Event 3: LACMA

       I went to LACMA today and enjoyed almost all of the artworks. However, influenced by this class, I was more impressed by some specific artworks that are related to science.

Robert Philippi, Madchen (Girls)

Liebespaar and I

Robert Philippi, Liebespaar (Lovers)

      As soon as I walked in the first exhibition room and saw two Robert Philippi’s drawings, I found the connection between art and medical technology – MRI. In Liebespaar and Madchen, Philippi draws the muscle, ribs and joints under the skin of the figures. The body structure under the skin cannot be seen by naked eyes. Philippi is able to draw the bones because he is aware of the images produced by MRI. The medical technology is well incorporated in these two drawings.

Joseph Albers, Homage to the Square, 1951

Joseph Albers, Honage to the Square: Dissolving/Vanishing, 1951

Joseph Albers, Homage to the Square, 1957

Joseph Albers, Homage to the Square, 1951-55

       I also found coexistence of art and science in Joseph Albers’s paintings. In Homage to the Square (1951), Homage to the Square: Dissolving/Vanishing, Homage to the Square (1957) and Homage to the Square (1951-55), geometrical squares (math) are the only subject matters. As a result, this series of paintings is not only aesthetically pleasing but scientific as well.

Chris Burden, MetropolisⅡ, 2011

       The artwork amazed me the most is Chris Burden’s MetropolisⅡ. It is a kinetic sculpture that represents a fast paced modern city. The most interesting part to me is the speeding miniature cars which are slow when going up and fast when going down. Although I am not very good at physics, I can tell that this artwork involves energy transformation between gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy. I also found out that MetropolisⅡ is only operated for one hour a time and has to rest for one hour after each time. I asked the docent of LACMA about this schedule. She told me that the cars need to be cooled down or else they would break apart due to friction. Not only the operation of this artwork depends on physics but the schedule of operation also depends on physics. As a result, no one could deny the relation between this artwork and science.

Hours of Operation

       Before taking this class, I simply thought the art world as a separated world. However, after realizing various connections between art and science in this class, I know how to appreciate many of the artworks better.