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Artists love to use their imaginations and in a certain sense, space requires imagination, which is why art and space go together so well.  Space is so vast that it leaves us with endless room to use our imagination.  The idea of space and of the unknown possibilities of space intrigue artists today to create works of art that encompass those ideas.

Xu Zhen is an artist who created a project called In Just a Blink of an Eye.  In this project, performers are harnessed in and set in positions that are normally only seen for a fraction of a second when someone is mid way through falling to the ground.  However, the performers are stuck in these positions, illustrating what it is like to defy both gravity and time.  This illusion is captivating because it is as if the performer is frozen in a moment in time that is normally impossible to be frozen in.  The fact that the performer defies gravity in this project is an incredible site to see for the viewer and it illustrates the possibilities that space has to offer.

Another compelling art project done by Richard Garriott actually created art in space.  He went into space and created a box where inside of it he taped pieces of paper on each of the sides.  From there, he took paint and let the droplets float around inside of the box until they hit a piece of paper.  His goal was to compare this project to that of Jackson Pollock’s work where he splattered paint onto a canvas.  Richard Garriott discovered that when he “splattered” the paint in space, the droplets actually stuck to the paper and dried forming spheres rather than drying flat onto the paper like they did on earth (Art in Space)  His project allows us to see a physical change and direct effect of space on art.

.The limitlessness of space creates limitless possibilities for artists and their imaginations’.

"Art in Space." Art in Space — OurSpace. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://www.our-space.org/materials/states-of-matter/art-in-space>.

Delgado, Kasia. "The List: Art in Space." Financial Times. The Financial Times Limited, 2015. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/0a8d608a-222a-11e4-9d4a-00144feabdc0.html#slide0>.

Forde, Kathleen. "Dancing on the Ceiling: Art & Zero Gravity." Dancing on the Ceiling: Art & Zero Gravity Curated by Kathleen Forde : EMPAC Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center : Troy, NY USA. Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2010. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://zerogravity.empac.rpi.edu/>.

"PERFORMA07." PERFORMA07. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://07.performa-arts.org/artists.php?id=22&detail=true>.

"Zu Xhen : In Just a Blink of the Eye." Dancing on the Ceiling. Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2010. Web. 30 May 2015. <http://zerogravity.empac.rpi.edu/zhen/>.

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Nanotechnology has opened up an entire new dimension of art and has created so many more possibilities for artists.  It has allowed us to explore deeper into scientific areas that we would not be able to reach without nanotechnology.

Paul Thomas and Kevin Waxworthy’s project Nanoessence is a perfect example of that.  “Nanoessence is an interactive audio-visual installation where the viewer will interface with the visual and sonic presentation through his or her own breath” (visiblespace).  It uses a single HaCat skin cell to compare life and death through an atomic force microscope down to the nano level.  This technology provides us with the opportunity to explore this topic and physically experience the comparison between life and death to the best of our ability. 

An article that I read online talked about how nanotechnology is not something that can be seen because it deals with molecules and atoms that are too small to be seen with the human eye.  The article went on to say, well what better way to bring an abstract, miniscule thing to life than through art?  Art is the connection between nanotechnology in its abstract, miniscule form and its visually attainable form.  Art allows us to see a representation of what nanotechnology is actually doing.  In the project Nanoessence, the artistic display of the breath and how it interacts with life and death is displayed through nanotechnology.

"Art in the Age of Nanotechnology." Art.base. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://art.base.co/event/2104-art-in-the-age-of-nanotechnology>.

Gimzewski, Jim. "Nanotech Jim Pt1." YouTube. YouTube, 21 May 2012. Web. 24 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE>.

Lovgren, Stefan. "Can Art Make Nanotechnology Easier to Understand?"National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 23 Dec. 2003. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/12/1223_031223_nanotechnology.html>.

"Nanoessence." Visiblespace. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://visiblespace.com/blog/?page_id=122>.

"What Is Nanotechnology?" What Is Nanotechnology? N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2015. <http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/definition>.

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Because we know so little about dreams, artists have a huge amount of room to use their imagination and get creative (Professor Vesna).  Some people use dreams as a way of escaping reality and others simply use dreams to explore their imagination (Real Meaning of Dreams). 

Heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud’s ideas of the unconscious, the Surrealist movement inspired artists to incorporate dreams and the unconscious in their work.  One of the most famous artists whose work depicted a dream like scene was Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory.  “One can see through his artwork Dali’s fascination with the fleeting state of mind between sleep and consciousness, dream and reality, sanity and insanity” (Real Meaning of Dreams).

Through his painting it is easy to tell that dreams open up artists’ imaginations and allow them to expand their creativity and create artwork that is technically unrealistic.

Another art form that incorporates dreams and the unconscious is in the film industry.  One recent, popular film called Inception by Christopher Nolan was based off of the idea of a thief who infiltrates the subconscious of people to learn their secrets. 

I think the reason why the unconscious and dreams are such popular themes among movies and artists is because we are fascinated by the endless possibilities that the idea of dreams and the unconscious give us.  There is so much room for creativity and imagination within those ideas that the directions in which they can be used are limitless.  Not only do dreams captivate people and intrigue audiences, but they allow artists ways to create unique masterpieces.

"Dream Art and Creativity." Dream Art and Creativity. N.p., 2007. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.realmeaningofdreams.com/dream-art.html>.

"2 / Dreams and Visions." Art Through Time: A Global View. Annenburg Foundation, 2015. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://learner.org/courses/globalart/theme/2/index.html>.

Gregoire, Carolyn. "8 Famous Ideas That Came From Dreams (Literally)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 Nov. 2013. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/16/famous-ideas-from-dreams_n_4276838.html>.

"Inception." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inception>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Art and Neuroscience Part 2." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2012. Web. 18 May 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFv4owX3MZo>.

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Based upon what I have learned this far in this class, I can already tell that there are no limits to human creativity.  Biotechnology and art, according to the lecture on the two cultures, would certainly be considered parts of two distinct, separate worlds… biotech coming from the culture of math and science and art coming from the culture of art.  However, if you explore biotechnology and the complex, creative projects and studies that have been done in the field, you will come to see that biotechnology is in fact an artistic field.

Edward Steichen is a perfect example of how biotechnology (and in his case, hybridization) and art are intertwined.  In his work he crossbred flowers, particularly delphiniums, to create different flower breeds.  He displayed his flowers in museums and his work is well known and recognized in the artistic culture (Hartmann).

I think it is amazing to see how people like Steichen can stretch the expectations and boundaries that people hold on the capacity of creativity.  Some people believe that there are limits to human creativity and they do not see Steichen’s work as a piece of art.  On the contrary, there are many people who believe that human creativity has no bounds and Steichen’s work is a testament to that claim.

I think that we should all pursue the things that we are passionate about and if we do that, we will find a way to express ourselves creatively in whatever field that might be.

BioTech and Art Part 5. Dir. Victoria Vesna. Perf. Victoria Vesna. 2015. YouTube.

Delgado, Rick. "How Artists Are Blending Biotechnology And Art."MakeUseOf. N.p., 8 May 2015. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/artists-blending-biotechnology-art/>.

Hartmann, Celia. "EDWARD STEICHEN ARCHIVE: DELPHINIUMS BLUE (AND WHITE AND PINK, TOO)." InsideOut. The Museum of Modern Art, 8 Mar. 2011. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2011/03/08/edward-steichen-archive-delphiniums-blue-and-white-and-pink-too>.

Stippl, Hannah. "Delphinium, Delphinium and More Delphinium."Delphinium, Delphinium and More Delphinium. Research Catalogue, 25 June 2014. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/88036/88037>.

"What Is Biotechnology?" What Is Biotechnology? Biotechnology Industry Organization, 2015. Web. 10 May 2015. <https://www.bio.org/articles/what-biotechnology>.

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Elise_Schroeder_Desma9_Midterm.pdf