Week 6: BioTech + Art
Just as technology has expanded the minds and opportunities for artists, biotechnology has had similar effects, however in a different aspect in my opinion. Artists over the past few decades have reportedly been spending just as much time in the laboratory as the studio, working with biotechnologists, working with human tissues and DNA samples. (Miranda).
Joe Davis, the pioneer of bioart, worked with several molecular biologists and who taught him about genomes, the genetic material of an organism. Davis tried to convince them to synthesize DNA and insert them into genomes of living bacteria. His ideas led him to the audio microscope which translated light information into sound in order to hear living cells. He also performed studies examining how E-coli bacteria responds to jazz music. To me, I see Davis's work as experimentation between biology and technology, not artistic. Artists in my opinion, think differently than scientists and technologists. In a sense they are considered to be more creative. This creativity has led to such scientific discoveries as described above, but I myself wouldn't consider them art.
Prior to viewing these lectures, I never considered artists to be heavily involved in science labs. Symbiotica, an artistic laboratory created one of the few projects I consider to be a combination of biotechnology and art. "Fish and Chips," a robotic arm run by the activity of goldfish neurons creating an art piece.
Edward Kac, created the first ever Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) bunny. He claimed his work with Alba the bunny, "is a new art form based on the use of genetic engineering to transfer natural or synthetic genes to an organism, to create unique living beings." As I mentioned earlier, I do not view his work as artistic, I view it as scientific.
Orlan, a famous French performance artist, known for her public plastic surgeries based on paintings of women created an organic coat at Symbiotica called The Harlequin Coat. This coat was made from "skin pieces from different colors that are made in-vitro in petri dishes in a lab." (Vesna). Her aim was to symbolize cultural crossbreeding in beauty. This to me, screamed art.
After researching this week's materials, I concluded individual perspective determines whether something is artistic or scientific. I;ve found many artists in the biotechnology realm claim their work to be art, but it often appears as a scientific discovery. One girl's opinion!
References:
5 BioArt Pt1 1280x720. Victoria Vesna. Uconlineprogram, 18 Sep 2013. Web. 12 May 2017.
5 BioArt Pt2. Victoria Vesna. Uconlineprogram, 17 May 2012. Web. 12 May 2017.
5 BioArt Pt4. Victoria Vesna. Uconlineprogram, 17 May 2012. Web. 13 May 2017.
Davis, Joe. Audio Microscope. Digital Image. Ars Electronica, 2000. Web. 12 May 2017.
Fontaine, Chrystelle. Alba, the Fluorescent Bunny. Digital Image. Ekac. N.p., n.d. Web 13 May 2017.
Kac, Eduardo. "GFP Bunny." GFP BUNNY. N.p., 2000. Web 13 May 2017. <http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor>.
Miranda, Carolina A. "Weird Science: Biotechnology as Art Form." ARTnews. N.p., 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 12 May 2017. <http://www/artnews.come/2013/03/18biotechnology-as-art-form/>
Symbiotica. Fish & Chips. Digital Image. Ars Electronica Festival, 4 Feb. 2011. Web. 12 May 2017.
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| Image 1: Joe Davis, Audio Microscope |
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| Image 2: Symbiotica "Fish & Chips" |
Edward Kac, created the first ever Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) bunny. He claimed his work with Alba the bunny, "is a new art form based on the use of genetic engineering to transfer natural or synthetic genes to an organism, to create unique living beings." As I mentioned earlier, I do not view his work as artistic, I view it as scientific.
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| Image 3: Alba, the Fluorescent Bunny |
Orlan, a famous French performance artist, known for her public plastic surgeries based on paintings of women created an organic coat at Symbiotica called The Harlequin Coat. This coat was made from "skin pieces from different colors that are made in-vitro in petri dishes in a lab." (Vesna). Her aim was to symbolize cultural crossbreeding in beauty. This to me, screamed art.
After researching this week's materials, I concluded individual perspective determines whether something is artistic or scientific. I;ve found many artists in the biotechnology realm claim their work to be art, but it often appears as a scientific discovery. One girl's opinion!
References:
5 BioArt Pt1 1280x720. Victoria Vesna. Uconlineprogram, 18 Sep 2013. Web. 12 May 2017.
5 BioArt Pt2. Victoria Vesna. Uconlineprogram, 17 May 2012. Web. 12 May 2017.
5 BioArt Pt4. Victoria Vesna. Uconlineprogram, 17 May 2012. Web. 13 May 2017.
Davis, Joe. Audio Microscope. Digital Image. Ars Electronica, 2000. Web. 12 May 2017.
Fontaine, Chrystelle. Alba, the Fluorescent Bunny. Digital Image. Ekac. N.p., n.d. Web 13 May 2017.
Kac, Eduardo. "GFP Bunny." GFP BUNNY. N.p., 2000. Web 13 May 2017. <http://www.ekac.org/gfpbunny.html#gfpbunnyanchor>.
Miranda, Carolina A. "Weird Science: Biotechnology as Art Form." ARTnews. N.p., 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 12 May 2017. <http://www/artnews.come/2013/03/18biotechnology-as-art-form/>
Symbiotica. Fish & Chips. Digital Image. Ars Electronica Festival, 4 Feb. 2011. Web. 12 May 2017.
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