Week 6 Art + Biotechnology

Professor Vesna introduced many artists who did controversial research and project. I was shocked how advanced technology have enlarged the possibility and creativity of modern artists. At the same time as I was watching the visual images of these art forms, I became unsure if they can be called art or not. First of all, what is the definition of art? According to Oxford Dictionary of English,

Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, 

typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be

appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.

I believe that various art forms introduced in lecture videos such as Alba, the fluorescent bunny which Edward Kac created, and the art created in science lab by Symbiotica do fit in this definition of art.

However, in art class at school, students are not exposed to these types of art. Students usually learn how to sketch, paint, and maybe create a sculpture, which are traditional art forms. For majority of people, what they see in art class and at art museum are traditional art. The rose below is art for majority of people, however, the fluorescent bunny may not be. When I first watched this week’s lecture video, I was one of the majority of people who only knew traditional art. The problem is that more and more students have less chance to be exposed to the traditional arts. According to The Huffington Post.com, the nationwide school budget cuts have been eliminating art classes at schools. Does this mean that art is not an important subject? Fran Smith says in Edutopia that involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. In other words, art is related not just to creative skill and imagination, it stimulates other types of abilities which artists need to create non-traditional art works.

I would like to emphasize that the definition of art says that art is producing works to be appreciated not just for their beauty but also emotional power. Beauty is not easy to define because every person has a different perspective toward beauty. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to know how or toward what people feel emotional power. Edward Kac’s Fluorescent Bunny created a debate whether it should be called art or not, however, I believe it is each individual who views Alba should decide if it is art or not.

References

Soanes, Catherine, and Angus Stevenson. Oxford Dictionary of English. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2003. Print.

"5 Bioart Pt1 1280x720." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 05 May 2015.

"5 BioArt Pt2." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 05 May 2015.

Zhao, Emmeline. "School Budget Cuts: How Students Say Slashes Are Affecting Them." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 05 May 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/la-youth_n_1277182.html>.

"Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who's Doing It Best." Edutopia. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2015. <http://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development>.

"Green Fluorescent Protein - Cool Uses - Alba." Green Fluorescent Protein. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2015. <http://www.conncoll.edu/ccacad/zimmer/GFP-ww/cooluses8.html>.

"Body / Art / Bioethics." Body / Art / Bioethics. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2015. <http://www.bodyartbioethics.symbiotica.uwa.edu.au/>.

"Rose Art, Roses in Fine Art, How to Paint Roses, Draw a Rose, Rose History."Easy-oil-painting-techniques.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2015. <http://www.easy-oil-painting-techniques.org/rose-art.html>.