the series, has lost her father and attempts sexual
advances with Don. However, he rejects her advances and they continue their
relationship as platonic, with Don standing in for her father and Peggy
standing in for his own shortcomings as a father. Their transference grows
rocky in later seasons as they grow apart during Peggy’s success and Don’s
downfall, mirroring the reality of transference perfectly. Their reconciliation
comes in the scene below as the two share a platonically intimate moment. Don and Peggy, as opposed to Sabina and Jung, are more healthy and Jungian portrayal of navigating transference.
While Freud, Jung, and Lacan were all scientists who contributed
to the field of psychiatry, their research and ideas have also contributed to
art through Freudian, Jungian, and Lacanian theory. One can apply the
methodology they created to explore themes of the human mind through all
aspects of art.
A Dangerous Method. Dir. David Cronenberg. Perf. Michael
Fassbender, Viggo Mortenson. Paramount, 2011. DVD.
Braungardt, Jurgen. "Transference in Freud and
Lacan." Philosophical Explorations. N.p., 17 Nov. 2014. Web. 17 May 2015.
<http://braungardt.trialectics.com/philosophy/my-papers/transference-in-freud-and-lacan/>.
"Movie Review: “A Dangerous Method.”."
BrightestYoungThings. BYT Productions, 16 Dec. 2011. Web. 17 May 2015.
<http://brightestyoungthings.com/articles/movie-review-a-dangerous-method.htm>.
"Transference." FrithLutoncom. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://frithluton.com/articles/transference/>.
"Transference." FrithLutoncom. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2015. <http://frithluton.com/articles/transference/>.
Weiner, Matthew. "Mad Men - Peggy and Don Share a
Dance." YouTube. Salvador Parada, 20 May 2014. Web. 17 May 2015.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zp3qMGN-8U&spfreload=10>.
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